Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-05-03
CAPTAIN is BLAMED.

In the current number of the Sci
entific American is a timely article
on the wreck of the Titanic which
takes a somewhat different view of
the catastrophe than that voiced by
the press and public generally The
Scientific American, is one of the
most reliable publications of it's kind
in America. 1t treats every subject
coming within the field of its obser-
vation without fear or favor. 1t IS
not influenced by popular clamor or
fearful of condemnation From a cold
hard, scientific viewpoint, the cause
and effect of the greatest of ocean
disasters is treated, and the blame for
the wreck Is laid at the door of Cap
tain Smith. The journal charges that
he was grossly careless in forcing
his ship at almost its greatest speed
through an ice covered sea, when he
knew that bergs abounded, and that
danger lurked all about his great
vessel But the night was clear, the
surface of the sea scarcely broken by
the faintest of ripples and, anxious
to make a record for the first West
ern voyage of the ship, Captain
Smith took a chance and drove the
Titanic to her doom.
1t is useless and farcicaI to attempt
to lay the blame upon Tsmay, the
managing director of the White Star
line, who happened to be a passen-
ger upon the vessel, and who saved
himself from a watery grave by COM
ing off in one of the few boats. He
had no voice i'm the navigation of the
Titanic. Whether or not the vessel
exceeded the speed limit of safety in T.
the face of danger, was no fault of
his. ON a ship at sea the captain is
absolute master. His dominion is
more complete and despotic that that /
of the most dominant ruler on land, |
and Ismay, even if the representative
of the owners of the ship and. as
such, the employer of the captain.
could not have exercised his right to
suggest while aboard the vessel at
sea. He knew the rules. and was
aware that he was simply a passeu-
ger, Therefore, the blame rests en-
tirely with the dead captain who re-
manned at his post and perished with
his ship He followed the law of the
sea in this regard at least, and he
paid the penalty for his recklessness.
lsmay has been blamed. too, for the
lack OF boats on the Titanic. This,
again, was no fault of his His COM y
pany had complied with the reguil- !
tions of the country in which his ;
ship was registered. The blame for {
lack of life saving appliances must I
rest with the British Board of Trade t
which required only the number that .
the ship carried. Since the harvest a
of death recorded on April IA. steps I
have been taken to increase the num- g
ber of boats carried to enough to ac- "
commodate every soul that may he p
on board-the door has been q
locked after the horse has been stol- {,
en-to use homely but truthful 81
phrase. e
The attempt by the senate investi- T
eating committee to prove that Ismay N
vas responsible for the great loss OF p
ife and the great criticism that has W
been heaped upon him because I've e.,
aNed his life, was uncalled for and vs.
unjust The wreck of the Titanic W
vas grim and ghastly reality and d
omehody must be blamed. Ismay. Ia
me OF the owners OF the ship. hap W
'ened 10 be handy. and upon him W
the investlgators-men en- q.
rely unfamiliar with the laws OF W
avigation and unfit 20 conduct an at
OF this nature. They OF
ractically accused him Of being re-
ponsihle for the tragedy. Like w
IAN. cropping in the dark for the a
ause Of the blow that has injured
i'm. these investigators attacked the
rst person they found who might
ave been. under some circumstances.
'spousible The captain who drove en-
he vessel 20 her death lay fathonis lei
'ep In his ocean sepulchre and only cr
the living could the inquisitors a
rn Tor redress. tn,
Possibly lsmay may have erred ess
hen he left the ship while Others He
mained, but that Is simply a Ques- COZ
m between himself and his con- all
.ence, and the Investigation should an
We nothing 20 do with t. We al oh
We ideas of his action and each sat
ist see the matter from his own per
.wpoint. ple
According 20 the Scientific Ameri- the
Ms judgment. the known presence put
ice should have warned Captain VIII
i'm and the speed of his vessel and
'uld have heen reduced fully one pro
i. especially during the hours Of roa