The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-19
QUICKER TINE BY
| OANGEROUSROUT
Desire to Make Speed Record.
Responsible for Wreck OF Il
the Titanic.
NAVAL OFFICERS THEORY
Thinks 1t Unfair to Place Blame
in Absence Of Definite
Facts.

Expressions OF blame toward par+
ucular Persons or companies in con.
neotion with the loss Of the Titanic
ana the death OF it's passengers should
DO withheld until careful fnyosti- IS
cation Of tho circumstances of tha
disaster can be made, lest fnnocenh
persons receive censure that Is en-
''rely unmarried. This was the em-
phatio sentiment expressed yesterday
by Richmond naval officer, who has
spent lifetime on the high seas ana.
whose knowledge of marine afrairs la !.
unquestionable.
There Is an awful responsibility
connected with the accident to tho
itanic,' said the officer, "and one
.nee should not be placed without nm,
liipeaehaoie reason. Somebody blund-
ereo terribly. either the company or
the captain. or the helmsnla,n. or tho
iookout-or perhaps all of them to-
Sether-but the blame for such "a
mammoth disaster should not ~ be-
placed rashly. and upon uncertain and
meagre informassn.
II tho captain failed in Judgment.
better. for It Is not we'll to talk dis
creditahly of the dead, particularly
of dead man who had earned such
confidence and esteem as brave Cam
tain Smith, OF the Titanic II the ):
company was negligent or careless ot
human life. let Ut be thoroughlv
proved. and then let the blame be
placed. 1G"T ~
Question of Lifcboats. gs
"A great many papers have rayed
Wildly about the lack Of life-pre-
serving accessories on the Titanic, but
the truth of the matter is that the
1ltanic was equipped as no steamer
ever has been equipped with ap-
plianoes and apparatus for tho pre-
accident ~
But when tho catastrophe comes zta
this Inc did, all human devices and COM
trivances fail; when the lights go OUT,
the power plant fails and the wind
Is Kicking up q heavy sea No shin
ahoat oarriea liieboats enough to &C,
commodate all tho passenga rs, but :
there are RATS OF great carrying ca-a
paoity that do double the duty OF lire-
boats. But in the Titanic disaster.
these great RATS could not be fioated 4
because the ships power plant failed. !
mechanical aid being necessary To.
raise the rats from the upper deck
and launch them y
In the minds of men who have made
seafarins their business. the failure OF
all liVe-savfng devices and tho fright
ful loss OF life on the Titanic was due
to several irreparable causes-the fails
ure OF the lighting system and the
inky darkness that ensued, the huge
number OF passengers, the very short
| time In which the vessel sank and thss
roughness OF the weather. No matters
X the Titanic had been equipped with
liteoonts enough to accommodate TO-
ooo people, 1t would have been absos
lutely impossible to launch the boats
and stow away the 1900 passengers In
totai darkness, In the short space OF
four hours. That Is the belief of naval
men. I think ~
Took Dangerous Route, II
When the time for investigation
comes, great stress will be laid on.
the point. why was the ngerous5
northern route taken at this time OF.
year? In the photographic charts pub,
iishea by tho national govoSnments Of
this country and England, the north.
ern route Is declared to be treacherousi
from January to August. But In the
EFFORT to make tho maiden voyage a
record one. either tho advisory board
OF the White Star Limo ordered this
dangerous route to DO taken, or Can
tain Smith took 1t on his own initIa
tive, believing the boasts OF tho IT.
tanio's designers: that nia ship was un :,
sinkable. Time and Investigation wilt
show whose was the responsibility for
the choice of the northern route.
"A few figures Will SHOW why this
northern route. In spite OF its known
dangers, was taken The distance from
Bishop Rock TO New York by the
southern route is s.ol6 miles, whila
by the northern route the distance ia
measured as 2,906 miles, a difference
Of ITO miles in favor OF the northern
route The difference means hours In
any transatlantic trip