The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1912-02-20
STEERING 1 BOAT.
The Rio Of the TlIler Ropes Often
a Source OF Danger.
4 CURIOUS LACK OF SYSTEM.

and This May Mean Serious Trouble
With Strange Hand at the Wheel.
A bronzed pilot was carefully nurs-
ing a big atlantic liner through the
murk and confusion OF early morning
and innumerable passing craft up the
crowded waters OF New York bay. The
ship was crowded with passengers.
most OF whom had risen betimes to
watch their homecoming. A tense ex-
preston, brought on by the tremendous
responsibility. cast its grim lines over
the pilots face as he turned into the
lower Hudson river and saw q dense
fogbank creeping down from the Pal
isades- Three miles still to go. and
1900 lives in his hands! Slowly he
crept along. almost touching q ferry
load of commuters. just skipping
triple tow Of sand scows, threading
his way through the maze of vessels
big and little: the fog, denser and
more dense. making 1t impossible to
see the shadow Of nearing craft more
than a couple of lengths away.
Suddenly a departing liner, just
hauled out into the stream. doomed up
of the starboard bow. The pilot turn
ed CHASTITY white. MY Godi Crossed
chains or straight chains3 Crossed
or-straight? Heaven help mer In
almost instant desperation he called
Hard aportT the quartermaster
swung the wheel overland the huge
floating hotel slowly turned out and
glided by. almost scraping the other.
Crossed chains-straight chainsT
What does this mean? 1t means this
that there is no inyariable rule or sys-
tenn of arranging the filler ropes on
vessels so that the latter always move
In the same direction in response to
similar turn of the wheel. II equipped
with crossed chains" the craft will
turn the opposite way; II with
turned in the same direction the vessel
is desired to so. Most ocean vessels
are equipped with straight chains,
though this is by no means an invari-
able custom. Sailing craft may be and
are fixed either way. On the other
hand. harbor boats, including tow
boats, tugs, etc. generally have crossed
tiller ropes
Thus our pilot friend had spent most
OF his nautical life aboard tugs and
other inland boats and when confront
ed with crisis of great responsibility
wavered momentarily between the In
| fluence OF his habit OF twenty years
and the newly acquired information
| given him as he went aboard. II was
/ just by the sheerest chance that he or
dered the wheel turned the correct
| way.
An able ocean seaman signed for a
round trip from Buffalo to Duluth and.
asked if he could handle the wheel,
was sent to the pilot house. They
were already under way. and, not be-
ing familiar with the uncertainties Of
steering gesr, he neglected to ask the
usual question, Crossed chains or
straight chsInsT' The coal steamer
neared a Sow load OF bricks. Hard
aportw called the mate. The helms
man flung his wheel to starboard, as
he had beeu used to do on the high
seas, and his vessel bore down upon
the unsuspecting tow. Hard aport.
you idiotT' yelled the mate. Don't
you know. this boat has crossed
chains?' he reversed the wheel and
missed the acow by bare Craze.
Such incidents as these are by no
means rare in navigating experience,
though fortunately serious accidents
therefrom are uncommon either be-
cause Of a benignant fate watching
over befud6led men at the wheel or
because they instinctively follow the
new conditions and turn the helm In
the right direction. Pilots themselves
scoff at suggestions of danger, saying
that a rea. seaman's instinct will al
ways save him from making mistakes.
All the same, a man experienced In
handling vessels OF their own particu-
lar character is generally standing by
the newcomer at the wheel for safety's
sake.
A more common danger, as far as
the general public Is concerned, is the
universal lack of unity In arranging
the steering apparatus on motorboats.
Most Of these craft are exceedingly
small. and the tiller ropes are put IA
at the beginning OF every season By
the owners themselves, to suit their
own particular notions. So, in every
flotilla viii be seen steering gear Of
every description, from simple tillers
70 elaborate brass mounted wheels, the
latter with either crossed or straight
chains, as individual fancy may die.
tate. This Is safe as long as the
owner or one used to the craft is al
the wheel and not many accidents are
reported 10 such circumstances. But
accidents have resulted when an ANA
teur used to crossed ropes has steered
a boat oppesitely rugged
But when one used to a launch with
crossed ropes" requiring turning the
wheel opposite to the direction thS
boat is TO gol takes the wheel Of ar
automobile, then the passengers arr
fortunate indeed il they are not put
into perilous situations: for motorists
are not always provided with the 'ssaf,
instinct" ascribed 10 experienced sea
; men. and autos move In the same di
rection the wheel is turned.
, However, crossed chains and straigh
, chains will probably so on their owl
sweet irresponsible existence for Jus
as long as some great catastrophe Il
, not put up to their lack OF regulation
&C. W. Jennings in New York Tribune
Make Use Of L.
! Some weak people are so sensible q
K their weakness as to be able to max