The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-06-11
LEAVING The SHIP
Rules Of the Sea When an Ocean
Liner Is Sinking.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST.
After They Are All Safe In the Life
boats II Is Every Man For Himself In
Desperate Fight For Life, With Of
fcsrs and Crew Trying to Keep Order.

tfesF tnoy Arc All Ssro IN tno Life.
boats II Is Every Man For Himself In
Desperate Fight For Life, With Of
fiesrs and Crew Trying to Keep Ordcr.
THE women and children first al
ways, and after them-hell''
This was the way the rules Of the
sea" were explained by a veteran cap
tain OF big Atlantic liner. He was
asked to explain in detail just what
would take place on a big steamer
when she was sinking and the order to
abandon ship had been given.
ION the deep sea we use force If nee
essary," continued the skipper, ito keep
back the men and let the women and
children get the first chance at the
lifebcats. But once they have been
loaded then it becomes a case of each
man for himself, and, while the off,
GERS and crew would try to keep a
semblance Of order they have no right
to give preference to any one The
first ones in line are the ones to get on
the boats Perhaps they have fought
and struggled to get in line We have
nothing to do with that"
Aren't the old men and the sick
men put of first, before the healthier
onesf" he was asked.
mot unless the healthier and strong
eg ones deliberately give up their
places" he answered. There are no
sick aboard when danger calls. AL
are supposed to be well enough TO look
out for themselves. And so far as the
old men go-there is nothing in that.
They are certainly not given the pref
erence. Old men have lived their lives
Let the young men have the chance to
live theirs. This Is the way it is looked
on at sea. Besides, young men can be
Of help in q boat, while an old man
Just makes that much more dead
weight
''You must remember that when such
q gigantic calamity faces you the lit
tie fnenesses of life are thrown aside
Men become animals, brutes with the
first instinct-that of self preservation
Some are stronger than others and put
this desire under control. Others yield
to It and become wild beasts. fighting
and biting and cIawing their way to
help. Sometimes we have to shoot this
kind-shoot them down like we would
mad dogs-if they try to interfere with
the orderly first steps when the wo
men and the young are being looked
after But later. when 1t becomes
free for. all. then then type has fuller
play. You cannot blame them. Life
Is sweet, and they are justified in do
ing all they can to save themselves
All we seek to do is to stop them from
interfering with those who cannot pro
tect themselves and so have not the
same chance of being saved"
According to the description of the
method of abandoning ship which is
practiced in daily drill, the passengers
as far as possible are gathered In the
assembly rooms when the captain real
ICES that his ship is in desperate
straits. Every measure is employed
to calm them. and while the officers
and crew take their appointed stations
the passengers are told that it has been
deemed best to take to the lifeboats
While the passengers are held in the
saloons the crew strip he~lifeboats of
their membranes, rig the falls and
then lower themselves in the boats
from the boat deck down to the upper
deck, where the boats swing from the
davits. touching the ships side just be
low the rail
Say there are eight lifeboats on each
side Of the vessel Lanes are formed
Of members of tie crew, and through
these lanes the women and children
are passed to the officer who stands at
the railing and who hands the passen
gers over the rail into the lifeboat with
the help of two of the boats crew.
! II any men try to break through |
these lines they are thrown back. If !
they persist and become a menace to
order they may be shot Each officer
Is armed with a brace of pistols for
use In just such emergencies
In each boat there is food of a com
pressed sort and water The beats
handle from fifty to seventy persons
each. including the sailors who man
them. Each boat Is commanded by an !
officer. The surgeon. purser. engineers /
and other staff officers take their turn !
in the boats when the list of line Off |
GERS has been exhausted.
Once the women and children are
put In the boats the men take their
turns If there is room left.
1t should be said that in loading the
hfeboats absolutely no distinction is
drawn between the different classes of
passengers The women and children
of the steerage are given the same
consideration as their sisters In thu
imperial suits.
The horror Of abandoning the ship
lies In the enforced separation of mem
bers Of families. Fathers and broth
ers are torn from the arms of mothers
and daughters. The children must go
There Is must" too, as regards the
women. but If wife should decide to
remain behind with her husband 1t is
doubtful If the must" would be en-
forced-New York World