The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-01
CHAPTER !. 'ho flneinkabla Titan.

' CHAPTER r.
 The Unsuitable Titan.
 N HE was the largest craft afioat Io and the greatest of the works kSNX8S of men. in her construction G- and maintenance were involv- ed every science, profession and trade known to civilization. On her bridge were officers, who, besides being the pick of the royal navy, had passed rigid examinations in all studies that pertained to the winds, tides, currents and geography of the sea. They were not only seamen, but scientists. The same professional standard applied to the personnel of the engine room, and the stewards department was equal to that of first class hotel.
 Two brass bands, two orchestras and a theatrical company entertained the passengers during waking hours, corps of physicians administered to the temporal and corps of chaplains to the spiritual welfare of all on board, while a well drilled fire company soothed the fears of nervous ones and added to the general entertainment by daily practice with their apparatus.
 From her lofty bridge ran hidden telegraph lines to the bow, stern, en- zine room, crows nest on the fore mast and to all parts of the ship where work was done, each wire ter minating in a marked dial with nov able indicator containing in its scope every order and answer required in handling the massive hulk, either at the dock or at sea, which eliminated to a great extent the hoarse, nerve racking shouts of officers and sailors.
 From 'khe bridge, engine room and dozen places on her deck the ninety two doors of nineteen water tight com partments could be closed in half minute by turning lever. These doors would also close automatically in the presence of water. With nine compartments flooded the ship would still float, and as no known accident of the sea could possibly fill@this many the steamship Titan was considered practically unsuitable.
 Built of steel throughout and for pas senger traffic only, she carried no com bustible cargo to threaten her desruc- ton by fire, and the immunity from the demand for cargo space had ena- bled her designers to discard the flat, kettle bottom of cargo boats and give her the sharp dead rise-or slant from the keel-of steam yacht, and this improved her behavior in seaway. She was 800 feet long, of 10000 tons displacement, 10000 horsepower, and on her trial trip had steamed at a rate of twenty-five knots an hour over the bottom, in the face of unconsidered winds, tides and currents. In short, she was a floating city, containing within her steel walls all that tends to minimize the dangers and disco'n- forts of the Atlantic voyage, all that makes life enjoyable.
 Unsuitable, indestructible, she car ried as few boats as would satisfy the laws. These, twenty four in num- Der, were securely covered and dashed down to their checks on the upper deck, and if launched would hold 300 people. She carried no useless, cum bersome fife rafts, but. because the law required it, each of the 5000 berths in the passengers, officers and crews quarters contained cork jacket, while about twenty circular life buoys were strewn along the. rails.
 In view of her absolute superiority to other craft, rule of navigation thoroughly believed in by some cap tains, but not yet openly followed, was announced by the steamship company to apply to the Titan. She would steam at full speed in fog, storm and sunshine and on the northern lane route, winter and summer, for the fol lowing good and substantial reasons: First, that if another craft should strike her the force of the impact would be distributed over larger area if the Titan had full headway, and the brunt of the damage would be borne by the other; second, that if the Titan was the aggressor she would certainly destroy the other craft, even at half speed, and perhaps damage her own bows, while at full speed she would cut her in two with no more dam- age to herself than paint brush could remedy. In either case, as the lesser of two evils, it was best that the smaller hull Shol1ld suffer third req