New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-02
PRIVATE SIGNALS CONFUSE
Retired Skipper Thinks TltanlC's
Rockets Were Not Understood.
so SHIP NEAR BY KEPT ON
Federal Supervising Inspector
Favors Eliminating Rockets
Except for Distress.

Transatlantic skippers, present and past,
! IN this town are still discussing the EVIL
! dence. given before the Senate committee
IN Washington, that a steamship passed so
close 70 the Titanic when the latter was
sinking that those on the giant liners
decks could see the strangers running
lights. The Titanic's distress signals must
have been IN plain view ~ the other vessel
yet one former sea captain said yesterday
that il was inconceiva bic that one ship
would deliberately pass another on the high
seas knowing her to he In distress. He ex-
planned his point thus:
That vessel whose lights were seen by
those aboard the Titanic after she had
| struck the iceberg was very probably
tramp without wireless. Her skipper un-
doubtedly saw the rockets sent aloft by the
Titanic. but considered them private sig
mails with which he was unfamiliar. You
must remember that r. was beautiful,
calm night. He may not have known OF
the presence OF ice and have been unahle
! 20 understand how big transatlantic
| liner could he I'm distress.
There are any number Of transatlantic
/ lines whose private signals on the high
seas include a display Of Roman candles
and some Of them rockets. Al little dis
lance II is almost impossible to distinguish
between the two. When sailed the At
( Iantic many years ago. before there was
anything like the rumber ~ liners plying
/ between Europe and America that there
| is now. used frequently 10 see steamships
displa wing fireworks for private night sig
nails which I had no means OF reading.
-. a. ~. liz ~
OF sight. With all the ships there are now.
the Atlantic. I'm the path OF tho liners
must be lighted all the way across al MINT
/ by fireworks.
Even IL the skipper Of the tramp knew
| the big boat sending up the rockets was
| the Titanic. which Is a wild supposition'
he would still have been more likely TO
pass her than TO run up and oNer assist
ance. He would argue that she was cele-
brating her maiden voyage with a hre-
works display.
The point r. that vessels ar" IN tho
habit OF using rockets and Roman candies
too freely. Unless Il skipper Is familiar
with the infinite variety OF private signals
he can't distinguish between them and sig
nails OF distress"
A glance at nautical almanac shows
that the private night signal OF the White
Star boats on the high seas Is two green
pyrotechnic lights burned simultaneously.
Those White Star steamships for New ork
which call at Queenstown, however. burn
Of tho southern coast Of Ireland green by
rotechnic lights simultaneously. followed
quickly by a rocket throwing two green
stars. followed in turn by another green
III,
one signal
Cunard boats show blue hght ana TWO
Roman candles throwing six blue balls IN
quick succession $50 feet In the air. OH
Browhead and OF Queenstown there are
substituted for tho Roman candles TWO
rockets bursting into golden stars. hred IN
quick succession.
These are only two examples OF an almost
universal practice among steamship lines.
Captain II. NJ seeiey, supervising In
epector OF steam vessels for the distric' OF
New York. was asked yesterday II ne mad
heard Of any proposed agreement. on the
mart OF transatlantic lines 20 restrict inc
us. of rockets and Roman candles at sea
entirely 10 distress signals permitting YES
s.ls 10 ,how pyrotechnic or Coston hghts
only as private signals. he said ne had
not but thought the suggestion splehdia
one particularly IN view OF the availability
OF wireless telegraphy a. substitute tor
nrivate signals in most cases. II euch 2 re-
atric,ion had been IN force when the Titanic
foundored, Il was pointed out. tho mystic
rious stranger who passed her by in her
distress would in all probability have an
.v.red the call OF her rockets.
The international rule with regard N the
display ~ distress signals by vessel at
night names the following signals TO be
used or displayed ny her either together or
separately
F,rst-A gun or other explosive sigma!
fred At intervals OF about minute.
s4cond-F1ames on the vessel (ss from
burning tar barrel. oil barrel and so forth)
Th,rd-Rocksts or shells throwing stars
q, snv color or description. fred ono at 4
time 81 short intervals
Fourth--A continuous sounding WIN any
fog signal apparatus.