The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-21
THE WRECK OF THE TITAN; OR, FU7uITl

Copyright, 1888. by NJ, f, Mansheld.)
Copyright, 1919. by Morgan Robert
son. All rights reserved.)
She was the largest craft aflcat
and the greatest OF the works of
men. In her construction and main
tenance were involved every science
profession and trade known To ciVili-
zatlon. ON her bridge were officers
! who. besides being the pick of the
royal navy, had passed rigid eNami-
nations, 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 Ia first class hotel
Two brass bands. two orchestras
and theatrical company entertain
ed the passengers during waking
hours; a corps of physicians admin
istered 10 the temporal. and Il corps
Of chaplains to the spiritual. welfare
! Of all on board. while a we'll drilled
fire company soothed the fears OF
nervous ones and added to the gem
eral entertainment by daily practice
with their apparatus.
From her lofty bridge ran hidden
telegraph lines to the bow. stern.
engine room, crows nest on the fore
mast, and TO all parts OF the ship
whore work was done. each wire ter
ninating in IA marked dial with q
movable Indicator. containing in It's
scope every order and answer re-
CURED in handling the massive hulk,
either at the dock or at sea--which
eliminated, To great extent. the
hoarse. nerve-racking shouts of Off
GERS and sailors
From the" bridge. engine room and
n dsssssT fSfacsss OF her deck Tire tiffafy-
two doors OF nineteen water-tight
compartments could be closed III 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 fiji this
many. the steamship Titan" was
considered practically unsuitable.
Built of steel throughout. and for
pa ssesig-r~ traffic only. she carried no
combustible cargo to threaten her de-
structjon by fire. and the immunity
from the demand for cargo space had
enabled her designers to discard the
nat. kettle-bottom OF cargo boats ana
give her the sharp dead-rise--or slant
from the keel---of "a sream yacht, and
this improved her behavfof Ia a sea
way. She WAS eight hundred feet long,
of seventy thousand tons dispiaCc-
ment. forty thousand horsepower,
and on hrs trial trip mad steamed Al
rate of twenty-five knots an hour
over the bottom. In the face ef un-
considered winds. tides and currents
In short. she was floating city CON
ta,ning within her steel walls all that
tends to minimize the dangers and
discomforts of the Atlantic voyage
all that makes life enjoyable.
Observation-Disclosures she car.
ried as few 1lats as would satisfy the
laws. The.se. twenty-fouc in number
were securely covered and dashed
down 10 .hoir checks on the upper
deck. and IL launched I'D hold I'VE
hundred people. She carried no asc.
less. cumbersome life-rafts: Dut--be-
cause the law required it--ea.h Of the
three thousand berths In tn, passen
gers. Officers and crews quarters con-.
tanned a cork jacket. while about
twenty circular life-buoys were
strewn along the rams.
In view OF her absolute superiority
10 other craft. rule OF navigation
thoroughly believed in by some cap
tains. but not yet openly followed.
was announced by the steamship COM
pany 10 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 following good and substantial
reasons: First that II another craft
should strike her. the force at the
impact would bs distSthuted over 81