The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-08
TOO MUCH RED
: "''' ':::e[ r.! :, IN ORDER
Greenhorn Might Have Saw
ed the Titanic by Dis
regarding Rules.

Pittsburg. May s.-"If the Titanic
had had a greenhorn at the wheel
there might have been no disaster"
This is the startling statement made
by Ambrose Williams. mining expert
and old time sailor. now at Eliza beth,
to prove the statement. startling
though it is.
You remember" he said. that tho
lookout reported the presence of an
iceberg and the order followed. port
on your helm!' And the order came
too late! That's the point I make.
I'm not saying that the ship would
have been saved, but the miracle
might have happened as it did in
1879.
II was the greenhorn then. 1 was
on my first long sea cruise, though
had had much experience in the coast
ing trade and knew something of life
on the sea. But I didn't have any
papers as an A. B. and so shipped as
an ordinary seaman. I took my turn
on the lookout as a matter Of course.
Also took trick at the wheel
which isn't always customary. There
We're even times when 1 took a double
trick at the wheel. for the able sea-
men were more expert with the palm
and needle and there were sometimes
sails to be mended.
Tho Unexpected Happened.
The ship was the bark Rosetta
Mcneil, probably 1000 tons. Of San
Francisco, and we were sailing with
Liverpool. The trip was made round
the Horn successfully and across the
9tlantic without untoward event. We
were in st. Georges channel. under
Holyhead, when the unexpected hap
pened. 1 was on the lookout. 1t was
early evening. but there was a haze
on the waters that made everything
indistinct. Presently saw what SEEM
ed to me forest near at hand.
couldn't believe my eyes. Suddenly
there came flash of light. and I
realized that q ship was bearing down
on us.
Il may mention the fact that we
had our lights burning. but the other
ship did not. The flash Of light was
from the cabin door on the other
ship-a door that had been momen-
was. In another moment she would
have taken us in the fore quarter.
Nov if had been an able seaman
l would have acted according to pre-
cedent. I would have shouted vessel
on the port bowl Then the quarter
master would have reported to the
officer on watch and the officer on
WdtCn WOulQ nave issued an OrOer TO
the man at the wheel. There would
haze been a moment Of uncertainty,
of mental deadjustment in every case.
and that interval might we'll have
been fatal-as fatal mayhap as it
may we'll be imagined it was in the
case of the Titanic.
Saved by Greenhorn.
Z" But. luckily. in this case, there
wasn't an experienced sailor at the
wheel. but greenhorn, who, never
theless knew something of sailing.
What l shouted was. huff hard! A
vessel close on our weather bow!
put all the steam there was in me
into the shout. I can tell you! And
the man at the wheel promptly obey
ed orders.
Now. you understand? We we've
sailing full on the wind. To luff
means to shake up into the wind.
eve weren't more than ten feet
away from the ship when we sailed
full and by. When we luffed we sailed
by so close that the stranger left part
Of her sails in our rigging. Only the
fact that we had a strong wind and
the vessel consequently answered her
helm quickly saved our lives. Other
wise we'd have had to swim for 1t.
That was on Nov 8. 1879. and I'm
an old man now, but it is all very
clear to me. And it proves the point
I make: That since there was delay
in acting on the orders received after
the iceberg had been sighted, no mat
ter how brief the delay, there might
have been lives saved on the Titanic
II a greenhorn had been on the look
out And greenhorn who saved two
ships by his ignorance is privileged
to make the assertion"