New-York tribune., 1912-04-17
AFTER THE CATASTROPHE.

The greatest ship ever built Is the SUP
iect of the greatest marine disaster ever
known. Many will add that 1T has given
the greatest shock 10 conlidence--or TO
credulity-in assurances Of safety. The
ship was unsuitable, the world was told
when the great hulk was launched. the
ship was unsuitable, res0lutely and con-
fidently declared the agents and man
ayers of the line even after the first
news of the collision was known. She
had rammed an iceberg, her stem was
shattered and she was desperately sig
Mailing for help; but she was unsinkable.
She had eleven steel decks and thirty
watertight bulkheads and was equipped
with all the resources Of science and the
mechanic arts. She was the latest
word" In shipbuilding, not only in size
and splendor, but also in strength and
safety. She was unsuitable. And yet
she sank.
Such an occurrence shocks but does
not destroy faith. A few weeks ago one
of the greatest business buildings in New
York was burned. 1t had been declared
fireproof. Yet it was burned. Nobody or
discretion, however. on that account lost
all faith In fireproof construction or sug-
gested its abandonment. They remem-
bered that for this one failure of So
called fireproof building to resist fire
there were a hundred examples of sue
cessful resistance They began looking
for the fatal flaw in that one building
which nullifed all the good SO the
Overwhelming magnitude Of this catas-
trophe will not blind men to the fact that
the very devices and precautions which
appear to have failed the Titanic have
hundred times before triumphantly
ships or their passengers. They VIII
therefore look for the flaw, the error,
the neglect, or whatever it was, that
brought to naught all that had been done
for safety. 1t must, Of course, be recOg-
nl2ed that no system OF devices for as
suring safety is or can be infallible.
None can be proof against the possible
mischief Of some weak factor. None can
avail against single moment of error
or neglect. Perhaps none will ever be
able to defy nature in her most wrath
full mood.
Several theories have been suggested
to explain the failure Of the watertight
compartment system to save the Titanic
from sinking One Is that the ship did
not strike head on, but scraped along the
berg so as to tear her whole side open
from stem to stern and thus to expose Il
great number of the compartments to
the thrush Of water. Another is that
she struck head on with such force as
to crumple up her whole frame and thus
to impair the integrity OF decks and
bulkheads and to prevent the watertight
doors from closing. Both Of these the
ories are plausible, and either would
sufficiently explain the disaster. A bulk
of 10000 tons hurled through the sea
almost at express train speed and COM
ing upon a stationary solid body far
larger. denser and more ponderous than
itself would undoubtedly have an i'm
pact almost inconceiyably self-destruc.
tive.
But, If such was the fact, why was
the vessel being thus rushed in the dark
ness through seas which were known to
he infested with bergs and foes? Where
were the ingenious devices which have
been heralded as capable of indicating
approach to ice at a distance of miles
Where were the lifeboats and RATS
which In the hours between striking and
sinking might have given escape to all
souls on board? We hear of swimming
pools and tennis courts and palm gar
dens on the great ship. Was there no
room for enough boats to carry more
than One-fourth or One-third of the pas
sengers and crew? True, the former
would be used on every trip and would
greatly advertise and commend the ship
10 luxury loving patrons. while the lat
ter might never be needed at all. But
the event showed that the latter were
needed and that the lack of them meant
a loss for which all the luxuries Of
thousand safe voyages could not give
compensation. There are grave questions
to be asked and answered about that
unparalleled calamity, and we must
hope that there are those among the
survivors who can answer them author
itatively. The women and children and
the few men who manned the lifeboats
can tell much. But the most pregnant
and essential facts can be revealed only
by the responsible members Of the Off
cial staff. Such an unreserved reyela-
tion is imperatively demanded. not for
reproof or punishment so much as for
warning and instruction to others. so
that the circumstances which have made
the name of the Titanic word of woe
for all time may not be needlessly re-