The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-25
THURSDAY. ArRIL IS. 1912.
AFTER T1IE DISASTER.

u t'ii = l 'i'| -
breaker. 1t brought us tho severest
winter in many decades: it has wit
messed the greatest strike in indus
trial history: within ITS limits have
occurred the most devastating floods
eve known. and II chronicles the
greatest shipwreck of the greatest
ship Of all time, with tho longest list
OF victims.
1t is a natural impulse after such n
heartrendinG disaster to make haste
to bestow indiscrinlinatc blame. Our
feelings and syinpathies are reused,
and our JUDGMENTS more or less in
ahcyance. 1t has been widely said
that tho terrible loss of life on he
Titanic WAS due to greed on the part
of the company. It should, however.
be remembered that in providing
these gigantic floating palaces. and
fitting them with every comfort. con-
v%enicncc, and luxury, the companies
have simply met the growing demand
of the public. and that although tho
equipment of boats and RATS was in
adequate, it was up TO the require
ment. and had passed the inspection
of the British authorities. Those
authorities, in not insisting that there
should he ample boat room for every
person on board. wore doubtless in
fluenced hy what had colne to be the
general settled belief that since the
installation of watcr-tiCht compart-
ments and wireless tclesraphy on all
passenger vessels. it WAS practically
Impossible for one to he sunk before
relief could come 10 her. There had
haa. ny,ari,pn, cpnI,uh TN mako fI,iS
a reasonable conclusion.
Conccding this much to the com-
pany. there is one respect in which it
is clearly censurablc. and one in
which. with the facts as they now APP
pear. il was positively criminal. AT
this time OF the year-and this APP
plies to all steamers-they should
have taken tho southern route, and
avoided iccbergs. Having taken the
northern route. and having been
specifically warned of the presence of
unusually large bodies of ice. they
should have proceeded slowly instead
of full speed. Captain Smith was
rated as the ablest. most experienced
anna in the White Star fleet. and
the fact that the Titanic was being
pushed in midnight darkness in such
dangerous surroundings at So high n
speed raises the Inference that he
was under orders OF the to
make a record trip. Even so. in
the peril of which he had been warm
ed. and of which he could not have
been unaware himself. he should have
disregarded orders rather than to risk
the lives Of those committed to his
charge. 1t was n mercy to him that
he persisted with those who We're lost.
For tho future. considerations of
speed. of luxury. and of recreation
must give way to safety. Insure that
first Ivy whatever changes in legisla-
tion and regulations may he neecs-
sary. requiring first of all plenty of
boats for every one on board at no
matter what sacrifice of space. and
regular boat drill to insure their be-
ing available when the demand
comes. There is evidence that had
their beer such drill. many more
might have been saved wen with the
boats the steamer had. Then, if II
appears wise. prohibit vessels from
taking the northern route during the
dangerous season.
1t would seem that the United
States should have the right to pre-
scribe every condition deemed desir-
able before granting any vessel a
clearance, hui if. as is said to be the
case, the situation is complicated by
international agreements which are
binding on us limiting our authority.
we should take steps at once to modi-
fy them and to secure treaties which
will insure immunity from such dis
asters in all nayigable waters of the
globe.
On the doctrine of chances 1t is
quite possible, nay. probable, that
such an accident as that Of the I'll
tanic will not happen again in a life
time. Nevertheless. it should be
made humanity impossible thai it can
ever occur. and public opinion should
remain active and insistent until that
Is accomplished.
There has been a good deal said in
regard to the special danger from
very large ships. but nothing Of mo-
ment has been brought forward to
substantiate such a view. There Is
nothing to indicate that a similar coll
lision would have been any less as IA
tai to a smaller vessel relatively as
inadequately supplied with boats. and
tile larger SHIPS are certainly stead
Ter and more comfortable.
From the time when men first be-
gan to move about on horseback or
by wheeled conveyances to these days
of steam. electricity, and aviation, To-
comotion has been attended by nu-
merous accidents. At sea they have
steadily diminished in number. On
the land they have increased. until a
single year shows more killed and
wounded than a great war would.
We are overwhelmed with horror and
grief when 1900 people are lost at
sea in a single catastrophe. but the
killing of 5000 to 10000. and the
manning of $4,000 more in the course
of a year OF the railroads we have
come to accept as almost a matter of
course. AS our knowledge Of the laws
of nature grows wider. and our mas
terry of her forces more complete. as
invention proceeds, and technical
training becomes more perfect. we
may hope that such accidents. like
diseases almost always preventable,
will pretty much cease to happen.