The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-04-18
BLAMES PUBLIC
FOR Big DISASTER
LEWIS NIXON SAYS TRAVELLERS
DEMAND SHORTER, BUT PER.
lLous NoRTHERLY YES.
Sci COURSE.

" .
one of the foremost American ship
builders, when asked what lessons. If
any. might be drawn from the Titanic
disaster, said;
The one great lesson is that men
who go down to the sea In ships take
risks.
Nixon said that If any one was to
blame for the sinking OF the greatest
ship of modern times II was the trav-
cling public. IL was not necessary
for the ship To follow the perilous
northward course he argued, hut tho
public. demanded IL.
"Supposing the company" he said.
! had announced that the Titanic
would cross by way of the southern
route TO avoid icebergs. DO you sup
pose more than one tenth of the pas
sengers would have booked passage? +?
Suppose you were going abroad
Would you take ship sailing by the
longer or southern course when you
could get one that went over the
shorter northern course? OF course
not. II is the travelling public that
forces up where the icebergs are
thickest."
Believes in Big Ships.
Nixon has not lost faith In big lin
ers because of the Titanic's brief and
tragic career A smaller ship would
have Jared as badly as, IL not worse
than, the giant White Star liner. ac-
cording to Nixon. 1t was no rehec-
tion upon the product of the ship
builders art. he maintained, that the
largest ship yet. built should have gone
to the bottom on her first voyage. AS
far as construction went he said, the
Titanic was probably better able to
withstand the shock of collision than
any OF the smaller trans Atlantic lin
ers.
There is no such things as the 'un-
sinlSable ship" he said. 1T never has
been built. An unsuitable ship could
be built, but IL would be good for moth
ing else but keeping ahoat BY that
mean ship could be built with
enough double bottoms and double
sides and water tight compartments TO
keep her afloat even i'm such an acci-
dent as this, but she would not be
the kind of a boat YOU would ever
think of crossing the ocean on. a
company could not afford to run such
ship.
Evolution From the Best.
"The Titanic was development. an
! evolution from the best examples of
shit,building afioat. There was moth
| ing radically different about her con-
stiuction. She was digger and better
! able To withstand the strongest gales
than most of the ships of the Allan
| tie"
Not only does Nixon regard big
/ ships as more seaworthy than the
smaller ones, but he maintains that
! the leading companies viii continue To
buIld them. because of the greater
| economy in. operation There Is prac-
tically 10 limit to the size of the trans
| Atlantic 4iner, Nixon said, so far as
the shipbuilder is concerned, and q
vessel eight times as large as the IT,
tanic would require only four times
as much power. For that reason the
companies would tend to build larger
ships until the limit of harbor capacity
Is reached. or some other means oil
landing passengers and cargo is de-
!, vised,
As TO lifeboats.
Nixon found no reason to criticise
the owners Of the Titanic because she
! was equipped with only twenty me-
hoats, capable at the outside OF hoiu-
ING 1000 persons. or less than half oi
those on board. Lifeboats on DIG
liner are. according to Nixon mat
ter of sentiment as much as anythihs
else
"The number of lifeboats carried py
The Titanic undoubtedly complied WITH
the law said he "and If there Is any
criticism. 1t should be criticism OF th'
law. not the, company. AS matter o'
fact. lifeboats do not solve the proo'
lem of safeguarding passengers IN
rock at sea. They would not las'