The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-05-18

uR3IRHHX vi UltI III UtT toIlStTuClIOu
~ ana maintenance were invOlv.
ed every science. profession and trade
known to civilization On her bridge
were officers. who. besides being the
pick OF the roya navy. had passed
rigid examinations in all studies that
pertained to the winds. tides, currents
and geography Ut the SEA They were
not only seiInen. but scientists. The
same professional standard applied to
the personnel ct the engine room. and
the stewards department WAS equal to
that Of n first cEI>> hotel
Two brass bands. two orrheStras and
q theatrical company entertained the
passengers durin. waking hours. u
corps Of ph. l;ln> administered to the
temporal and Il corps Ut ctlnplainS to
the spiritual welfare ut all on Mnrd.
while q we'll drilled tire company
eOOthcd the fears at nervous ones and
added to the general entertainment by
daily practice with their apparatus.
From her lofty bridge ran hidden
telegraph lines To the bow. stern. en-
CINE room, crows nest on the fore
mast and to all parts OF the ship
where work was done, each wire ter
minating In a marked dial with IL NOV
oh ;,.l t,i In,
every order and answer required in
handling the massive hulk, eitle ut
the dock or at sea. which eliminated
to Il great cAteut the hoarse, nerve
racking shouts OF officers and sailors.
From the bridge. engine room aud a
dozen places on her deck the ninety.
two doors of nineteen water tight com
partmcuts could he closed in half IA
minute by turning lever These
doors would also close automatica
| in the presence of water With nine
compartments lo@lcl the ship would
still float. and as no known accident
| of the sea could possibly ill this many
the steamship Titan was considered
practically unsuitable.
Built Of steel throughout and for pas
senger traffic only. she carried no com
bustible cargo to threaten her destruc.
ton by fire. and the immunity from
the demand for cargo space had ena
bled her designers 10 discard the Hat
kettle bottom OF cargo boats and give
her the sharp dead rise-Or slant from
the keel-Of steam yacht. and thi:
improved her behavior in seaway
, She was 500 feet long. Of 10000 ton,
displacement. 10000 horsepower. ant
on her trial trip had steamed at rat,
Of twenty I've knots an hour over tn,
bottom. in the face Of uuconsidere,
winds, tides and currents In short
she was floating city. containin.
within her steel walls all that tend
to minimize the dangers and discom
forts Of the Atlantic voyage. all tina
makes life enjoyable.
Unsuitable. iudestructible. she car
ried As few boats as would satisf
the laws. These. twenty-fo In mum
Der. were securely covered and lashe
down to their checks on the uppe
deck, and II launched would hold SO
people She carried no useless. cum
bersome life RATS. but. because the la,
required 1t. each Of the 1000 berths /
the passengers. officers and crew
quarters contained cork jacket. whit
about twenty circular life buoys wer
strewn along the rails
In view Of her absolute superiorit
to other craft. rule OF navigatio
thoroughly believed in BY some ca,
tains. but not yet openly followed. Wa
announced BY the steamship compan
to apply to the Titan. She woul
steam at full speed in fog. storm an
sunshine aud on the northern ian
= route. winter and summer. for the 70
lowing god and substantial reason,
First that II another craft shoul
strike her the force OF the imnaf
would be distributed over larger are
= II the TitaS had fpll headway. an