The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-03-20
STEERING 4 BOAT.
The Rig Of the TiIIer Ropes Often
a Source of Danger.
A CURIOUS LACK OF SYSTEM.

and This May Mean Serious Trouble
With a Strange Hand ut the Wheel.
A bronzed pilot was carefully nurs-
ing a big Atlantic liner through the
murk and confusion Of early morning
and innumerable passing craft up the
crowded waters Of New York bay. The
ship was crowded with passengers,
most of whom had risen betimes to
watch their homecoming. A tense ex-
preston, brought on by the tremendous
responsibility, cast its grim lines over
the pilots face as he turned into the
lower Hudson river and saw a dense
fogbank creeping down from the Pal
isades. Three miles still to 60, and
5000 lives in his hands! Slowly he
crept along, almost touching a ferry
load of commuters, just skipping a
triple tow Of sand scows, threading
his way through the maze of vessels
big and little; the fog, denser and
more dense. making it impossible to
see the shadow Of nearing craft more
than a couple of lengths away.
Suddenly a departing liner, just
hauled out into the stream, doomed up
off the starboard bow. The pilot turn
ed CHASTITY white. my God! Crossed
chains or straight chains? Crossed
or-straight? Heaven help me" In
almost instant desperation he called
Hard aport." the quartermaster
swung the wheel overland the huge
floating hotel slowly turned out and
glided by, almost scraping the other.
Crossed chains-straight chains:'
What does this mean? 1t means this
that there is no invariable rule or sys-
TEN Of arranging the tiller ropes on
| vessels so that the latter always move
in the same direction in response to a
! similar turn Of the wheel. If equipped
| with CROSSED chains the craft will
turn the opposite way; If with
straight chains the wheel must be
turned in the same direction the vessel
is desired to go. Most ocean vessels
are equipped with straight chains.
though this is by no means an invari-
| able custom. Sailing craft may be and
are fixed either way. On the other
hand. harbor boats, including tow
boats, tugs, ETC.. generally have crossed
tiller ropes.
Thus our pilot friend had spent most
Of his nautical life aboard tugs and
other inland boats and when confront
ed with a crisis of great responsibility
wavered momentarily between the in
fluence of his habit Of twenty years
and the newly acquired information
given him as he went aboard. 1t was
just by the sheerest chance that be or.
dered the wheel turned the correct
way.
An able ocean anna signed for a
round trip from Buffalo to Duluth and,
asked if be could handle the wheel,
was sent to the pilot house. They
ing familiar with the uncertainties OF
steering gear, he neglected to ask the
usual question, Crossed chains OF
straight chains?" The coal steamer
neared a scow load of bricks. Hard
aport!'' called the mate. The helms
man flung his wheel to starboard, as
he had been used to do on the high
seas, and his vessel bore down upon
the unsuspecting tow. Hard aport
you IDIOT" yelled the mate. Don't
you know this boat has crossed
chains" He reversed the wheel anG
missed the scow by a bare Craze.
Such incidents as these are by nc
means rare in navigating experience
though fortunately serious accidents
therefrOm are uncommon either be
cause of a benignant fate watching
over befuddled men at the wheel o.
because they instinctively follow the
new conditions and turn the helm il
the right direction. Pilots themselve.
scott at suggestions of danger, saying
that a real seaman's instinct will al
ways save him from making mistakes
All the same. a man experienced il
handling vessels of their own particu
lar character is generally standing b.
the newcomer at the wheel for safety:
sake.
A more common danger, as far a:
the general public is concerned, Is til,
universal lack of unity In arranging
the steering apparatus on motorboats
Most of these craft are exceedingl,
small, and the tiller ropes are put il
at the beginning Of every season b.
the owners themselves, to suit thei
own particular notions. So, in ever,
aotilla will be seen steering gear O
every description, from simple tiller
to elaborate brass mounted wheels, tn
latter with either crossed or straigh
chains, as individual fancy may die
tate. This is safe as long as tn
J owner or one used to the craft is a
} the wheel, and not many accidents ar
reported in such circumstances. Blu
accidents have resulted when an anna
teur used to crossed ropes has steere'
a boat OF positely rugged.
But when one used to a launch wit
: crossed ropes" requiring turning tn
wheel opposite to the direction tn
boat is to go) takes the wheel Of a
automobile, then the passengers ar
T.. forf,po+o indood - thou oro mt MI