The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-20

SPEED AGAINST LIFE.
AZ was iuti:na.cd in ;hia column
yesterday. it has seen found hat the
primary nf III" wreck Of the Ii
,anic with its appalling loss Of life
Was . desire 20 maxi q record on the
maid4n trip cf the vessel. II is clear
tho ship vas mak;me a speed of APP
rroxiniatcly twcnty-siX miles an
hour. n speed equal /" tho average
train on any OF the railroad lines in
This state. The Titanic was. roughly
outlined. us long as tw" city blocks
and nearly as wide as one. The CHI
ormous power required TO move that
stupcnduus bulk through the water
Ut the rate she was going when She
collidcd with the iceberg would he
50 great that III" momentum, even
il tho power We're stopped. would
drive her forward with enough speed
10 crush in the strongest hull whom
brought into contact with Il solid
mass like AN iceberg.
The vcricst land lubher knows that
u bulk like the Titanic cannot he
changed from her course in a quar-
ter of u mile. Yet with all these
conditions before them. the Vessel
was driven forward at her usual
speed. And this. too, with the
knowledge that the icc'iclds We're in
the path. Not only did the vessel
have tho knowledge that scientific
methods provide. but in addition she
had rclaycd II message only a few
hours before the accident that gave
his very information.
Why, then. did the officers of tho
Titanic take the risk that ended in
the greatest marine catastrophe in
history? The nsWcr is found in the
news story hat the owner wanted
Il speed record. No content with
having the biggest ship atloai. they
wanted something their competitors
would be unable IL equal even with
smaller vessels. They played the
game and lost. but innocent men and
womcn paid the forfeit with their
lives. The silence of eternity will
ever ring with the cries of those who
persisted demanding rctribution.
And what. after all. is Il record?
Suppose Il few minutes had been clip
ped from the transatlantic record
even" What would it have accom-
%rlished? Those who were saved
even a few hours time would have
spent more than that saved in at
tending a dinner OF visiting the parks.
We are trying in this age to lengthen
life by speed; to eliminate the time
consumed in passing from one place
"f activity TO another: to make the
dead hours alive. But when these ef-
forts terminate in death, what is the
gain:
Ships take the northern route be-
cause it is shorter than the southern
one. They do This even al this sea-
son when the sca i'll tho vicinity of
the place where the Titanic met it's
fate is filled with those floating mon
ster icchcrgs of the north. The
southern route is longer and the riv-
airy between the steamship rolnpa-
nics is so great that the risk rather
than tho delay is taken.
1t is pretty nearly certain that the
ralanlity will rouse the maritime ma
ions to the demands of nffcCtual
supervision to such an extent tn: I
ringc laws treaties on ocean
navigation will result. The steamship
companies have for years been gra-
dnaliy working out from government
control until they have become a sort
Of nation of their own, subject 10 a
~profunctory inspection at the port of
sailing aud Il less efficient one at the
port of entry. The life saving equip
mcnt required is enough to care for
about Il third Of the passenger and
crow capacity. In case OF accident.
,wo-tl1irds of those aboard must
gamble with death with the cards
stacked against them.
What is necessary is ar interna-
tlonal agreement nat no vessel shall
he granted clearance il she does not
have enough life saving boats to care
for the entire list OF lives aboard.
Then there shonid be an agreement
prohibiting speed beyond a certain
limit In the w~cll-dcfnej danger
II in the routes of ocean travel.
The mcn OF sea are hardened to its
dangers and fail often to appreciate
tho conditions. They are at the
mercy Of tho owners of the vessels
me commaHd who want records and
dividends. The officers should be
placed outside the power Of such
:ncE.
Ocean travel can be made aearly
as safe rs lard trave! ii the proper
precautions are taken. The sinking
of tho Titanic was not an unavoid-
able accident. Caution and prudence
would have avcrted il. But until :,
strong hand is lad upon the ateara-
ship business, such: accidents will
happen,