The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1912-05-10
Government Is Stirred by the
Titanic Disaster.
SAFEGUARDS NOT ADEQUATE
Conformity to American Regua tion3
Probably viii Be insisted on Here
after-Aii Washington Mourns
Death of Major Eutt.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

| in Washington to action along dOZ-
en- different lines. 1t is expected that
| supervising inspectors of steamships
| hereafter will pay less attention to
regulations of safety laid down by for
eign governments and will more rigid
ly enforce the American regulations.
Moreover, while the Titanic struck an
iceberg. ii is probable that there will
be still more careful search made OF
the seas to find derelict vessels which
are a menace to navigation.
AS things stand now. the United
States government allows foreign YES
sells to come into the ports of this
country provided their safeguards,
such as lifeboats and other things, ap-
proach in numbers those demanded by
the laws of this country. 1t is always
taken for granted that the English
government, for instance has the well
fare of its marine service at heart and
that therefore its regulations can be
regarded by this country as safe. Gov
eminent officials here believe that the
English board of trade which regu-
lates such matters thought that in the
Titanic ii had boat which was un-
sinkable and that therefore it would
be all right not to insist that there
should be enough life boats to provide
for all the passengers.
Congress has been very much STIR
red up over the matter Of lifeboats
and other appliances by the disaster
to the great steamship. The admins
tration has felt a personal sense Of
loss because of the death of Major
Archibald w Butt. the White House
aid. and this has added to its desire
naturally that in the future lives
should be better safeguarded. The
secretary of commerce and labor. Mr.
Nagel. also has taken the matter up
with HE subordinates, and unquestion-
ably representations will be made to
the foreign officials who govern such
matters that hereafter the regulations
of the United States must be lived up
to in every port.
Many DereIIcts AfIoat.
So far as the matter of derelicts is
concerned, It is known that nearly 400
of them are floating about the seas In
various parts of the world each one
being a menace to navigation. Boats
are out all the time seking dereliets
for the purpose of destroying them
but il seems that as fast as one is de-
stroyed mother takes its place. for
vessels are always being deserted at
sea by their crews when It seems
that sinking is imminent It Is said
that there never is much OF an IN
crease in the number OF derelicts, but
It stays about the same year in and
year out
The derelict is still as much Of
menace to navigation as the iceberg
and more of one because 1t Is apt to
get in the way of ships at every sea
son OF the year, while the icebergs are
a danger ordinarily only for about
six weeks. The usual time OF the
icebergs' menace Is in June. but this
year they broke loose from their
"moorings" much earlier than usual
and appeared southeast Of Cape Race
utterly Unexpectedly
Why lcebergs Appeared Early.
Ii would seem that in these days OF
highly developed meteorological knowl-
edge the presence Of floating Ice In
the path of ocean steamships at an
earlier date than usual ought to have
been forecast The reason for their
appearance early perhaps by some un-
thinking persons was taken in advance
as a reason why they should appear
late. The winter which has lust
passed was an extraordinary severe
one and Il lasted a long time. The
mere fact that there was cold win
ter would make 1t appear that ice
bergs would stay fast until later in
the season than usual. and so they did
In tho far north where they are US
ually formed,
The trouble lay in the fact that the
severity of the winter caused the
bergs to form much further south
than usual and so it was that when
the first warm days of spring came
the southern icebergs broke loose and
fioated out into the open long before
those which had formed in the usual
place were melted from their fasten.
ings
Major Butt Sincerely Mourned.
No one not resident OF the capital
probably can appreciate the deep
ense of sorrow felt here when
.ews came that Mai Archibald
w. Butt, the presidents personal aid.
was among the passengers lost on the
Titanic. President Taft had Just seat
ed himself in a box at the theater
when the news came that his aid prob
ably was among those who went down
with the ship. He instantly left the
theater, went to the White House and
telegraphed steamship Off cials In New
York for information asking that he
be informed hourly day and night as
long as there was the slightest hope
for the majors safety. The employees
OF the White House were In nervous
condition which untitled them for