The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-26
RULE OF THE SEA VIOLATED.

| OIncel OF the iIldntlC iuaI ne SAW lhc
lights of steamer not moro than five
miles away, and that rockets were sent
uD from the Titantic to attract the at
tention OF that steamer, without sue
cess, we suggested that since no one
else had mentioned anything of the
kind he might have been the victim of
illusion, and we stated further that
probably. in case there were such a yes
| sci. her proximity to the scene Of the
| disaster would never be acknowledged
by the officers Of that vessel.
According to the news yesterday
morning. however, the Titantc officer
WAS suffering under no hallucination,
but had truly seen what he reported to
have seen, and probably the reason
! why no one else has mentioned the
nearness OF that vessel, which might
easily have rescued all on board the
! Titanic. is that the Titanic S officers
who might have corroborated this wit
ness all perisbed. Our suggestion that
probably the officers on such vessel
| would never admit their proximity TO
the scene of the disaster, turns out TO
have been exactly correct; but the news
from the Californian of the Leyland
line shows conclusivelv that the Cali
fornian was within easy reach and
sight of the Titanic and could, without
difficulty, have rescued all OH board.
II appears further that the steamer
Mount Temple was also near by, no
more than fifteen miles away, but
her captain concluded that it would do
no good for him TO undertake to get
TO the Titanic through the ice.
The officers of the Californian pro.
test vigorously that they were not as
near TO the Titanic as represented, and
that they saw no rockets, and did not
at any time sight the Titanic. But the
affidavit made by Ernest Gill, who was
on duty In the engineroom, explicitly
states not only that he saw the rockets
and signals Of distress, but that he
heard the officers Of the Californian
speak about them and say that they
notified the captain. The captain, how
ever delayed, and finally left the scene
without offering any help.
Hero was a clear violation Of the
common rule of the sea, that the first
duty OF any vessel rs to- respond TO sig
mails OF distress and do what is posi-
BILE by way Of saving the distressed
vessel and the lives that it may carry
Under these circumstances, one may
well wonder what the world is coming
to. for there appears to he no tradition
of the sea. no impulse of humanity left
any more that will impel sailors TO go
to the rescue when they see signals of
distress, 1t appears 10 be clear case.
although the officers Of the Californian
are now banded together in denial, that
the Californian was within easy reach
ing distance of the Titanic, and could
have rendered invaluable assistance i'm
medlatelv BY way Of rescuur the lives
on board the big ship: and also that
these officers were we'll aware of the
fact, and Of the need of their help. The
steamer Mount Temple also ought TO
have been able to reach the scene even
ahead Of the Carpathia, and TO render
effective aid.
Thus. there were three ships, the Cal
Iforuian nearest, the Mount Temple
within easy distance, and the Car.
pathia, which had much the fartbest
Of all to go, that could undoubtedly
have rescued every one on board the
Titanic. And yet it was only the Car
pathia, the ship farthest away, whose
captain had the heart TO obey the rule
Of the sea and 90 to the relief Of dis
tress. Of three vessels, the captains
Of two failed in their duty, and the
third. recognizing that duty and re
spending to it nobly, rescued about
one third of the lives on board of the
doomed ship.
1t would seem, then, that something
further is necessary in the wav of re-
vlsing and enforcing the duties of ships
at sea Not only must every ship be
well provided with life.ssviug appar-
atus. but it is clear that there must be
a law adopted, with penalties attached,
to apply against any captain who re
fuses to 90 to the rescue when he sees
the sign Of distress. II is stated of old
that Tor many generations there was no
law in early Rome for the punishment
of parricides, the murder of a father
or mother by offspring being supposed
TO be impossible. Thus far, there has
been no law requiring captains of YES
sells TO 90 to the relief of another YES
sci showing signals of distress, il being
assumed that of course they would 90, |
and do all that they could. The |
idea has been that it would be impos-
sible for any captain of a ship 10 be so !
derelict in his duty AS 10 fail TO re- |
spond TO such signals. But here are
two vessels which not only refused 20 |
respond, but the officers OF those vessels |
are now engaged in compact TO sup.
press the facts and excuse themselves
In such way as they best can Clearly
law must be provided 10 require com
mauucTS Of -bipz "a rn - Al ,I:.c