Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-02-03
STEERING | b0l1.
The Rig Of tie Ti||er Ropes Often
a. Source Of Danger.
4 CURIOUS LACK or SYSTEM.

n EUhtUu9 IQLN' Vt oi0i'61us
On Some Vessels the chsins Ara Cross
ed, and on cts1ers They Aro Straight,
and This May Mean Serious Troubss
With a Strange Hand At: tbs Wt1ssa.
4 bronzed pilot vas 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, 4 tense ex-
preston, brought on by the tremendous
responsibility, cast it's grim lines over
the pilots. face as he turned into the
lowe. Hudson, river and saw dense
togbank creeping down from the Pal
isailes. Three miles still to go, and
1900 lives in his hands: Slowly he
creot along, almost touching ferry
load Of commuters, Just skipping a
rr.pie tow Of sand scows, threading
his way through the maze OF vessels
bic and little; the fog, denses and
more dense, making it impossible to
see the shadow Of nearing craft more
than a couple Of lengths away.
Suddenly departing liner, JUST
hauled out into the stream, doomed up
of the sturboard bow. The pilot turn
ed chastity white MY God! Crossed
chains or straight chains? Crossed
or-srraight: Heaven help mes In
almost Instant desperation he called
"Har1 aport:" the quartezmasteT
swung the whee. Overland the huge
floating hote. slowly turned ont: and
s,lde1l by, almost sccuping the other.
Crossed chatns-straight: chains"
What does this meAu? It means this
that there Is no inrartable rule or sys-
TEN Of arranging the ullet ropes Oh
vessels 50 that the latter always move
in the same direction in response to j
similar turn Of the whee.. Il equipped
With crossed chains the craft will
turn the opposite way: II with
Straight chains the wheel must be
turned in the same direction the vessel
IL desired t. 90. Most OCEAN vessels
ara equipped with straight chadus,
though this Is by no means an tnvart-
able custom. Sailing craft may be and
are liked either way. On the other
hand, harbOr boats, including tow
boats, tugs, ETC.. generally nave crossed
uller ropes,
Thus our pilot friend had spent most
Of his nautical lie aboard tugs aud
other inland boats aud when confrunr-
Cd with a crisis Of great responsibility
wapered momentartly between the In
dueuce Of hta habit Of twenty Ye4us
and the newly acquired information
given him az he went aboard It was
iusr by the sheeresr chance that hs OF.
dersd the wheel turned the CORRECT
way.
in able ocean seaman signed for q
round rtp from Buffalo to Duluth and,
asked II he could handle the wheel.
was sent to the pilot house. They
wers already under way, aud. not be-
ing familiar with the uncertainties Of
steering gear, be neglected to ask the
usual question, Crossed chains or
straighr chaius?' The coal steamer
neared A scnw load Of bricks Gard
aport:" called the mate. The helms
man dung his wheel to srart,oart, a.
he had been used to do on the high
seas, and his vessel bore down UPON
the unsuspscnug Tow. "Hard apnrr,
you IDIOT" yelled the mate. DON'T
you know this boat has crossed
caaius?' He reversed the wheel and
missed the scnw by bare Crane.
Such Incidents as these are by No
means rzrs in navigating experience,
though fortunately serious accidents
taerefrnm are UNCOMMON either BE-
cause Of q beni2uaur fate watching
over befuddled men at the wheel az
because they tnsttucrtvedy follow tia
new conditions and turn the helm IN
the right direction Pilots themselves
scn6 At suggestions Of danger, saying
that real seamau's instinct VIII a.
Wzys save him from making mistakes
Al the same. a man experienced tn
handling vessels Of their own pastt.u-
Lar character Is generally sanding BY
tie newcomer At the wheel fox safstys
sak<.
4 more COMMON danger, a. Tar -
the general pubic II concerned Is the
1a1versa! lack Of unity IN Arranging
tie Steering apparatus on rotorboatA
Most Of these erz6 are exceedingly
small, and the tlIeT ropes are put II
1t the beginning Of every season BY
de ownkES Themselves, TO suit the1
own particular notSonA g. IA every
HoGzrA viii be seen steering gear o1
every descrfY<son. from Simple tlteS
70 elaborate brz1 mounted Wheels the
latter With either crossed OK straight
chains. a. individual fancy nay DE-
tate. This Il safe - long - tie
owner OF one used to the era1 II 1t
tie wteei- and not many accidents 2Ie
repoEted IN such Circumstances But
seesderts have resulted when m ana
te1r used 70 crossed ropes las stetreS
Q bsae opposs.eay rf&xed
But when one used to launch VIZ
~eyosketa roneS~ freduf1foG turning t6o