The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1912-05-02
STEERING A BOAT.
The Rig Of the TiIIer Ropes often
a Source of Danger.
A CURIOUS LACK OF SYSTEM.
On Some Vessels the Chains Are Cross.
ed, and on Others They Are Straight.
and This May Mean Serious Trouble
With a Strange Hand at the Wheel.

With a Strange Hand at the Wheel.
; a bronzed pilot was carefully nurs.
ing a big Atlantic liner through the
murk and confusion of early morning
and innumerabe 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-
pression, 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
foebank creeping down from the Pal
isades. Three miles still to go, and
1900 lives in his hands! Slowly he
crept along, almost touching ferry
load of commuters, just skipping
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. loomed up
off the starboard bow. The pilot turn
ed ghastly white. My God! Crossed
chains or straight chains? Crossed
or-straight? Heaven help me" In
almost instant desperation he called
Hard aportr' 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-
tenn 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
I'd with a crisis of great responsibility
wavered momentarily between the in
1uence 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 he or
lered the wheel turned the correct
way.
An able ocean seaman signed for a
round trip from Buffalo to Duluth and
asked if he could handle the wheel.
was sent to the pilot house. They
were already under way, and, not be-
ing familiar with the uncertainties Of
steering gear he neglected to ask the
usual question. Crossed chains or
straight chains?" The coal steamer
neared a scow load of bricks. Hard
lportm called the mate. The helms
man flung his wheel to starboard, as
ne had been used to do on the high
seas, and his vessel bore down upon
he unsuspecting tow. Hard aport,
you idiotr' yelled the mate Don't
you know this boat has crossed
,hainsT' He reversed the wheel and
missed the scow by bare Craze.
Such incidents as these are by no
means rare in navigating experience,
.hough fortunately serious accidents
therefrom are uncommon either be-
cause of a benignant fate watching
over befuddled men at the wheel or
because they instinctively follow the
new conditions and turn the helm In
he right direction. Pilots themselves
scoff at suggestions of danger, saying
hat a real seaman's instinct will al
ways save him from making mistakes.
All the same. a man experienced in
handing vessels of their own particu-
ar character is generally standing by
he newcomer at the wheel for safety's
iake.
A more common danger, as far as
he general public is concerned, is the
universal lack of unity in arranging
he steering apparatus on motOrboats.
Most of these craft are exceedingly
small. and the tiller ropes are put in
1t the beginning of every season by
be owners themselves. to suit their
own particular notions So. in every
lotiIIa will be seen steering gear Of
every description, from simple tillers
O elaborate brass mounted wheels, the
after with either crossed or straight
chains. as individual fancy may die
-ate. This is safe as long as the
owner or one used to the craft is at
he wheel, and not many accidents are
exported in such circumstances. But
accidents have resulted when an ANA
pur used TO crossed ropes has steered
, boat oppositely rugged
But when one used to a launch with
crossed ropes" requiring turning the
wheel opposite to the direction the
)oat is to gol takes the wheel Of an
automobile. then the passengers are
'ortunate indeed If they are not put
ntO perilous situations: for motorists
ire not always provided with the safe
instinct" ascribed to experienced sea
men. and autos move In the same d.
'ection the wheel is turned.
However, crossed chains and straight
Aains will probably 60 on their own
,u-aof frroanonefhla orfafanca for inst