Evening star., 1934-09-15
D|SASTERCAPTA|NS
FACE HARD CHOICE
Emotions in Sea Crisis Told
by Commerce In
SpeCtor.
By the Associated Press,

Of Department OF Commerce steam
vessel inspection corps, described to-
day conflicting emotions of masters
whose vessels are endangered on high
seas.
He explained he could not discuss
the actions of MORO Castles Acting
Capt. William F. Warns, who stood
by his ship for many hours after the
vessel had been doomed, because he
doesn't have "a clear picture Of what
really happened"
"As a general rule, however" Capt.
Storey said, masters of vessels are
torn between their duty to protect
lives of passengers and crew and to
serve the best economic interests Of
their employers"
Passengers Always First.
He said that during many years at
sea and in inspection service he had
not encountered a single case where
masters would jeopardize lives of their
passengers to save the ship.
Some times" he remarked, when
there is good chance of saving ship or
reducing damage, captain will dis
regard strictest precautions for lives
of persons aboard, but this is only
when odds are vastly in his favor.
There is no statute, to my knowledge,
requiring master to evaluate lives
above ship and cargo. 1t is an un-
written law of sea, however, just as is
that governing rescue of women and
children first.
Captains are required to make
for their company and on their
ability to do this depends their de-
STABILITY for jobs. An overly-cautious
captain, who saves passengers, but
too frequently loses his ships, becomes
a Jonah and find it dificult to secure
Vestris Lives Less Costly.
Lives of passengers, as in case Of
the Vestris which went down a few
years ago, frequently cost the COM
pany less, in terms of dollars and
cents, than the most of the ship and
cargo.
Masters of vessels dislike aban-
doning their ship intensely. In first
place it is their home and they be-
come fond of it. Captains will say
that no two ships, including the most
similar sister ships, are alike, and
they prefer none but the one they
have as a general rule. They call ships
she because they are, to captains,
wives and sweethearts.
Again there is always the element
of salvage. 1t always costs more to
tow an abandoned vessel than one
upon which the master still stands.
Salvage of abandoned ships sometimes
amount to rs per cent of the total
value of cargo and ship. Hence there
is always extreme hesitancy about ac-
cepting assistance. Sometimes ships
in distress reject aid of professional
salvagers to wait for Coast Guard
cutters, whose work is always gratis.
Expense Only in Rescues.
Rescue ships can claim only ex-
penses incurred in their operations
unless they put line aboard a dis
tressed vessel"
Capt. Storey said masters of rescue
ships have no reason to fear fines
or expense because of delay.
"On the contrary" he declared,
captains who fail to stand by after
a collision are fined 81 1000 and their
companies may be assessed much
more There is no additional insur-
ance cost because cargoes are insured
at port-to-port rates without regard
to time spent. II their time in port
is increased by some reason, such as
rescue work at sea or anything outside
of negligence, wharfage fees always
remain the same. Negligent delay, of
course, brings added wharfage costs"
Captain Ruler at Sea.
The inspector said when ship
has cleared port 1t becomes king
dom under dictatorial rule of the cap
tain. He has full powers of discre-
ton in launching lifeboats to aid
distressed ship, in which case his OBJ
legation is first to safety Of his own
crew and passengers.
In the old days" said Capt. Storey.
"a skipper frequently sold his ship or
placed it under bond for repairs. He
could and can do this legally, but
there is a provision that whenever
possible he must inform the owners.
There are few ports in the world to-
day from which he cannot inform the
owners at once.
In damage incurred by negligence
the captain and company are equally
liable, and either may be sued. The
captain of Moro Castle and other
ships that went to Davey Jones locker
had this in mind at all times. If
accidents are due to incendiarism or
anything not indicating negligence
by the captain, damages for physical
and property injury are usually re-
.....a,.od fran, ix,ct.ca