ON THE BRIDGE OF A LINER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18898, 26 June 1923, Page 2

ON THE BRIDGE OF A LINER.

A captain of a large passenger liner fsays Captain C, A. Smith, of the Berengaria, in tiie Weekly Dispatch) is always on duty’ so to speak, from the time be 'leaves port until ho reaches the other side. The only time ho relaxes is when he hands his giant ship over to the marine superintendent. ‘M’orl to port” is the captain’s spell of duty Obviously lie must sleep at sea, but metaphorically he does so with one leg out of the bunk. Before J leave the bridge, I make sure of the ship’s position and record it. I prepare my ■•captain’s night orders,” wherein are noted any alteration of course and directions when I am to be called. There are always some cautionary ' remarks to the officer on watch—e.g., as to open ports and fog. If near land the precise position of the ship must be marked on the chart. The compass must be corrected for any deviation, and slops must be taken to ensure (hat the ship is held properly on her course. The junior officer on watch must be made equally conversant with everything. Even he must be prepared to deal with all emergencies. On every Uunard liner a special officer is detailed to supervise the actual steering of the ship. When fog descends, or even threatens, the captain instantly goes on the llorengaria’s bridge. This is the universal rule for a master during a fog." Under my feet are 52,000 tons and 4000 people, who have implicit trust in me. Whole families are sleeping with the same sense of security as in London. My officers and I are dim shadows silhouetted against the driving fog. which writhes and twists like seme gigantic ghost’. Every nerve is taut, the engines at, stand-by or eased down. At regular intervals our whistle—sounding hoarse and scarifying in the black night splits the dead silence. Far away. I bear an answering signal. 1 know exactly what. 1 am going to do, hut, the skipper’s anxiefv «n a fog is, “Does the other fellow know?” rThat.’s the fog problem. There is no rooni for imagination on a bridge.