Greely, U. S. A., noted American
traveler and Arctic explorer, vehemently denounced the sinking
of the Titanic and the loss of over 1600 souls as a terrible
sacrifice to the American mania for speed. He gave his
opinion that the Titanic came to grief through an attempt on
the part of the steamship management to establish a new
record by the vessel on her maiden voyage.
The Titanic, General Greely declared, had absolutely no
business above Cape Race and north of Sable Island on the
trip on which she went to her doom. Choosing the northern
route brought about the dire disaster, in his mind, and it was
the saving of three hours for the sake of a new record that
ended in the collision with the tragic victory for the ghostlike
monster out of the far north.
It was the opinion of General Greely, capable of judging
after his many trips in quest of the pole, that neither Captain
Smith nor any of his officers saw the giant iceberg which
encompassed their ruin until they were right upon it. Then, the
ship was plunging ahead at such frightful velocity that the
Titanic was too close to avert striking the barrier lined up
across its path.
CHAPTER XXV
OTHER GREAT MARINE DISASTERS
DEADLY DANGER OF ICEBERGS--DOZENS OF SHIPS PERISH IN
COLLISION--OTHER DISASTERS
THE danger of collision with icebergs has always been
one of the most deadly that confront the mariner.
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