1959-06-20 — Page 6

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1959.

IT

Continuing the story that will shock all who have travelled by sea ...

.

© At 40 knots the two groat ships ploughed through the calm sea towards each other, There was no anxiety, no sense of foreboding. Then a young officer's shout regis- tered the transition from routine to emergency. For Captain Calamai, the moment

of decision had come

A mighty dagger rips

open the liner's side

was early evening on July 25, 1956. For the luxury liner Andrea Doria, pride of Italy's merchant navy, the cast-to-west Atlantic crossing was nearly over. New York lay 12 hours' steaming away. And although thick wet mist shrouded the ship she surged on åt 21 knots, her officers confident in the knowledge that her radar, scanning through the fog, would pick up any object within 20 miles.

For another fine passenger ship, the Swedish-American Line's gleaming white Stockholm, the journey in the opposite direction was just beginning. Her passengers were settling down with pleasurable anticipation, while aboard the Doria, the brief communal life of her journey almost spent, party frocks and sun suits were being packed for the last time.

No one vet knew that coon the two ships would be locked ingether in one of the greatest sea disasters ever,

On the bridge of the Andrea Duria the watch was changed 51 8 p.1. The wheelhouse dark by the two

was turning

officers of the eight-tu-mid-

PART TWO

COLLISION COURSE

by ALVIN MOSCOW

ife read the distance from the night watch came up to the ships by the concentric rings

the radar scope, bridge together.

represented miles,

#Ece

They were unike in appeur- Senior and personality. Serend Offer Francliini was a till, thin, dark-complexioned man of serious mien, 37 years old. His colleague, Junior Third Offer Eugenio Gizunini was blond, short, and stocky, a cheer- ful, eager officer of 28.

take-over tasks The routine performed, Franchini went out to the wing of the bridge. There, with the captain, Piero Calamal, he peered into the thick, penetrable fug while the two Then chatted casually.

Gaining..

Rule of thumb

which

The Andrea Doria's radar get was of a later model than that of the Stockholm; but, unlike the Stockholm, the Andrea Doria 17 hud no plotting devlee er by which the radar, man could use.

ln order to plot the precise position, course, and speed of im- ម observed ship it would be necessary for the serond officer of the watch to plot on

171 the manoeuvring board charronin, where there Was light.

Giamini, wlus could hear the subdued voices of the two older CB through the open wheel- house door, silently watched the Indur scope.

There were two ships ahead, oh which the Just Andrea Doria was strudily gaining. There was which the Doria De behind, was rapidly outpacing,

From Time to time the captain for the bearings at sistances of the chips abend and Glamini called cut thures.

the

not Ate

The ulcers merely approxi- mated the course and speed of other ships by what they could

remember

ste uttel

tho

s the two slower ships that

Bezoe

I been ahead, there was no un the of foreboding bridge of the modern luxury liner.

Captain Calamai had navi- cated his ship through fog tlines during his 47 many round-trip crossings of the North Atlantie in the Andrea

Doria

Second Officer Franchini, in is 18 year at sea, half his lifetime, also was familler with fog and the vicissitudes of ocean travel.

For Glammin this was the Orst time he had been on watch In fog since he had come aboard the Doria three months ago,

Offer refused

...

charts, getting the feel of the bridge.

"Would you like to go below for some rest?" Magagnini asked his superior ofeer. But he knew the answer before Captain Calamal replied, "No thank you,"

The plotting device was in the lob drawer of the chari

But he had 10 years' sca The query was more a gesture Cable, unused. Unlike the experience.

lio in the same of courtesy than anything else, Stockholm regimen, It was rebooting as his senior oeer for in the years the two had

is the and captain. Braclice

All three officers known each other, Magagnini Audrea Doria to plot radar an the bridge held enptain's could never recall one occasion observations of other ships.

Globini had warned

on which Calamol would trust hts the January when he the bridge of his ship in fog to graduated from the Italian unyone but himself, Naval Academy In Leghorn.

Captain Calama), as was his, minutes after nine Several

bridge the расск o'clock the staff captain, Osvaldo practice,

incessantly, He walked from changing positions of pips on Magagnlul-Calamal's deputy-couler end of the bridge the radar tempe

appeared on the bridge. He

wing, extending beyond the side As the Area Duria salled on chatted with Calami for EL through the fug, over the calm, while and then checked the of the ship, to the inner end of the bridge wing, a distance of helmsman,

some 20 feet,

He walked through the the wheelhouse, glancing at rater from time to time, and ho stopped at the chartroom to estimate the position of his fairly frequent

black sea, overtaking and pass- radar.

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the

at

ship intervals.

Obligation

The back into the wheel- bouse and out again to the wing

From the wing of the bridge, the slender bow of the other ship seemed almod directly at him

'It's a ship'

Salvatore Colace,

flasher arm swept the scope, ship that collision in impossible, came in to see the radar scene plp of the other vessel He

what eight no

abandoned the radar to join the matter

unexpected himself, every lighting the pip

There was an aura of con- captain on the bridge wing and turns are made by the other sxconds.

ship.

centration 011 the bridge es to see the ship for himself.

As he walked toward the drur Franchini was following the Captain Calamai prepared to

take action, if necessary, Yet of the wheelhouse the bridge rule of thumb known to all sea-

there was no tension. There telephone rang. He changed men that if the angle of the

the direction to answer radar bearing on the other ship was only one ship seen on the his

a safe radar and miles of ocean on phone. It was the lookout on nertases, there will be passing. If it remains constant, all sides of the Andrea Doria. the bow, It was at this point that reporting.

Calamal told there is danger of collision. To

the right. Franchint this night the angle Captain appeared to be increasing. helmsman. "Four degrees lo

Despite the Rule of the itead the left....and nothing to the Franchini. which required ships meeting right." The captain had decided lights too." head-on or nearly head-on to to create the passing distance time,

Giannini could Jee only a two ships turn right for a port-to-port between the asked passing,

Coptain Calamai be sulety's sake. lieved there Wag sufficient pessing distance for a

Fiar- board-to-starboard passing.

At first he thought it was a slow ship which the Andrea Doria was overtaking. But in a few moments he saw he had been wrong?

"It's antiin," he yelled out. " can

see a ship coming towards us."

"What's the beuring?". Calumal.

Captain Calaniul and Giannini walked to the radar set to per

over Franchini's shoulder, Then the second officer announced: "Sho's 17 miles away, four

degrees to starboard,

even closer

Diffused glow

-

for

" see lights on my

replied

Tighi." That's all.

"We ore seeing Actually, at that and Caplait, Calome!

diffused glow.

Giannin! Wik the first, to pick the masthead Ughts oui of the diffused glow of the Stock- haim. For the Arst instant, the Bghts seemed to indicate the By keeping to his Ter

Bulleving the ships would other ship was heading off : to Calamat was keeping ble ship

pas safely starboard-to-star- the right. The forward lowes towards the open sen, rather board even without his change light was to the right of the aft The three ofleers watched

than encountering the dangers of course, he saw no reason for higher light. But in the next the progress of the pig with of conting ton close to lane). any other 'action.

instant the lights seemed - to interest. it become more and There was always the pass-- Franchini at the rader next reverse themselves.

two bility that if he turned right, reported the other ship two He now saw not only the two more apparent that the ships were.pnjopposite courses, towards Nantucket Island and miles distant and still on a masthead lights but also the But no one shw any difficulty shallow water, he might en parallel course (despite the red glow of the light on the left

which four-degree turn or danger in passing a slagle counter another ship

and subse side of the ship. of the beldge. That was the ship in the open spaces of the would requiro him by law to quent veering at the Doria). "She is turning, she is turn- best vantage point to see or hear aucun. In fact, there was such tura right again,

Captain Calamal, followed by ing!" the young ofleer the approach of another ship, an absence of foreboding that to the shore.

Glanning, walked to the railing screamed and old seafarers like Captain Magagirl chose this moment Calamul trusted to their senses to leave the bridgo, more than they did the radar. Both Captain Caturnat and Had Calamal obeyed the Rule Ihird officer Glarnint walked of the Road requiring ships to into the wheelhouse from time be able to stop 153 half the lo time to observe the pip of

the

vast the other ship on the radar, distance of visibility, liner would have stopped dead in the water. But Calamai had an obligation to bring big pas- sengers to New York on time. And 250 dockers had been hired a: two dollars 50 cents an hour from 8 am. They would have to be paid, whether or not the ship arrived on time.

Parallel

Franchini hurdly left the act as he continued to observe the pip advance down towards the centre of the radar sereon. indicating that it represented a

Confidence...

that

Split second

for the master

the Aniltea

"She is showing the halfway out on the bridge wing red light?" He garped foe, nir, listening for the foghom of the "She is coming towards us!! other ship. They heard only the long "blast of the Dorla's Captain Calamat, pacing the fog signal every 100 seconds. quiet, dark bridge of his luxury Both the captain and the young

assumed liner, had full confidence in the juntor officer

Captain Calamat saw the (wa speed of his ship and his own because the Andrea Darla was white lights then and hesitated, ability to navigate safely. in fog, sounding fog whistles, perhaps for

the other ship also should be must have seemed, though, like a split sebond. It This was a confidencs, not of blowing her fog warning.

an eternity. It was impossible My daredevil venture such as Giannini, standing next to to believe this was happening. ground, but rather of his two- "Why obstinately refusing to give the captain, wondered aloud, The manthead lights were open- don't we hear hering. The other ship sebéd

Captain score years of sailing without whistle?"

Calamat less than a mile away. an decident.

remained silent, looking Into This was the mothent of the fog. "She should whistle," Both prestige ond money were ship on an opposite and parallel At his command was one of said the third officer plaintively. decision, Immeasurable in time. at stake. But Calamai.

The other ship was within Duda. There wire so many was cburse slightly to the starboard the Anest, fastest, and most taking no foolhardy risk. His of-the-Deriv

-manoeuvrable—shing-of-the two-mithi of the Dorla-and- As the two ships drew closer world. He had spent most of his the two officers could see and miles of ocean around and, now

scars at sea navigating the hear nothing of it. and closer together Franchini large, fast liners of the tallun Glannini strodu into the reported from time to time Line, and he felt he could rely wheelhouse for a glance at the 'that the other shilp was still on the speed of the Andren radar. He saw the pip of the to the starboard, or right. Daria and his ability to handle ship less than two miles off and audion an dppoälte: parallel her,

about 30 degrees, to the right, # Without any plotting of the Snatching up a pair of bihocu- j He was estimating the other exact course and speed of the lats, he returned to the wing of other ship, Captain Calamal did the bridge and scanned the rea ship's course in his mind's eye

aid of the not realise that the ship bearing ahead with the. without Plotting. This was Somewhat after 0.20 a pip

akin to dolag long division down upon him was also a fast powerful lenses. appeared on the radar scope 17 menially to find an approx. vessel. He assumed vaguely the miles almost dend ahead of the

mite answer.

At sea this ship was a fishing trawler of

I see lights ship's course, Giannini called

ustially ether small vessel heading for approximate answer out This observation as hesinices, dithough rador expert would have told him the com

Nantucket Island, Plotting watched the yellow plp appear shudder at the inherent dunger bined speed of the two ships closer - ond closer. The Pip of the pruellée.

radar and his constantly boom- ing siren wero his safeguards.. It whisking his 1,134 passengers

on towards their destination, he was doing virtually what every ship's muster did in those fog- * shrouded waters.

Checkpoint

course.

8 little room.

}

This fetic knowlödgë” of the sea and ships, Had to be used for the oarrois Inaibso« » Live manoctyre, it had wüři to have any liopo of avoiding a collision. Shunka he di'rightz, Left? Straight ahead? Slopz. The decladon wir mado. Capitin Calaful cuiled: OUR “Tutto dinitra, ......All left."

Helitisman Visciano, spun tho power-driven wheel as 'TENT" ANG "ho could do to the left", then In a motilent no saw & faint, the when wokilä turn no more, dutused slow of light tu the he bent over, préming att fis night-time, fog,{"fierg, kha Weight on the wheel, holthing approxintation la safe Wits 10 knots that every three

alho exclaimed, printing, one of the spokson with both long setheartemor Jinutes, the ships were being "two "a miler closer

hannals in di desperato siteENDYT téinétubers lo lake bold" aid, "

Do JOE SENSA cablabi 10 thake the stilj, tury). Šantek, | yes, In the silll-thickening fog there sedlom early enough:

the two ships were replied, straining is distinguish to avoid any collision which Doria: bped past the unseen

(might result & from, intorrent bout seven miles apart Fring from the vagua, glow of light

Two whistles lightemp. 509927

Tadar observatiod, chint switched the radar to two separdin mmsillend gher Close-up range. He estimated so that he could determine tho The ideal is to keep one's ship that the other ship le it can direction of the other alupron Franchina gruntad də afar away from any other si

Dafne timard son à 138,1 prosent, couro, viFranchini, - overbearing, the nutcmmler for senal while”, at HÁRATES CAR would parto Doria on, the conversion, assumed the other the same time, he, shouted Inn Beaky Collärien - Couter, veintbord ide aja distance of ship had been sighted visually 90s, commandar," "Captaly Irvin', which, thkal jegion - la - perhage a,mile, werhapana, bif crom tits wine all the brides, and simuaga ana tipo pe WIDGE, AR Be puhakea în lem. The second oficer reportal (bet it was no longer incumbent.

(Continued oli Piek z Gil, 1) this to Captain Calumni, who upon him to follow the redlar. Bellaly by Konquadra.

tufted dut to be the stationary Nantucket lightship-the first checkpoint for the Doria since

the Azores, had been left behind,

Then, after another 20 or 25__ minuter":"Franchial, who bad now taken, over the radar wnicky obervod.com barely: definable, pip" on the outer edge er, the radar scope. He kept his eye on the spot of trio pup the luminated

The