Texting Titanic captain cartoon showed bad taste

The cartoon on the Opinion page abut the Titanic (...what the captain was texting at the time...) was very mean and cruel and in very poor taste.

Capt. Edward J. Smith of the Titanic had gone to sea as an apprentice at the age of 12.

After getting his certificates, he signed on with the White Star Line at the age of 27.

He was much admired among professional circles for his seamanship.

Twenty minutes before midnight (April 14, 1912) Frederick Fleet grabbed the phone in the crow’s nest and shouted “Iceberg ahead!”

The Titanic carried 2,207 passengers and crew — there were lifeboats for 1,178. At 12:05 a.m., after issuing orders to uncover the boats and alert the passengers, Capt. Smith left the bridge and walked to the wireless shack. “Send the call for assistance!”

At 2:20 a.m., gathering speed, the Titanic slipped under the waters of the North Atlantic.

Print this letter in your paper in memory of the Titanic.

Susan D. Zerr
Harriman