Mr Lightoller, the Second Officer of the Titanic, was again recalled when the Senatorial Inquiry into the Titanic disaster was resumed at Washington on Saturday. A few questions regarding a ship’s barber, who disappeared after making a sensational statement, having been put to him, he was released from further attendance.
Captain Moore, of the liner Mount Temple, was then called. He said that he had been at sea for thirty-two years, and for twenty-seven of these in the North Atlantic.
‘Are you familiar with ice and icebergs?’ asked Senator Smith. ‘Yes, sir, very familiar.’
In reply to further questions, the witness said an iceberg was ice broken off from the land in the Arctic regions, and might be composed of land, rocks, or almost anything it would pick up in its course.
Senator Smith explained he made the inquiry because some levity had been caused by a question he asked a few days ago of what is an iceberg composed, and by a witness answering ice.
‘Have you seen icebergs both by day and night?’ he continued. – ‘Yes, sir.’
‘How did they look on a starlit night?’ – ‘White, sir: in fact, luminous.’
‘Where was your ship on the night of Sunday, April the fourteenth?’ – ‘In latitude 41.25, longitude 51.14 at 12.30 in the morning (ship’s time).’
‘I wish you would tell the Committee in your own words just what happened on that Sunday night and on Monday morning at 12.30?’ –’On Monday the fifteenth,’ said Captain Moore, ‘I was awakened by the steward with a message from the Marconi operator to my ship to the effect that the Titanic was sending out a “C.Q.D.” call. Here is the message: “Titanic sinking. C.Q.D. Requires assistance. Position 41.44 N 50.24 W. Come at once. Iceberg.” This was the message my operator had picked up.’
‘What reply did you send?’ – ‘None whatever, sir. I did not want to stop those distress messages going out. My operator said the Titanic could not hear him. I blew the whistle at once, and ordered a course to be laid towards the Titanic’s position. I dressed and went to the chart room. We steamed up and sailed east by the compasses, turning right towards the Titanic. Then I went to the chief engineer, told him about the Titanic, and asked him to push up the fires, to wake all extra firemen, and get them busy. I said: “If necessary, give firemen a tot of rum.” ’
‘A what?’ asked Senator Smith. – ‘A tot of rum, sir, to wake them up; spur them to action.’
‘At the time you got this message from the Titanic, how far distant did you figure your vessel?’ – ‘About 49 miles.’
The Mysterious Lights
‘What speed did you make towards the Titanic?’ – ‘A trifle more than 11 knots. About three in the morning we ran into the first ice. I immediately doubled the lookouts. At 4.25 (ship’s time) we had to stop. At the time I figured we were about 14 miles distant from where the Titanic had signalled. Another delay was occasioned by a small schooner, whose green light stopped us for a moment.’
‘Was the schooner between you and the Titanic?’ – ‘Yes, sir.’
‘How much nearer the Titanic was the schooner than you were?’ – ‘The schooner could not have been more than 1½ miles from me. I heard the schooner’s foghorn, and put the Mount Temple’s engines full speed astern to avoid her. After we had stopped a few minutes to avoid her, we proceeded slowly on our course towards the Titanic. The schooner was coming from the direction of the Titanic, and was moving not more than two knots an hour when we saw her. At three in the morning she would be about 12 miles from the Titanic.’
Senator Smith asked the captain if he thought the light on this schooner might have been the light which Mr Boxhall and others on the liner saw when the Titanic was firing distress rockets and flashing Morse signals? – ‘It might have been the light of a tramp steamer which was on our port bow and passed to starboard of us.’
‘How large a ship was it?’ – ‘About 4,000 tons, sir. I did not get her name, but she was a foreigner. She showed no sign. We tried to raise her by wireless, but I don’t believe she had any. At 5.30 in the morning the Mount Temple ran into ice so heavy that we were forced to turn. The last we saw of the strange steamer was about nine o’clock on Monday, when we were both trying to avoid the icepack.’
‘You have no means of determining that vessel’s name or that of its commander?’ – ‘We had no communication whatever. So far as I recalled she had a black funnel, with some device or band near the top.’
‘Did you get any nearer the Titanic’s position?’ – ‘We went slowly after 3.25 and reached very close to that position at 4.30 on Monday morning.’
‘Was any other vessel there?’ – ‘None but a tramp ship that had cut ahead of me earlier, sir. The icepack,’ continued witness, ‘consisted of field icebergs.’ He counted between forty and fifty bergs, the largest of them being between 100 and 200 feet high.
Senator Smith then took up the question of the use of glasses by lookout men, asking whether they were useful for the detection of danger ahead.
Witness: ‘I am not sure whether they would be of extraordinary value.’
Senator Smith: ‘Well, do you believe in the use of searchlights during a fog and at night? Would they not lessen the danger?’ – ‘No, sir. The use of a searchlight in a fog would be of no avail. It would be like throwing it against a blank wall. If the light were equipped with a powerful projector it might be some use at night.’
On the Scene of the Disaster
Captain Moore also told of his arrival on the scene of the Titanic’s sinking about 4.30 in the morning, two hours after the liner had gone down. He saw no wreckage and no bodies. He saw nothing but ice and a tramp steamer. The ice was so thick he was compelled to hoist men to the mastheads to seek a line out of the field.
Asked whether he had heard that certain of his passengers said they had seen rockets fired from the Titanic that night, Captain Moore replied that all his passengers were asleep. He had seen statements in the newspapers to that effect, but there were no passengers on the deck of the Mount Temple when she started for the Titanic. ‘I got all the officers on deck,’ he continued; ‘got out all the lifeboats – twenty of them – and all the lifebelts. We were ready for any emergency, and I reckoned we could accommodate 1,000 people in the lifeboats. We have only one wireless operator. He had picked up the telephones just before going to bed to see what was on, and it was then he caught the signals from the Titanic. He also picked up other messages. One of them said that the Titanic had got the Carpathia, and had given her her position, which was then 41.46 N, 50.18 W, which was about ten miles eastward of her first position. The second message picked up by the Mount Temple was from the Titanic to the Carpathia. It read: “We struck iceberg. Come at once our assistance.” He picked up many other messages. One was from the Carpathia asking the Titanic if she wanted any special boat to stand by. The Titanic answered she wanted all she could get.
‘He also got a message from the Frankfurt to the Titanic on Sunday giving her position. Titanic asking, “Are you coming to our assistance?” The Frankfurt asked: “What is the matter?” The Titanic, according to messages received by the Mount Temple, answered: “We struck iceberg: sinking. Tell captain to come.”
‘My wireless operator, J. Burrant, informed me,’ continued Mr Moore, ‘that from the sound of the signals he judged the Frankfurt to be the nearest to the Titanic. The last message from the Baltic the operator told me was at 1.30 on Monday morning. A few minutes after that the operator told me that the Olympic, Baltic and Frankfurt were all trying to get the Titanic. He said that he had not spoken with her since 1.30 a.m. That was about an hour after I had been given the first “C.Q.D.” from the Titanic.’
‘Did you send any messages from the Mount Temple?’ – ‘No, we kept out. We did not want to interfere with the interchange of messages that was going on all the time between the Titanic and other vessels, but steamed ahead, and made ready for rescue, if we could reach the scene in time.’
Appeal to the Frankfurt
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br /> After the Titanic had advised the Frankfurt of her condition the Titanic sent out a second appeal to the Frankfurt, saying, ‘Come quick.’ The messages grew weaker and weaker, until the Titanic’s operator was undoubtedly using auxiliary or storage batteries. By that time the vessel’s dynamos had been rendered useless by the water. The Titanic was still calling ‘C.Q.D.’ and at 1.20 she got the Olympic and said, ‘Get your boats ready. Going down fast by the head.’ The Frankfurt replied at 1.35, ‘Starting for you.’ Six minutes later the Titanic flashed, ‘C.Q.D. Boilers flooded.’ Then came the question, ‘Are there any boats around you already?’ To that there was no answer. Other ships then began calling, but could get no answer. Later the Russian steamer Birma got the Olympic, and reported, ‘All quiet now.’ The Titanic had not spoken since the Carpathia at 1.20 sent the message, ‘Are you still there? We are firing rockets.’
Senator Smith: ‘Did you see those rockets?’ – ‘I saw no rockets at all that night. I thought of sending up rockets myself, but I did not do so, because I feared it might divert other ships hurrying to the Titanic.’
Titanic’s Position Not Properly Fixed
The Titanic, undoubtedly, had not fixed her position properly. She must have been eight miles further east than the spot reported. My observations, taken on Monday, indicated that the Titanic’s actual position was probably 50½ W.
Senator Smith: ‘Does that indicate to you that the Titanic drifted?’ – ‘No. I think she stopped, but that her position was wrong.’
‘The fact that you found no evidence of the wreck when you got to the Titanic’s position tends to confirm the idea that the ship was eight miles to the east of the position she gave?’ – ‘Yes, sir. Later I sighted the Carpathia on the other side of the field of ice, where she had picked up the Titanic’s boats. I heard from the Carpathia at 6.30 that she had picked up the Titanic’s boats, and that the Titanic had sunk. By that I had given up hope of sighting the Titanic. I had been steaming about the sea all night. After I got the news I stayed in the neighbourhood, and then steamed on my course.’
‘Were there other vessels in sight at the point where the Titanic was supposed to have gone down?’ – ‘I saw a tramp steamer, and at eight o’clock on Monday morning I sighted the Birma. I also sighted the Californian, but there was ice between us.’
Mr Moore told the Committee he did not see how it was possible there could have been no suction when the Titanic went down. He thought the reason why so few bodies had been found was probably due to suction, which would have held the drowning between the decks as the boat sank. He thought the bodies were still in the ship.
The Wireless Records
Witness then read further extracts from the report of his wireless operator, Mr Burrant.
1.40 a.m. Birma thinks she hears Titanic. She sends: ‘We are coming. You are only 50 miles away.’ Carpathia calls: ‘Titanic all quiet.’
3.10 a.m. We (Mount Temple) back out of ice. There are large bergs all around.
3.25 a.m. Californian call C.Q.D. I answered to give her Titanic’s position. She had it before.
3.30 a.m. The Californian is now working with the Frankfurt. The Frankfurt also gives Titanic’s position.
4 a.m. Californian is now working with Virginian.
4.25 a.m. Californian is now working with Birma.
5.10 a.m. Signalled Californian. She wants my position. We were very close together.
6 a.m. Much jamming in wireless instrument.
6.45 a.m. Carpathia reports 20 boatloads rescued from Titanic.
7.30 a.m. Baltic sends service message to Californian as follows: ‘Stand by. You have been instructed to do so frequently. This is signalled by the Inspector.’
7.40 a.m. Californian gets message saying that there was no need to stand by as nothing more could be done. Carpathia and Olympic were very busy.
Mr Moore said he did not see or hear of the Amerika on Sunday night or Monday.
Driving Through Ice
‘What would you do if you met ice at night?’ asked Senator Smith abruptly. – ‘I would stop and drift. My instructions from the company are not to attempt to pass through any ice, no matter how thin it looks.’
‘Do you think it was wise or discreet to run a ship at 21 knots through the night?’ – ‘It is frequently done. A field of ice is seldom met with at this time of the year.’
‘Suppose you had been advised of ice ahead, would you consider it wise to drive a ship at that speed through the night?’ – ‘It would be very unwise.’
EVIDENCE OF STEWARDS
Andrew Cunningham, state room steward on board the Titanic, was called to the witness stand.
Senator Smith: ‘Where were you on Sunday evening before the accident?’ – ‘I was summoned on duty just before the collision. At 12.30 an order was given to arouse all the passengers who were in the state rooms.’
‘Not until 12.30? Why, that was 50 minutes after the accident?’ – ‘Yes, sir.’
‘Were you notified of the gravity of the situation?’ – ‘No, sir. I saw the water in the Post Office and formed my own conclusion.’
‘Was there any emergency alarm call for passengers on the Titanic?’ – ‘I do not think so.’
‘How were the passengers alarmed then?’ – ‘In time of distress each state room steward calls his passengers.’
‘Then at such time the passengers are dependent upon the vigilance of the steward?’ – ‘Yes. At 12.20 all my passengers had gone on deck except Mr Cummings [sic], who was in his state room getting his overcoat. After that Mr W. T. Stead asked me to show him how to put on his lifebelt. I put the lifebelt on him. It was the last I put on.’
‘Did you ever see Mr Stead again?’ – ‘No, sir.’
‘What did you do then?’ – ‘I put on a lifebelt myself after the passengers had been taken care of. After all the boats had gone my mate and I jumped to the sea and swam clear of the Titanic. We rested on each other while we were swimming, and after we saw the ship go down we struck out for the boats. Finally I was picked up by lifeboat No. 4. She was crowded. There were nine men and many women aboard, and there was no room to row.’
Henry Samuel Etches, Southampton, another steward, was then called. He had charge of the state room occupied by Mr Andrews, representative of Messrs Harland & Wolff.
Senator Smith: ‘Did you see Mr Andrews frequently?’ – ‘Every morning at seven, when I took him his tea and fruit, and every evening when he dressed for dinner.’
‘Did you know him before?’ – ‘Yes, I knew him on the Olympic. He built that, too. He was busy all the time of the voyage. His room was full of charts. He was looking out for improvements, and went about the boat with his workmen all day long.’
‘When did you last see Mr Andrews?’ – ‘At 12.30 on Sunday night, when he asked me if I had called all the passengers. Then he told me to go with him and see that all the passengers had opened their doors, and that all of them had lifebelts. Then we walked up to the purser, who was standing, surrounded by a crowd of excited women, the purser telling them to go back to their state rooms and not be frightened. “That is just what I have been trying to get them to do,” said Mr Andrews. After that he went down below, and I never saw him again. I saw a man run up on deck with a piece of ice in his hand. He threw it on the deck, and exclaimed to other passengers: “Will you believe it now?” I was also steward to Mr Benjamin Guggenheim. I went to his room, and started to put a lifebelt on him. “This will hurt,” said Mr Guggenheim to me. I said to him, “Put on some clothes,” and said I would be back in a minute. I went to another room.’
Mr Ismay and the Women
‘Did you go back?’ – ‘Yes, I put a lifebelt on to Mr Guggenheim. I then went on deck, and assisted launching lifeboat No. 7. Mr Pitman and Mr Ismay helped keeping the falls clear. This was on the boat deck. Mr Ismay called out for the men to form a lane so as to let the ladies through. Mr Murdoch also kept calling for ladies, saying, “Are there any other ladies here?
” Before this boat was lowered I assisted in loading boat No. 5. A woman came along before it was got off, and Mr Ismay called to her to get in. “I am only a stewardess, sir,” she said. Mr Ismay said: “That makes no difference. You are a woman. Take your place.” And she came away with us. Mr Murdoch ordered me into boat No. 5. He came to me after the women were in, and said, “Are you the steward regularly assigned to this boat?” I said, “Yes, sir; No. 5 is my boat.” “All right,” said Mr Murdoch, “get in.” As it was about to be lowered Mr Pitman, who was in charge, called out to ask if there was a sailor in the boat. I shouted back there was not, and he called Seaman Oliver, who was ordered in. Then Mr Murdoch shook Mr Pitman’s hand, and said, “Goodbye, old man; good luck.” Just then a man and woman were standing beside the boat. She had her arms around his neck, and was crying. I heard her say, “I can’t leave without you. I can’t leave without you.” I turned my head away, and next moment I saw the woman with the man sitting behind her in the boat. Just then a voice said, “Throw out that man,” but we were already being lowered away, and the man remained. I don’t know his name. I never heard it. He was a stoutish man, an American. When the boat hit the water we pulled away about 100 yards from the Titanic until she started to go down, when we rowed away a quarter of a mile. When she went down I saw a crowd of people on her afterdeck. Mr Pitman wanted to go back to help those in the water, and gave orders to do so. The women pleaded with him not to, asking him why they should risk their lives in a hopeless effort.’
(Ulster Echo, 29 April 1912)
THE TITANIC INQUIRY WIRELESS TANGLE OPERATOR’S STORY
Mr Sammis, the chief engineer of the Marconi Company, was called. He resented bitterly the imputation that he had been the means of suppressing news from the Carpathia, which, he said, had resulted in his neighbours pointing the finger of scorn at him. He said that he told the Carpathia’s operators to hold their personal stories for sale in order to get a reward for them. He did not send the messages direct, but telephoned to Davidson, in charge of a wireless station, and instructed him to tell the ‘boys’ that an arrangement had been made to care for them. He thought it would ‘brace’ them up. He carried out the plan, and went to the Strand Hotel to meet Operator Cottam, but failed to get in touch with him. The operators each got $750 for their stories.
Voices from the Titanic Page 47
