Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-23
Witness Appears in Invalid
Chair, Propped Up With
Pillows Because Of Injur-
les Sustained in Escape.
SAYS GERMAN BOAT
IGNORED THE CALL
Frankfurt. Nearest to the
Wrecked Boat, Did Not
Respond; Witness Asked
About Ismay Messages.

About Ismay Messages.
New York, April 40 Just BEFORE
the senate committee investlgatlns
the Titanic disaster met in this city TO-
day an invalid chair was wheeled lnto
the committee room. In 1t was Harold
Bride the assistant wireless operator
on the Titanic whose feet were
wrenched and badly injured when ne
was crushed on the life raft that PICK
ed him up from the wreckage. ne
was sallow and hollow checked and
lay propped up with pillows aWal.lns
his call to the witness chair.
Immediately behind Bride came j..
Bruce Ismay president OF the 1nterna-
tional Marine and P. A. 8. Franklin,
vice president OF the organization. MT.
Ismay announced before the inquiry
began that he had given Instructions
to all the lines OF 1nternatlonai
Mercantile Marine, which includes tne
White Star, the American. the Hed
Star, the Leyland, the Atiantlc
Transport and the Dominion lines, 10
equip all steamers with sufficient lie
boats and raft boats for every passen'
ger and every member Of the crew
without regard to government regula'
tions. t-
Senator Reed Of Missouri took seat
with Senators Smith and NeWlands.
The first witness was Thomas Cottam,
the wireless operator on the Car
pathia, who was called to the stand.
Senator Smith sought to clear up the
messages that had passed between
the Carpathia and the Titanic.
What was the last message sent
to the Titanic?" asked Senator Smith.
4 Eve sent it word to have It's life
boats ready" said the witness; that
our life boats were ready and that we
were steaming to them as fast as we we
could .3,
Senator Smith asked questions to
discover whether any official had
sought to keep back the news OF the
DISASTER
did you send any messages that
al, the passengers had been saved or
that the Titanic was being towed to
Halifax"
"No, sir" -.4.& 100. i. a....-.. .-.....-a
"Nor anything like it," ~
mo, sir" VI
Did Not Remember lsmay Messages
Operator Bride remembered recelv'
ing and sending messages relative TO
the speed Of the Titanic on its trial
tests. After leaving Southampton on
the Titanic's fatal trip he could not
remember receiving or sending any
messages for Ismay.
Senator Smith asked particularly
SIM
II don't remember, sir said BRIDE:
aThere was so much business Sunday
He was asked II Captain Smitn re-
ceived or sent any messages SUNDAY
..No, sir was his reply.
How do you know he did not!
Because see the messages MT:
PHILIPS takes when they are made up:
.eWere those for Sunday made up!
.No, they never were W
After testifying he made no per-
nanant record of the iceberg warn
ings. Bride. insisted he gave the mem
orandum Of the warning to the omcer
of the watch The name OF the omcer
he could not tell.
Il knew the officer by sight but not
bv name he. said He did not inform
Captain Smith.
pride said he was in bed when the
,npact came. He was not alarmed at
the collision and remained IN bed
about. ten minutes. He saw Philips IN
the operating room.
.sHe told me he thought the boat had
been injured in someway and he ex-
nected It would have to 60 back to the
builders" said Bride.
The witness said that according to
arrangement he relieved Philips.
Sent Out Distress Signal.
Immediately the captain came in
and said we had better send out call
for assistance" testified Bride. Phil
ms asked IL he wanted to send a dis
tress signal. The captain said he did.
ISeould read what Phillips sent
&C. @. D."
"As far as know Immediately.
could not hear what he received, how
ever"
The witness told of having intercep.
led a message from the California in.
tended for the Baltic, which told Of the
presence Of three huge ice bergs in the
vicinity Of the former vessel.
~ gave the message to the captain
personally" he said. Bride did not
take down the message and could not
S.iye it's precise form. "The Cali.
fornia was seeking out the Baltic and l
merely noted that it was an Ice report
add told the captain" he said.
. Bride acknowledged that half hour
previously or at 4:30 Sunday afternoon
be was working on his accounts in the
wireless room when he heard the
California trying to raise the Titanic.
a He did not respond, he said, because
ae was busy"
you had the telephone apparatus
1t your ear inquired Senator Smith in
surp-sse
Yes sir"
And vow did not respond 70 the
.all?"