The Washington times., 1912-04-24
|SMAY |NTERFEREO
WITH LOWERING OF
BOATS, SAYS LOWE
Fifth Officer of Titanic De-
clares He Cursed the
Millionaire.
Continued from First Page.)
Let II go into the record. he said.

Lowe said that after that Ismsy walked
to No. 8 lifeboat and went ahead there
trying to get It filled and lowered.
The recital by Lowe Of his expert
ences on the black night Of the tragedy
and further testimony by Frederick
Fleet, lookout, occupied the morning.
Senator Smith also made a statement
of the plans of the committee, in which
he made 1t clear no interference with
these plans would be brooked.
Stirred BY Criticism.
Stirred to wrath by the criticisms of
the committee, especially by the attacks
of Washington morning newspaper.
Senator Smith declared interference
with the investigation would not be
tolerated. He made a statement which
indicated that, while crew and officers
of the Titanic would be examined first,
none would be allowed to go until the
committee was through with them.
In the course of his testimony. Lowe
seemed clenr-headei and apt at times,
and ut other times singularly. obtuse.
For instance, he was unable to say
whether the Titanic was on the north
ern route for ships across the Atlantic
or not
One important feature Of his testt-
to s o'clock the vessel made speed
of 2095 knots an hour. He said this
was the speed at s o'clock, also, be-
cause had It bss22 changed. he would
He used the average sped of So.s5 in
handed the captain at s o'clock.
that has been adduced before, that
there was no drill of the crew after
leaving Southampton. He declared
he had personaily inspected a mum;
on one side, of the ship, and had
that a dipper was lacking:
fired them himself. He did it as he
was being lowered in lifeboat IA. He
expected every moment, he said the
and he would take no more on her.
Italians crowded along the rsl en-.
deavor1ng to get in. He took out his
revolver and fired three shots in q
hit nobody.
Il fired because 1 wanted them tc
know l was full armed" said Lowe.
Lowe Is Twenty-nine.
Lowe is twenty nine. spare
bronzed seaman, who ran away Il
sea when he was fourteen. and hal
followed 1t in all the ends OF N,
earth since, and In all kinds of craft
sail and steam.
singularly, enough. as he told the com
mittee, he had never before, however
been across the North Atlantic and h.
had not the slightest knowledge, fron
his own statements, whether Iceberg
ought to be expected of the Gram
Banks.
He was In his bed at the time of tn
collision and was not even awakene
by the shock.
One most important piece of testi
mony he gave was that as soon as H.
n ha n,
of the ship there was something wrong
She was tipping" he said. He SAT-
the statements she was listing wer
wrong. She was not listing, or moving
to one side. but was tipping toward tn
how at nangle of IL to Is degrees.
On being aroused, he grabbed his re
Volver and proceeded to help In the low
ering away of the lifeboats.
Lookout On Stand.
Before the examination OF Lowe
Frederick Fleet. lookout. once NOR
went on the stand. He was cross-exa
ined at length. He bore out the storie
he told yesterday that the lookout wa
fact Second Officer Lghtoiler had bee
urged to give them at Southampton.
Fleets testimony this morning adde
that strange, phantom ship, of whic
so much has been heard since the II
,quiry began. What vessel was It? NJ
body seems to suspect though the sui
committee loses no opportunity to gleai
clue as to its identity.
Fleet told the subcommittee toda
that he saw "a bright light on the POI
boat. He said Mr.. Lghtoller told thei
to pull for 1t.
Il don't know what it was. It ma
have been a sail. We didn't seem
get any nearer to It," said the stol
Fleet could not say how far the ligl
was from the lifeboat he was In.
Confirming the testimony Of Majt
conduct OF ouartermaster Hichens,
charge of the hfeboat in which File
Peuchen, a stowaway and twenty won
en- rode. Fleet said that Hichens W;
imploIed by the women to go back
the wreck. but he would not do 1t.
that time the woeful chorus of cries
distress was proceeding from the dire
ton where the shep went down.
Committee Room Crowded
The testimony today was taken
the presence OF a crowd larger al
more eager for details even than We
terday. The word had gone about TIL
Ismay would testify, and this HI
drawn many women to the scene, hu
CRY for the morbid accounts of the dl
aster. Many Senators and members
the House were present. One of 4
spectators was Secretary OF the TTea
. ury MacVeaEh. -.
The subcommittee last night and Il
nnCrIinE considered the question Of j.
ting the witnesses from the crew a
Official STAFF OF the Titanic go. Ism
himself has been asking to be allow
to go on account Of the Illness of
wife in Londan;
Tho subrommittae ae Is not disposed
hold any one unduly, and as soon as
is certain any witness has tCld all II
is essential he will be allowed to
On tho other hand. the subcommittee
not considering personal wishes OF "
messes, and while Mr.. Ismav NAV
allowed to 60 after he testifes. he v
be detained no longer II deemed wi
Members OF the committee said IL
hnped to reach IsnIaY this afternoon
One OF the questions asked Fleet
day was whether he had had his eN
tested recently. He said he had h
them tested about a year ago, unt
the requirements of the British bos
OF trade.
In the course of the investigation
Lowe TODAY Senator Smith tried to
tho ffth officer to tell exactly where
ship was at s o'clock Sunday night WI
he made his dead reckoning. Sena
Smith pressed and piled the with
with ali sorts of questions bearing
this. Lowe could not or did not I
Senator Smith pointed out that "
could be told, then, inasmuch as the
sition OF the shin when she went DO