Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-04-29
WRONG POSITION GIVEN OUT
aescue Ships Unable to Find Loca-
tion with Accuracy.
TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN MOORE
Lack of Caution Criticised by Other
Ship Commander.
RUSHED SWIFTLY THROUGH ICE
stances, slowed Down as Abso-
Iuteiy Necessary Precastion
for safety.


WASHINGTON. April s.-Failure to
give It's exact position, great field OF
floating ice that offered a frigid barrier
to ships hurrying to the rescue and the
mistake OF It's own captain in rushing
at top speed through an ice-eovered sea.
combined TO send the Titanic and its
LOO victims TO their watery grave in
the north Atlantic, according to testimony
yesterday before the senate committee in
vestlgating the ocean tragedy.
Captain James II. Moore OF the steamer
Titanic in response to wireless calls for
help. told OF the great stretch OF field
ice which held him off. Within his view
from the bridge he dlscerned, he said.
another strange steamer. probably a
tramp" and schooner which was
making Its way out OF the ice. The
lights Of this schooner, he thought. prob
ably were those seen BY the anxious
survivors Of the Titanic and which they
were frantically trying to reach.
critici.es Lack of Caution.
Captain Moore denounced as most un-
wise" the action OF the Tltanic's COM
mander IN rushing at twenty-one knots
through the night when he had been
advised OF the proximity Of Ice. The
Mount Temples commander testified that
he had spent twenty-seven years in the
north Atlantic. Whenever ice was
around. he said. he doubled his watch
and reduced speed and IL he happened
to get caught in an ice pack he stopped
his engines and drifted until he was
clear.
The witness also was emphatic IN h;s
declaration that the position sent out
by the Titanic was wrong He said the
ship was eight miles farther eastward
than It's operators reported. This. he
declared. he proved by observations taken
the first thing on the day following the
disaster.
With what virtually was a fleet of
steamers within radius OF fifty miles
OF the Titanic the officer said that this
mistake In fixing accurately the position
Of the doomed ship was a fatal one With
iceberss and floating ice covering the
northern sea. a ship OF even the size OF
the Titanic might well be overlooked
through such variance.
Testimony Favers I.msy.
J. Bruce ismay, managing director OF
the International Mercantile Marine COM
pany was much cheered by the testimony
OF the afternoon. Throughout the week
he has had a troubled look and during
the long daily sessions ne has sat silent.
seldom speaking TO his associates who ac-
companied him. Today. however, he lis
tened eagerly TO the accounts Of his con-
duct at the lifeboats as told by the
stewards and seamen who came In con-
tact with him the night Of the disaster.
His eyes fairly besmed when Steward
Crawford told how he had called for
women to go in one OF the lifeboats and
had said to a woman who told him she
was a stewardess. You are woman.
take your place In tine boat"
Ismay listened intently too. as Steward
Bright testified that he had not left the
ship until after the large lifeboats had
gone and only one OF two collapsibls
boats was left on deck.
Bright had seen Ismay working with
the others on the starboard boat, the last
to leave the ship from that side. Bright.
who left on the very last boat. the port
coIlapsibe said he knew lsmay had not
left the ship until just before the port
collapsible boat was lowered Into the
water in time to get only 100 yards from
the Titanic before 1t went down.
sailors Are Paid.
After the session was over the corridor
In tho senate office building near the
committee room was crowded with anx-
lous sailors of the Titanic. who have
been at the call OF the committee since
the rescue ship Carpathia brought them
10 New York. They were a nervous lot.
In fact they were broke, Not being per-
mitted TO leave. they faced the prospect
Of Saturday night and Sunday without
funds Most Of them are men of families
desirous OF sending word home. Mr..
Ismsy knew OF their circumstances and
CONTINUED on Second Page.)