New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-05
|SMAY DODCES QUERIES;
IS REBUKED BY COURT
Witnesses Lack of FrankneSS in
Responses Complained Of by
British Attorney General.
JUsTIFIES TITANIC'S SPEED
Lord Mersey Opines That Iceberg
Could in No Way Have Been
Seen in Time to Avoid
Collision.

London, June ii. Bruce Ismay made
the remarkable admission at the British
court Of inquiry to-day hat it had beer
MANNED 10 drive the Titanic at full
,need during few favorable hours OF
ber maiden trip. and that he considered
captain Smith fully justified in going al
full speed through the ice region, so Ions
&c weather conditions made it possible
n see ice ahead.
Lord Mersey, president Of the court
repeated the question whether the wit
ness thought the captain was justified
IN his action adding at either day or
uight?'
tsmay replied in the affirmative III
the course of his evidence he told the
court that the chief engineer had ar
ranged before the steamer left Queens
toun for New York that, the weather
bsirg favorable on either Monday "r
Tuesday. the vessel would be driven at
fur speed for few hours.
Sir Rufus IsaaCs the Attorney Gen
eral. who was examining the president
Company. asked II that would necessi-
tate additional boilers being lighted.
Ismay said that ii would.
Additional Boilers Were Lighted.
The Attorney General pointed out that
r;rer,a, Barrett. Of the Titanic. had tes-
tilted that additional boilers were lishte
go SUNDAY morning
1smav also said that wireless dis
match which Captain Smith had handed
him On Sunday had indicated to MIN
that the Titanic would reach the Ice
region on Sunday evening. The collision
o,c,,rred shortly. before midnight Sun
day night.
The witness said that there was NOUN
ing in their mail contracts TO compel the
company's vessels to steam at the rate
they usually did in crossing the Atlah-
rio and that there was no penalty FOR
delay.
Tsmav insisted that he had nothing 10
do with the navigation Of the SNIP out
Sir Rufus continued to press him re-
oardiog the speed of the Titanic ana the
warnings of ice in her path received
from other vessels. The witnesses an
sUers were not always clear. which at
one point led Lord Jersey to remark
sharply:
Answer the questions
The Attorney General also complained
that the witness was not frank The at
torney for the White Star protested that
Sir Rufus's remark to this effect was
uncalled for. Ismay said that he had
not attached Importance TO the captain
action in handing him the message
from the steamer Baltic regarding the
ice. and that he had not had any con-
yersation with any officer with respect
10 the message.
For Mr.. ismay's information.
Why did the captain hand il to you?'
asked the Attorney General.
For my Information" was the reply.
Examined as to the speed Of the yes
gel with a view 10 show that he had
something to do with it, Ismay persisted
that he had spoken to no one about the
speed after his conversation with the
chief engineer a Queenstown. He ad-
mitted that the vessel had not been
slowed down after the warnings OF ice
had been received and said that he had
not expected the captain 10 slow down
30 long as there was nothing to prevent
ne men seeing the ice.
Sir Rufus: What was the use Of
going at full speed through the ice at
night"
Ismay: II suppose they wanted to get
out Of the ice. They would not want 10
wait and take a chance Of fog coming
down. They were justified on clear
night in going through as quickly as
possible, and even might have increased
the speed to get out Of the ice field"
Al the afternoon session Sir Rufus
lsaacs examined Ismay regarding his
experiences after the ship had struck,
which were related much as they had
been before the Senatorial committee at
Washington. Some new points, however.
were brought out
The witness said that he realized that
the ship was sinking an hour and half
after she struck, but he did not tell
anybody, and after helping those women
and children who were on deck into the
boats did not go below 10 find others.
Last to Enter His Boat.
Nobody, Ismay said, could have got
into his boat after he entered, as 1t was
being lowered at the time His boat
rowed toward light, which he believed
was that Of a sailing ship. 1t was not
the Californian's light. as she was on the
other side of the Titanic.
Tsmay explained the relations between
the White Star and the International
Mercantile Company, AsEci ', Lord
Mersey why the American compah.
which really owned tho steamers of the
various companies in the combine, pre-
ferred 10 have them under the Brltisn
flag the witness replied that as. the yes
: sols were built IN England they could
not have American register. He also ex-
, Iiained that the combine held only a
controlling interest IN the Leyland Line,
. a.