The Green Forest tribune., 1912-04-26
|SMAY ACCUSED
 BY SURVIVORS Say Speed Orders Had Been Given and That lcebergs
 Had Been Reported. HE DENIES THE CHARGES Senatorial Committee Moves Scene of Investigation to Washington.
 Fear Outside Influence.
HE DENIES THE CHARGES

ington.-The senate committee Investigating the Titanic disaster has moved to the capital This was done so as to remove the witnesses from any influence that might be brought to bear in New York.
 In announcing the moving of the scene of the federal probe to the na- tional capital, Senator Smith said that he has decided to call to Washington not only J. Bruce Ismay, president of the White Star Line; Vice President H. A. S. Franklin and all the surviv- ing officers of the Titanic, but has also selected from the survivors of the crew a score of seamen whose stories of how the Titanic met her fate he believes will be well worth recounting. These men, he said were chosen as witnesses after detectives in the en- ploy of the committee had worked their way into the confidence of the seamen.
 In addition to these witnesses all American survivors of the wreck will
 
 committee in Washington.
 Chairman Smith of the committee officially declared that Mrs. John Ja- cob Astor will be brought before the committee, provided her condition is such that she can travel.
 That the Tttanic's officers were cog nizarft that three mammoth icebergs menaced their pathway and that they were given more than six hours warn ing on Sunday afternoon by the Cali fornian was one of the important bits of evidence which came out at the session in New York. This was told by Harold Bridge, the second wire less operator of the Titanic. He de- clared that as early as 4:90 o'clock the Californian called him with an ice report" He said that at the time he was busy writing a report and that he ignored the call. Half an hour later he heard the Californian calling the Baltic, begging to give her the re- port. He then took it, transcribed it and gave it to the officer on the Iii tanic's bridge.
 The mystery that has so far sur rounded the message which at 10 o'clock Monday morning was caught by the Baltic, giving the first news of the Titanic's fate, was dispelled when Harold s. Cottam, wireless operator of the Carpathia, was put on the stand and gave his testimony of the happen ings that dreadful Sunday night
 Cottam had told the committee that he had sent message to the Baltic telling of the sinking of the White Star liner.
 Say lsmay Was First.
 Edward Lorkins, Victor Sunderland and Patrick O'Kefee, third-class pas sengers on the Titanic and among the last to leave the boat when it was sinking, declared that J. Bruce Ismay was in one of the first lifeboats to leave the Titanic, and that many peo- pie who could have gotten in the boat with him were prevented from doing so. Larkins says he rushed to where the lifeboats were being lowered just
 
 was being lowered into the sea. A sailor turned to him and said:
 Well, there goes the boss There's only 16 in the boat, but they won't let anybody else get in"
 Lorkins says he asked the sailor who he meant by the boss.
 Why, Ismay,' the man answered. Don't you know Ismay? He's head of the line, and by God, if he's going so am l."
 He says the sailor manned the next boat.
 Lorkins, Sunderland and O'Kefee jumped from the ship a short time be- fore she went down. They swan to an upturned boat, which was floating few hundred yards away. Several others swan to this boat, and, clinging to the bottom of the boat they drifted about until picked up by the Carpa- thia
 Among others seated on the upturn- ed bottom of the boat was the seaman who was on watch when the ship struck. This man states according to the three men, that he had sighted the iceberg while it was stih over a mile away. He said he had warned the bridge three times, but had received no answer, and it was not until the ship was about 50 yards from the ice that she was swerved from Ter course so as to try and avoid the collision.
 Although J. Bruce Ismav branded