The Washington herald., 1912-04-24

was onfv enrprIsec that there wefe
not more feamen AT this boat ready 70
do anything that was needed. The dis
cipllns was good. bat there were not
enough Of the crew there.
sfokers Driven from Deck.
Il also want 70 mention that when I
first went on deck a crowd Of about 100
stokers came up with their gunnysacks
to the boat deck. An odicer. a big. pow
erful man.. drove them ike flock Of
sheep right on the deck don't know
where they went think II was a splen-
did act and admired him for IL. After
this FIRST boat got away went to the
next one. There was IN this boat
quartermaster named Hichen. I found
out later. and one sailor (this was Fleet.
the lookout NAM and the rest women
twenty-three passengers in all. After
no more ladies we're In sight-I am sure
every lady could have got a boat on the
port slde-they started to lower this
boat, though It was only about half
full"
Mai. Peuchem was asked II, so far as
he knew. there had been any general
alarm given the passengers. II they had
been awakened by the ships oficers
and informed OF their danger.
NO" replied Peuchem. There was
no general alarm sent out 50 far as !
know. talked with two ladies who said
they had a very narrow escape. They
were not awakened by the impact OF the
ship on the Iceberg. They were awaken
ed by Mrs. Astor. whose room adjoined
theirs. Mrs Astor was considerably ex-
cited, they said and as her door was
open they heard her talking IN her room.
Buts for that accident. they said. they
would probably have sank with the
ship"
Denounees HIehen's BSataIIty.
After a while We heard an officers
whistle on the Titanic. which we stopped
to hear more plainly. Hiehen said It was
call for all boats to come back TO the
ship. We all thought we ought TO go
back, but the quartermaster said: NO;
we're not going back. It's our lives now.
not theirs He insisted on rowing away.
The women who had left their husbands
behind were the ones who urged the
quartermaster to 90 back / said moth
ing. i had already had one row with
the quartermaster and found him dis
agreeable fellow. He insisted on steer
ing. instead OF helping US with the oars.
when I asked him TO let one OF the ladies
steer, a task which required no skill He
imagined he saw a light. First he said
u was a boat, then buoy. The sug-
Eestion that II might be buoy l thought
absurd, showing that he knew nothing
OF navigation.
After the whistle We heard rumbling
on the Titanic. The lights were still on,
Then there was an explosion, then an
other and then a third. Then the lights
went out. The explosions sounded to me
as II the decks had been blown up by
the air below as the ship sank.
I'VE then heard cries for help. There
were dreadful calls. II was frightfuL 1T
affected US all. We kept on. and the cries
gradually grew fainter. We were then
about hve-eIghths Of a mile from the
Titanic.
when we were hearing these horrible
cries, the women urged the quartermas-
ter TO go back. He would not. He said:
No use In our going back. There are
only lot Of stlfts hack there"
Mai Peuchem then testified that he
found the lifeboats equipped with food.
water, and lights. He made It point,
he said. 20 examine some Of the hfeboats
pathia. and he found the hardtack and
water there. There was a light In his
boat he said. Asked about the conduct
of Capt. Smith. Maj. Peuchem said that
Capt. Smith. when he saw him, was doing
all in his power TO get the women In the
boat and lower them away.
Mai. Peuchem gave the names OF new
erai women, who he said were In. the
boat with him. many Of whom helped In
the rowing. Those he named were Miss
Z. A. Norton, OF London; Mrs. Bower
man: Mrs Walter Clark, of Los Angeles;
Mrs. Rothschild. OF New York; Mrs. l.. b.
Smith, Huntington. w. Va; Mrs. Cyril
Cavendish, Driftwood. N. Y; Mrs. Edgar
J. Myers, l5s West Eighty-sixth Street.
New York; Mrs. Walter Douglas. Of Min
neapolis, and Mrs. C. G. Burnham.
Saw IsmRy Alone.
Asked II he saw Mr.. Ismay. Maj.
Peuchem said that about an hour after
the ship struck he saw Mr.. Ismay stand
ing alone, bareheaded, on the port side of
the boat deck. He was then doing moth
ing, the major said.
Questioned about the temperature and
the presence Of Ice, Maj. Peuchem said
that II grew very much colder carly
Sunday evening. He admitted that this
was not necessarily an indication OF the
presence OF ice in the vicinity OF the
thip. The icsoergs, testified the major.
were not seen by him until about dawn.
He said he never Eaw the berg struck by
the Titanic.
''The next morning, when the Carpa-
thia passed the scene Of the accident.
did you see any broken ife-preservers
floating IN the waterT' asked Senator
Smith.
Neglect Important Point.
NO" replied the witness. but 1 did
see great quantities Of floating cork. /
did not know where It came from"
The committee did not make any en-
deavor to have It shown whether this
floating cork had probably come from
the inside of the life-preservers or not
At the conclusion of his testimony Maj.
Peuchem received permission to read
the following statement:
II do not criticise Capt. Smith, but
do criticise the policy and methods pur-
sued by the company, for I feel sure in
this case that caution would have avert
ed this terrible calamity. 1 have been
given the credit Of saying many things
absolutely untrue and wish to state
I have not said any personal or unkind
things about Capt. Smith"
During the day Senator Smith, when
asked II It was true that moving pic
lures were to be taken OF the committee
In session. said:
This inquiry Is Official and solemn,
and there will be no hippodroming It, or
commercializing II. 1 viii not permit
II; in fact, 1 forbid it,
Pitman ON Stand.
The testimony of Herbert ]. Pitman,
third oficer OF the Titanic. who was
the first witness at to-day's hearing.