The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-24

of the crew of the Olympic of the
White Star line struck five minutes
before the ship was to leave for New
York. They gave as the reason the
fact that the coliapsible life boats
We're unseaworthy.
refused to sail unless wooden bbats
were substituted for the collapsible
ones. He declared he had examined
all the boats and was satisfied with
them.
lacked Binoculars.
Washington. April 2S.-Like the
missing horseshoe nail that cost the
monarch his kingdom. failure to pro-
vide binoculars or spy-glasses for
lookouts on the Titanic was one of the
contributing causes of the ships loss,
and. with it. the loss Of more than L.
600 lives.
Two witnesses before the senate in
vestigating committee today agreed on
this. They were Frederick Fleet, look
out on the liner. and Major Arthur
ciodfreN Beuchen. a Canadian manu-
facturer and yachtsman. who was
among the rescued passengers.
Fleet acknowledged If he had been
aided in his observations by good
glass. he probably could have spied
the iceberg into which the ship crash
ed in time to have warned the bridge
to avoid 1t. Major Peuchen also testi-
fled much greater sweep of vision is
afforded by binoclars. and as yachts
man, said he believed the presence of
an iceberg might have been detected
in time to escape the collision had the
lookout men been so equipped.
1T was made to appear the blame
for being without glasses did not rest
with the lookout men. Fleet said they
asked for them at Southa mpton, and
were told there was none for them.
One glass would have served in the
crows nest. Peucchen criticized in
strong terms the lack Of experienced
sailors on board Of the Titanic. He
said when the call to quarters sound
ed. not enough of the crew respond
and filing the boats. Furthermore, he
said. no drills had been held from the
time the ship left Southampton, al
though it was customary to hold such
drills every Sunday. Herbert j. Pitt
man. third officer of the Titanic, told
of his failure to turn back the life
boat in which he and passengers idly
drifted to attempt the rescue of 9TH
ers when the Titanic went down.
Shuddering at the recollection, he
said the cries for help made lone
long, continuous moan" The passen-
gers insisted to go back to aid would
mean their destruction, he said, SO af-
ter starting in the direction Of the
cries. he rescinded the orders and
waited for dawn. Twice he begged to
be spared the recital of the facts, but
Chairman Smith pressed him. I'm
portunitles and activities Of the squad
of photographers today so aroused
Senator Smith, he Indignantly ordered
them all excluded from the chamber.
This inquiry is official and solemn"
he said. "and there will be no hippo
droming or commercializing of it,
will not permit It," An amateur pho
tographer managed to slip past the
guard later. but was summarily eject
ed when he sought to get a snap shot
Of the scene.
]. Bruce Ismay, managing director
Of the International Mercantile mar
inc. and Vice President F. A. S. Frank
lin, of the White Star line, urgently
requested the committee to permit
them to return to New York. In ex-
ecutive session at the close of the
hearing, the committee declined to al
low either to leave Washington until
he is no longer needed. Ismay was to
have been recalled to the witness
chair today. but may be recalled to-
morrow. though that has not been de-
termined.
1t was decided also to call no more
passenger witnesses until all the Brit
ish witnesses have been heard. The
committee also decided to delay other
important business before it until the
Titanic inquiry proceeded farther.
New Defense.
New York, April 23-The sugges-
ton that the Titanic struck a ledge of
rock and not an iceberg is made in
the current issue Of the Nautical Ga
zette, weekly shipping paper. The
possibility of such an accident is
urged because the ship struck in the
same longitude as the half submerged
virgin rocks to the north, and possi-
bly, in the same spot where the Ma
ronic foundered in 1898. The Titanic.
Of the seas. might have hit rock
that other ships have passed safely
over. The paper says that at least
survey of the place should be made
by the United States government.
Under the head of What Did She
Striker" the Gazette says:
"A strange possibility arises from
ton Of the Titanic and the Naronic
dis asters. The position where tho
Titanic met her doom was latitude
I.46, longitude 50.14.
This is south of the Grand Banks,
but In just about the same longitude
as the dangerous semi-submerged
virgin rocks to the north Of the banks.
While the banks OF Newfoundland
are supposed to be caused by the
sands from the gulf of st. Lawrence
and the action of the gulf streams,
the existence of the virgin rocks, and
even the proximity of the surface of
the Georges shoals. nearer the coast,
shows that even in this distant part
of the Atlantic there may be SUBJ
merged ledges of rock never discov.
ered."
Douglass Body Found.
New York. April 23.-An addition
al list Of fifteen names Of persons who
persisted in the Titanic disaster and
whose bodies have been recovered
was made public today by the White
Star line. The list was received by
wireless message from the cable ship