Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-04-27
|SMAY ON DECK
IN WAY OF CREW
Witnesses Declare White Star Official
Was Excited and Interfeted with
Lowering Of Llfeboats


ing he had was the word from tLe
bridge, berg ahead"
Orders Immediately were given BY
the first officer, hard a-starboard,
and by the second officer helm hard
over" according 10 the witness.
Scarcely had the orders been given,
Kitchens testified, when the Tltanic
struck the Iceberg and he could hear
the grinding OF the ice. Then the
emergency doors were ordered ciosed
by Captain Smith and the lifeboats
lowered. Hichens also told of the list
of the Titanic, saying that the liner
careened five degrees to the starboard
within five minutes.
Harold G. Lowe, fifth officer, tod
his part in the struggle OF the su
vivors for life following the smash.
His testimony developed that, with
a volunteer crew, he rescued four
men from the water, saved a sinking
collapsible lifeboat by towing it astern
of his. and took off twenty men and
one woman from the bottom OF an
overturned boat. Every one of those
under his charge he landed SAFELY en-
the Carpathia.
Lowe also told of ordering j. Bruce
Ismay, the chief official OF the White
Star line, away from one OF the Ii e
boats while it was beng lowered, be
cause in his excitement he was inter
fering with the ships Off; ers
Language too Objectionable to be re.
peated aloud in the senate inquiry in.
to the Titanic disaster was used by
Lowe.
Lowe dramatically recited to the
senate investigating committee how
he, not knowing that he was talking
to the head OF the company when
employed him, had told Ismay to get
to h out of here so that | can work"
while Lowe and other officers were
trying to lower the first lifeboat-N1.
5-on the starboard side of the Ii
tanic.
Lowe declared that Ismay was not
trying to get into the boat, but that
he was very much excited and was
interfering with the proper lowering
of the boat.
Ismay Was Greatly Excited.
This man Qsmay)," said Lowe,
was greatly excited. He was holler-
ing: Lower away, lower away, lower
away and | swore at him TO order
him back
Lowe said that Ismay went back
and made no reply To him. Lowe also
testified that he never would have
known the man was Ismay ii he
Uowe) had not met a steward on
board the Carpathia, who told him
what he had done and asked him why
he 'swore at Ismay.'"
In speaking of launching No. life
boat, the witness mentioned a stew
ard, who said he (Lowe) had used
strong language to Ismay. He was
told about this after he and the stew
ard had arrived on the Carpathia.
Il did not know it was Ismay until
after | reached the Carpathia, and
when the steward asked me why
had used that kind OF language to Is
may, | said did not know who it was.
was busy lowering No. boat. Mr..
Ismay was over-anxious and a trifie
excited. He said: Lower away, lower
away, lower away
= Here j. Bruce Ismay interrupted,
saying: Tell what you said to me.
There are ladies present" sail
Lowe. But there was only one word,
May | suggest" said Ismay, that
you write it and give it to the chair
proper"
Lowe did 50, and Senator Smith
passed the paper to the official report
er. You may put that in the record
he said, and then, turning to the wit
ness, asked; Now tell why you said
that to Mr.. Ismay."
Il said it in the heat of the mo-
ment and because he was in the way,
interfering with my duties. | suppose
he only did that because he was over
anxious to get the people away"
'What did you say?' insisted Sena-
tor Smith.
81 said: If you get the h out of
that I'll be able to do something He
didn't make any reply.
what was the occasion of your
saying that?" Because he was in my
way. interfering with my duties"
What did he say? What reply did
he maker" HE didn't make any re.
ply. I said. If you don't get out of
the way you will have me drowning
lot of people. Mr.. Ismay was at the
ships davit, saying Lower away, lower
away"
What did he do them" "He walk
ed away TO No. boat, the next one
forward on that side. He went ahead
getting things ready there"
How many people were there in
the first boat YOU lowered?" Il don't
know, because wasn't the boss there
There were about fifty, should say
but didn't count them"
Competing In interest with the tes
timony was the interchange of tele