The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-26
REPLIES
TO CRITICISM
White Star Line Official DlscIaims
Blame for Wreck.

to various puDnSned statements re-
garding the Titanic disaster, particu-
larly those in which his name has
prominently figured. He denies that
he had anything to do with the navi
cation of the vessel and declares that
he did not consult with her captain
regarding her conduct at sea and made
no suggestion as to the course or 9TH
err handling of the ship.
He exercised no privileges that did
not belong to any other first cabin
passenger, he declared, did not sit at
the captains table and was not dining
with him at the time of the accident
and in fact was in bed when the col.
lision occurred.
He had no idea of returning to Eu.
rope quickly to avoid appearing at the
senatorial investigation, he adds, and
only knew that the investigation was
pending when informed of it at the
pier on the Carpathia's arrival. Mr..
Ismay's statement follows:
when | appeared before the senate
committee Friday morning / supposed
the purpose of the inquiry was to as
certain the cause of the sinking of the
Titanic with a view to determining
whether additional legislation was re-
quired to prevent the recurrence of so
horrible disaster.
Willing TO Tell All.
"I welcomed such an inquiry and
appeared voluntarily, without sub
poena, and answered all questions put
to me by the members of the commit
tee to the best of my ability with COM
plete frankness and without reserve.
did not suppose the question of my
personal conduct was the subject of
the inquiry, although | was ready to
tell everything ! did on the night of
the collision.
"As l have been subpoenaed to at
tend before the committee in Wash
ingtOn l should prefer to make no
public statement out of respect for the
committee, but do not think the
courtesy requires me to be silent in
the face of the untrue statements made
in some of the newspapers.
"When | went on board the Titanic
at Southampton on April 10 it was my
intention to return by her. | had no
intention of remaining in the United
States at that time. I came merely
to observe the new vessel as / had
done in the case of other vessels of
our lines bss.
During the voyage / was passen-
ger and exercised no greater rights or
privileges than any othe passenger. |
was not consulted by the commander
about the ship, her course, speed, navi-
cation or her conduct at sea. All these
matters were under the exclusive con-
troll of the captain.
Only First Class Passenger.
81 saw Captain Smith only casually
rs other passengers did; | was never
in his room; | was never on the bridge
until after the accident; l did not sit
at his table in the saloon; | had not
visited the engine room nor gone
the ship and did not go or at
tempt to go to any part of the ship to
which any other first cabin passenger
did not have access.
at is absolutely and nqualifiedly
false that / ever said that | wished
that the Titanic should make speed
record or should increase her daily
runs. / deny absolutely having said to
any person that we would increase
our speed in order to get out of the ice
zone, or any words to that effect, g..
81 was never consulted by Captain
Smith nor by any other person nor
did / ever make any suggestions what
soever to any human being about the
course of the ship. The Titanic, as |
an informed, was on the southernmost
track of transatlantic
steamships. The tracks, or lanes, were
ment of all the important steamship
lines and all captains of the White
Star line are required to navigate their
vessels as closely as possible on these
tracks,"
In regard to his escape in lifeboat
Mr.. Ismay says:
ismay Describes Escape.
Gas the last boat was going over the
side, Mr. Carter, passenger, and my
self got in. At that time there was not
/ woman on the boat deck, nor any
of any class, so far as we
could see or hear The boat had be-
.ween thirty-five and forty in it |
should think, most of them women.
There were perhaps four or five men
Ind it was afterwards discovered that
here were four Chinese concealed
lnder the thwarts in the bottom of
he boat. The distance that the boat
had to be lowered into the water was,
should estimate, about twenty feet.
Mr.. Carter and | did not get into the
boat until after they had begun to
over it away
when the boat reached the water
helped row. pushing the oar from
me as | sat. This is the explanation
of the fact that my back was to the
sinking steamer. The boat would have
accommodated certainly six or more
in addition il there had
been any on the boat deck to 60
These facts can be substantiated
by Mr.. w. E. Carter of Philadelphia,
who got in at the time that did and
was rowing the boat with me. I hope
need not say that neither Mr. Car