Abilene weekly reflector., 1912-04-25
TITANIC LOOKOUT
HAD NO SPYGLAss
Evidence Shows Little Attention Was
Paid to Safety.
SAILORS WERE INEXPERIENCED
ssmay and Frankllp Show Anxiety TO
Get Away From COMMITTEES Con-
duetlns lnqulry--Must stay
az Long as Needed.

snissIng horseshoe nail that cost
monarch his kingdom, the failure TO
provide binoculars or spyglasses ioi
4he lookouts on the Titanic was one
contributing cause Of that ships Loss
and, with IT. the loss OF more than
1000 lives.
Two witnesses before the senate In
~eatigating committee have agreed on
4his. They we're Frederick Fleet, .
lookout on the liner, and Maj. Arthur
Godfrey Peuchen, Canadian manu-
1acturer and yachtsman, who wat
among the rescued passengers.
Fleet acknowledged that II he hac
been aided In his observations Dy .
good glass probably he could have
spled the berg into which the snlI
crashed in time to have warned the
bridge to avoid II.
Asked For and Refused.
II was made to appear that the
blame for being without glasses did
not rest with the lookout men. Fleel
said they had asked for them a.
southampton and were told there
were none for them. One glass, In .
pinch. would have served In the crows
nest.
Mai. Peuchen criticised in strong
terms the lack Of experienced sailori
on board the Titanic. He said that
when the call to quarters was sounded
mot enough Of the crew responded &c
undertake the work required In lower
ing and filling the. boats. Further
mN'e, he said, no drills had been held
from the time the ship left Southamp
aon, although 1t was customary to hold
such drills every Sunday.
No Criticism Of Captain.
MAJ. Peuchen read a statement In
order to make clear his position az
follows:
II do not crIticise Capt. Smith, but
I do criticise the policy and methods
pursued by the company, for feel
sure that in this case caution would
have averted a terrible calamity. ]
nave been given credit for saying
many things that are untrue, and !
wish to state that have not said any
perhonal or unkind things about Capt.
Smith"
The major then was excused.
Officials Want TO Leave.
]. Bruce Ismay, managing director
Of the international Mercantile Ma
rine, and Vice-President P. A. s,
FRANKLIN OF the White Star line
urgently requested the committee to
permit them to return to New York.
In executive session at the close OF
the hearing the committee declined
70 allow either to leave Washington
until he is no longer needed. Mr..
Ismay was to have been recalled tC
the witness stand during the day, but
may be recalled later, though that has
not been determined.
It was decided also to call on more
passenger witnesses until all the Brit
fsh witnesses had been heard. The
committee also decided to delay other
important business before 1t until the
Titanic inquiry had proceeded further
New York, April 19-The total
deat@ list Of the Titanic disaster Is
1901.
The great liner went down with her
band playing, taking with her to death
ali except 745 Of her human cargo OF
2,34O souls. To that death list six
persons we're added.
One dIed in q lifeboat which was
put on from the liners side, and fVe
subsequently suceumbed on the res
cue ship Carpathia.
The list Of porminent men missing
stands as previously reported.
Survivors In the llfeboats huddled
in the darkness at safe distance
from the stricken ship and saw her
&C down.
Ripped from stem to engine room
By the great mass of ice she struck
amidships, the Titanic's side was laid
open as II by a gigantic can opener
She quickly listed to starboard and
shower Of Ice fell onto the forecastle
deck. Shortly before she sank she
broke in two abaft the engine room.
and as she disappeared beneath the
water the expulsion OF air caused two
explosions which were plainly heard
by The survivors adrift.
A moment more and the Titanic had
uone to her doom with the fated hun
Areds grouped on the afterdeck.
Following IL the account Of Law
eenee Beasley Of London;
Jaf Was Slight
- hsd been. In my berth for about
-aen minutes when. af'kbout ISIS p.
q, I felt . slight jar and then soon
after a second one. but not suhhcisnt-
" large to cause any anxiety. How
ever, the engines stopped Immediately
m9terwards.
saOn going on deck saw that there
Was en- undoubted iiat dOWnWarda
1rom stern TO bows, but knowing moth
Eng Of what had happened, concluded
some Of the front compartments had