New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-04


into the air
did it seem o you that the steerage
passengers had AS much chance TO DC
saved as the first and second cabin pas
sengers?" asked Senator Smith.
yes, they had just as much chance
Buckley answered. after while all the
classes were mixed, but at FIRST Just
after the boat struck, we were not al
lowed to leave our quarters"
No Distinction Among Passengers.
Claus Abelseth, the second steerdse
passenger heard yesterday, testified that
he had been awakened and warned py
The shouts Of the sailors, had made his
vav without trouble UP TO the upper
decks. and. finally, had jumped into the
water half hour, he thought, before the
vessel sank. He had been picked up Oy
one of the collapsible boats. Abelseth
said in response TO question by Sena-
tor Smith. that he thought the Storage
Passengers had an equal chance with
all others to get TO the lifeboats.
George A. Harder, the Brooklyn man
who was saved with his wife. was called
by Senator Smith chiefly because he HAD
noted an incident which he thought IN
oicated that the doors Of the water
tight compartments were never closed
Harder told Of taking quick survey oil
things just after the crash, and then re-
turning to his cabin TO get his wife and
take her up To the boat deck
when I went down on T. deck he
testified. Il saw four or five men with
wrenches working over Il brass plate. /
had noticed the plate before and knew
that II was marked with the letters
w. T and | think ID j thought that
it meant water tight doors. At any rate
after the men had worked around the
nut in this brass plate for . few seconds
heard one of them say: Well, it's no
use this one won't work, let's uy an
other one ] didn't think much of 1t at
The time. because they didn't seem to be
worried over it,"
Harder's testimony offered no eXplana-
lion of the incident. and Senator smith
said that the witness gave it simply as
an item that might or might not be i'm
portant.
Melville +. Stone explained to Senator
smith, in his testimony. where III"
various dispatches conveying hopeful in
formation that were sent out on Monday
originated. He said that The Associated
Press sent those messages out. not as
news statements OF its own. but AS mes
cages sent out by the people from whom
they appeared TO originate.
A.. p. Gives Sources Of News.
The first message that the Titanic was
reported to be on her way into Halifax
came from The Montreal Star, MI
stone said. The next reassuring mes
sage, containing the words "ali Titanic
PASSENGERS safely off" came from Lon
don. where it had originally been sent
out by the Exchange Telegraph Com
Iany At 1908 a. m, the ticker carried
a lire, AT so Titanic still afioat
women and children not taken off, Ii
,anic heading for Halifax which, he
testified, was sent out by The Associated
Press as q ticker report. At HOS a. m,
he went on, the ticker carried report
from Montreal. Two vessels standing by
Titanic" and az OF p. m. the Asso-
ciated Press Office here got a message
from the Canadian Press, Ltd, Of Mont
zeal. saving. The local Office of Horton
Davidson Ntanic passenger, received
"a message that all passengers are safe
and Titanic now in tow by Nirginian."
Il:23 a. M. Mr.. Stone said, The AS
. ISOLATED Press carried a statement from
Mr. Franklin which he said he had re-
ceived from Captain Haddock of the
Olympic. as follows: Transfer Of pas
gtnsers now under way; twenty boat
,oddS have been taken Mr.. Franklin,
however, said Mr. Stone, refused to show
thc HadSock message
All these reports. Mr.. Stone explained,
were sent out by The Associated Press
giving their origin. He said that he had
no knowledge that the White Star Line
deliberately suppressed the news. and
that his organization made every pos
sible effort 70 get authentic news as
quickly as possible. He said that such
news as the sinking Of the Titanic was
Vital to the whole world. and should
have been given to the public as soon as
possible. and he declared that the prac
tice Of allowing wireless operators to
Fell their stories 10 newspapers was not
right.
Goes to Washington Tomorrow.
Senator Smith explained that the clear
Ing UP Of the story told by e. J. Dunn,
OF 81 message from Ismay TO Franklin.
was one 81 the things which he expected
20 accomplish before he returned TO
Washington. He expects to leave here
for the capital tomorrow. lis has
talked TO Dunn and to Dunn's informant
he said last night, and he expects to-day
20 have a talk with the telegraph opera
tor from whom the Dunn story came
originally. When the story is cleaned
lid, the Senator said, he would give out
all the details.
Jack" Binns said in his expert testi-
mony as 10 the wireless features Of the
case, that the Carpathia's wireless coils
were not good for much over two hun
bred miles but that the Californian's, he
understood, were good for between four
hundred and five hundred miles. With
the Californian in the Carpathia's zone
as she was on that Monday morning the
news could have been sent IN to land
via the Californian, he said just as soon
IS the survivors told the story aboard
the Carpathia.
'I think the responsibility rested with