The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1912-06-01
SENATE COMMITTEE SUBMITS ITS
REPORT OF TITANIC IN
VESTlGATlOk.
MIGHT HAVE SAVED ALL
"CALIFORNIAN" CONDEMNED FOR
NOT GOING TO AID OF
SINKING VESSEL.
western @swspaper Union &.ns Service

Washington - Let England prose
cute those responsible for the wreck
OF the Titanic, says the report OF the
Investigation Of the Senate commerce
committee.
The British Board Of Trade is first
arraigued. Chairman William Aid
Smith scored the body in those
words
We shall leave to the honest judg
mem Of England the prosecution ol
the British Board OF Trade to whose
laxity Of regulation and hasty inspec-
tion The world is largely responsible
Tor this awful fatality"
Captain Lord, commander Of the
Californian, is bitterly condemned for
not responding to the distress signals
OF the Titanic. The report says
The committee is forced to the in
eyitabIe conclusion that the CaliIor-
lian, controlled by tho same company.
was nearer the Titanic han the 1870
miles reported by her captain. ana
thai her officers and crew saw jh
distress signals, and failed to respond
to them in accordance with the die
tates Of humanity, International us
age and the requIrem Of law.
Such conduct is rCprcheusible and
places on the commander Of the Call
fornlar grave responsibility
Captain Smith of the Titanic wa
criticized by Senator smith
His Indifference TO danger was one
Of the direct and contributing causes
Of the unnecessary tragedy, while his
own willingness TO die was The eNpr
auug evidence OF his right to live
The only mention of ]. Bruce Is
may occurs in a review of the mes
sages to the White star offices in
New York reporting The disaster.
The first official information. 'h"
committee says, was the message
from Captain Haddoek Of the Olympic.
received from tho White Star line at
els p. m. Monday April 18th. A.
tenti0u is called TO the fact that in
the face OF this information, a mes
sage reporting the Titanic being
towed to Halifax was sent to Repre-
sentative J. A Hughes at Huntington,
West Virginia, at ISL p. m. that day.
The message was delivered TO the
Western Union office in the same
building as the White Star line Of
fiCes
Whoever sent this message says
the report" under the circumstan es
is guilty Of the most reprehensihle
conduct"
The officers OF the White star
line" declared Senator smith, bat
tied with the truth
Other conclusions presented in briej
were as follows
Before the Titanic departed on her
maiden voyage there We're no suffi-
Client tests Of boilers, hulkheads,
equipment or signal devices.
Officers and crew were strangers to
each other, and not familiar with the
ships implements or tools, and no
driu or station practice took place,
and no helpful discipline prevailed.
The speed Of the Titanic was 24l2
miles an hour at the time Of the &C.
cldeu' although officers OF the Titanic
had been advised OF the presence OF
icebergs by the steamships Baltic,
America and Californian.
Passengers were not warned Of the
danger, although President lsmay OF
the White Star line was informed.
NO general alarm was given nor
any organized system OF safety un.
dertaken.
OF the 1924 passengers and 500
members of the crew on board, ther
was room in lifeboats for only 1,l7G
persons. and, because Of lack Of or.
derly discipline. the boats took Off
only 7o4 persons, 10 being rescued
from the water.
Officers of the White Star line "bat
tied with the truth" after receiving In.
formation from their Montreal office
following the accident.
Senator Smith condemned amt
quated shipping laws and overripe ad
ministration boards and asked thai
all nations act together in shipping re
forms. New laws" he said, will best
testify our affection for the dead.