Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-07-11

London, July Lord Mersey the COM
missioner presiding at the court of in.
1uiry into the loss OF the Titanic. has
submitted to the five assessors sitting In
adjunct with him n draft of his report
and the recommendation based thereon.
Tie report will be formally made about
10 days hence without any dissenting or
supplementary opinions that the assessors
may have to express.
j Bruce Isnay. managing director of
the White star line. is completely exon
Grated by Lord Mersey on the popular
charge that he influenced the navigation
Of the ship or the speed that she at
iaincd.
he is, instead. commended for the con-
s!deration he showed toward the THAMES
passengers at the time of the collision.
Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon and his wife,
Lucille the dressmalier, who paid the men
j charge of their lifeboat to get as
quickly possible away from the wreck,
are not discussed in the report, Lord
Mersey believing it no part of his duty
to pass upon such incidents.
On the other hand, Symons, the sea-
man who testified at some length re-
rarding the Duff Gordons and who told
both here and IN Washington of ignoring
the appeals for help from passengers
struggling in the sea, is ccnsured for not
returning to the succor Of those drown
ing.
SMITH FOLLOWED PRECEDENT.
Lord Mersey's declaration regarding the
chief causes Of the disaster is that the
speed at which the Titanic was going
was principally responsible. As a coral
larry to this he finds that the liner
might have made her schedule at a rate
If two knots an hour less than she was
making.
Captain Smith Is, however, declared 20
have been following only the established
precedence of navigators In maintaining
the speed he did through the ice fields
There is an expectation that exceptions
may be taken to the references to Ismay
md Captain Smith by the assessors
Only two of these. Rear Admiral Cough
Cathorpe and Prof John Harvard B,les.
Tho naval architect, misht successfully
defend n dissenting report, and their
attitude is problematical.
Lord Mcrsey's conclusions are regarded
here as severely Unconditional, showing
how a properly constituted judicial mind
IAN detach itself from the human side of
Il calamity that narrowed the world"
They are also regarded as chow easily
the public may draw unjustifled conclu.
rions from clear. uncontested evidence"
The case of Ismay is cited as IAN illus
tration how, when placed in It's proper
perspective, the vulgar are liable to err"
CAPTAIN WARNED OF DANGER.
In exonerat,ng Ismay from having any
thing to DO with the navigation of the
ship. or her rate Of speed. Lord Mersey
holds that these were responsibilities OF
which the captain could not divest him.
self
The report IS very lengthy document
beginning with a strong expression OF
sympathy for those bereaved by the dis
aster and going on to an elaborate de-
tailed discussion of many technical
points Its gist Is as follows:
The principal cause Of the accident
was the speed at which the Titanic was
going under the extraordinary condi-
lions prevailing April a. She had re.
,eived sufficient warning OF ice IN her
rack to acQuaint Captain Smith ade-
nuately of the dangers ahead and he
lad had the knowledge from early Sun.
lay afternoon.
Lord Mersey finds that the Titanic re-
the navigators Of the Titanic knowledge
IF all the tee messages sent and re-
ceived by Wireless Operator Phillips
IN this he differs poinredly from the
United States committee of inquiry
holding that the message forwarded from
the Hamburg American liner Amerka 10
he hydrograp hic bureau at Washington
was not communicated to the Tltanic's
navigators, but was merely retransnitted
by the wireless operator. who failed to
convey to the bridge all MESSAGES he re-
'eived
SPEED HIGHER THAN NECESSARY.
This contention should be read in the
light of the evidence given by William
Marco nj and the general manager of the
Marconi Wireless Telegraph company,
That the captain had access to the files OF
all messages sent and received. and that
member of the crew.
This made the captain technically re-
sponsible for and aware of all service
messages, even when not actually having
knowledge of them.
Lord Mcrscy finds that the Titanic re-
foivcd tee messages from the Baltic and
the Carolina during the day. and from the
Californian in the evening He estimates
that the Titanic was being driven that
night with speed Of from 2l3-i to % knots
ana that extra boilers had been fired u