The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-05-24
THE REPORT ON THE TITANIC.


I vestigated the Titanic disascter. Tha
committee was prompt on the ground
and took the testimony of large number
of witnesses, getting first-hand ar'
J fresh information that led To concld
sivc results, not only in the minds oi
The committee. but in thc Judgment OF
the public. These results arc csudidly
and faithfully set forth in the report
which Senator Smith, chairman OF tho
committee, has about finished.
First of all. the report Will call at
tention tn the ample warnings which
the officers of the Titanic had that
dangerous ice was i'm their course.
directly ahead The testimony shows.
and the report will so state, that no
attention was paid to these warnings,
and that the Titanic struck the ice
while she was going at the rate of al
most twenty-five miles an hour. rail
road speed, in fact. Tho report Will
show, as tho testimony proved, that the
widest scenes Of confusion eusucd
among the officers and crew OF the
ship. There was no orderly procedure,
no we'll determined plan. The lite-sav-
ing appliances were inadequate, but
even such as had been provided, were
so poorly handled that large numbers
of persons who could have been saved
with proper discipline and the full
loading of the boats, were left on the
ship to drown. II was shown, also,
that the outlook on the Titanic was
not provided with glasses. and that if
such had been provided the lee would
have been seen In ample time 10 avert
the collision, 1t appears, further that
the lifcboats were not only imperfcctly
manned, but that they were manned by
inexperts, were awkwardly handled, and
that considerable numbers Of the crew
and petty officers availcd themselves
of the opportunity TO escape, and did
not stay on the ship taking their turns
in regular detail TO 90 as crews AS the
lifeboats were filled. All in all, there
would seem to be hardly any evil point
that could be mentioned that was not
fully met in this awful disaster.
The report very properly places the
blame upon the officers of the ship,
and il is clear from the reading of it |
that the committee considers Mr. Is
may, managing director of the White |
Star Line, to be largely culpsble in the
dreadful calamity. 1t is straight |
forward report, which is fully sup
ported by the evidence obtained by the |
committee.
In the meantime, an official inquiry |
is being conducted III London, where |
full authority rests to hold every cul |
pable person. who is alive from that |
disaster, fully accountable for any dere- |
LECTION OF duty or violation of the |
proper rules OF the sea, Lord Mersey,
who is presiding at this hearing, was
struck with the fact as
brought forth in the testimony, that
the officers Of the Titanic paid no at
tention to the warning of the ice
ahead, but drove along at full speed
Of the peril. He was also
struck with the testimony of one of
the officers Of lifeboat that his boat
was not filled, but that he refused to
turn back and help those who were
in the water, although he
could have taken in number without
any danger and saved their lives.
The Titanic disaster was the greatest
single ship sea calamity on record. 1t
IS evident that the investigation into
It Will he more thorough than any ever
had before, and that most important
changes IN the rules Of the sea so far
as passenger ships are concerned, will
result from this investigation 1t will
be made obligatory that the outlook
be furnished with proper glasses, that
full hfe-saving appliances will be pro-
vided for all lives on board, and that
due caution must be observed when a
ship is warned of danger. And there
viii also be requirement for boat drills
with crews that know how 10 handle
boats, and probably a regular system
Of card notice will be put into effect
that Will apporiion To everyone on
board place in a given Gfeboat in
tasc OF accident requiring the deser-
ton of the ship, These are evidently
The lessons of the Titanic disaster, and
that they will be rigidly enforced does
not admit of anv doubt.