The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-05-28
For Speed of Titanic on the
Night She Was Wrecked
COMMITTEE REPORT IS IN
Senate Sub Committee Says That the
Californian Might Have Saved Every
Soul on the Sinking Steamer
Smith Makes Speech,

1HltIee WHICH investigated tiS i'
wreck were submitted to the Senate this
afternoon. No particular persons were
named as being responsible for the wreck
and ]. Bruce Ismay was not held re-
sponsible for the ships high speed.
The committee agreed upon these con-
clusions;
The supposedly watertight compart-
ments of the Titanic were not water
tight.
The steamship Californian was nearer
the sinking steamer than 10 miles, as
reported by her captain.
The officers and crew of the Cali
fornian saw distress signals of the
Titanic and failed to respond to them
in accordance with the dictates of hui
manity, international usage and require
ments of law"
The committee concludes that the Cali
fornian might have saved all the lost
passengers and the ships crew; the full
capacity of the Titanics lifeboats was
not utilized; no systematic warning was
given the endangered passengers.
1t recommends that all ships carry
ing more than 200 passengers have two
searthlights, that revision be made of
steamship inspection laws of foreign
countries, that every ship be required
to carry sufficient lifeboats for all the
passengers and crew, that the use of
wireless be regulated to prevent interfer-
ence by amateurs. /.
The committee deems the course fol-
lowed by Captain Rostron of the Car
pathia as deserving of the highest praise
and worthy Of especial recognition.
Washington, D. c., May 2s.-Blame
for the Titanic disaster is chargeable di-
rectly to the failure OF the dead Cap
tain Smith to heed repeated warnings
of icebergs ahead, but responsibility for
unnecessary loss of life must be shared
by Captain Lord of the steamship Cali
fornian, through his disregard of dis
tress signals. This is the finding of
the Senate committee which investigat-
ed the sinking of the Titanic, as pre-
pared in comprehensive speech deliv-
cred by William Alden Smith of Michi-.
gan, chairman of the committee.
Senator Smith declared that respon-
sibility also rests upon the British Board
of Trade, "to whose laxity of regula-
tion. and hasty inspection, the world
is largely indebted for the awful ia
Itality." In denouncng Captain Lord,
of the Californian, the senator said the
'Titanics distress signals were plainly
seen from the deck of his vessel short
distance away.
America will leave to England the
clastisement of those guilty asserted
the senator, and he quoted British law
to show that Captain Lord might be
prosecuted for misdemeanor.
Other conclusions presented, in brief,
were as follows:
Before the Titanic departed on her
maiden voyage there were no sufficient
tests of boilers, bulkheads, equipment
or signal devices.
Officers and crew were strangers to
each other and not familiar with the
ships implements or tools, and no drill
or station practice took place and no
belpful discipline prevailed.
The speed of the Titanic was AZ l-2
miles an hour at the time of the acel
dent, although officers of the Titanic
lad been advised of the presence of ice.
bergs by the steamships Baltic, Amer
ika and Californian.
Passengers were not advised of danger,
although President Ismay of the White
Star line. who was taking the vessels
maiden voyage, was informed. No gen
eral alarm was given nor any organized |
system of safety undertaken,
OF the ,324 passengers and 500 mem
hers of crew on board, there was room |
in the lifeboats for only l,l76 persons.
and because of lack of orderly disci-
Milne. the boats took off only 704 per |
cbflSt IL utlllE iGSCucu iIttl the WdtSs. |
Officers of the White Star line bat |
tied with the truth after receiving in |
formation from their Montreal office on
morning following the aeci-
dent.
Senator Smith condemned Anticipated |
shipping laws and oveTTipe sdministra
tive boards" and asked that all nations
get together in shipping reforms. New
laws lie said, "will best testify our
affection for the dead
Captain RsstFen. of the rescue ship
Carpathis, was praised by Senator Smith
and he urged that Congress recognize
his yaloT.
At the outset, Senator Smith defend
ed the course of his committee in hold
ing British subjects to secure their tes-
timony without delay, and briefly an
swered criticism OF his lack of nautical
knowledge.
"Our course was simple and pisin-to
gather the facts relating TO this dis
aster while they were still vivid real
tiles" he said, Questions of diverse
gave way 90 the universal \
desire for the simple truth, II was of