The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-29

""shinStop. May 2s.-The formal
thHnka OF ConErcss to the ,,.,u
carpatbin's officer. and crew for The
"i the Titanic survivors were
APressed In .oint resolution missed
to-uu! by the senate. The Uou.e VIII
'ahe prompt action. The rcsoIution Ia
"r"' Oh three m-asures Introduced
"! senator smith, of aiichiEan. f,I,n,x-
S ms speech I'm the senate To-day
ma the presentation of bIs rcnor, ,,
inc ih'cstightion oi the Titanic dis
n'er. The resolution directs tb.
Ss'oept Ito cHuae 10 he ,un,Ic md
presented 10 CaptuIn Rostron. az ,h.
'hrpnthtu, nuItnbic gold mcdni ,,-
pr"pr'ntel9 Inscribed, which shall e1-
press the high chtlnintIon In which
go hoius the services of this Of
hcer' 10 whose promptncss aud vigil
hhce "hs due the rescue OF ga women
anh children md $40 men"
Report Is Submitted.
"ust belore delivering his snaech
senator smith. chairman of the sub
committee winch Investigated the ii.
tan!c wreck, submitted 10 the senate
tne committees report and its con.
.!"s'ons. The report is largely a re-
ne" OF ,he evidence. and contains
recommendations FOR legislation M
particular person is named as bcing
responsible, though attention il called
70 the fact that on the dav of M
disaster three distinct warnings Of ica
were sent to Captain Smith. j Rruce
lsmay' managing director of the WnitA
.t"r Line. is not held responsible for
shlPs hieh speed. In fact. he is
"aFeiy mentioned in the report
On the whole. the report is impas
sivc, and Senator smith. in his specch
went more fully into n discussion az
the causes OF the disaster than los
the committee
Conclusions of Committee.
me committee agreed upon these
principal conclusions:
ne supposedly watertight compart-
ments OF the Titanic were not water.
usht, because OF the nonwatertieht
.ohoi'ions OF the decks where the
transverse bulkheads ended
The steamship Californian. con.
troiied b. the same concern as the
Titanic. was nearer the sinking
steamer than the nineteen miles re-
ported by her captain. and that her
Officers and crew saw the distress
signals OF the Titanic and failed 10
respond TO them in accordance with
the dictates OF humanity, international
usage and the requirements OF law
The committee concludes that the cal
passengers and crew of the ship that
went down.
Eight ships. all equipped with wire
less. were in the vicinity of the III
tanic. the Olympic farthest away-5le
miles.
the mysterious lights on an un-
known ship. seen by the passengers
on the Titanic. undoubtedly were on
the Californian. less than nineteen
miles away.
The full capacity of the Titanic.s
lifeboats was not utilized, because
while only i06 persons were saved. the
ships boats could have carried l.176.
No general alarm was sounded. no
whistle blown and no systematic warn
ing given 10 the endangered passeng-
ers. and II was fifteen or twenty min
utes after the collision before Captain
Smith ordered the Titanic's wireless
operator to send out distress mes
sage.
Crew Ignorant or Duties.
The Tttanic's crew WAS only meagre-
~ acquainted with its positions and
duties in an accident. ana only one drill
was held before the maiden trip Many
of the crew joined the ship only a few
hours before she sailed. and were In
Ignorance OF their positions until the
following Friday.
Ice positions SO definitely reported
10 the Titanic says this report. Gust
preceding the accident located ice
on both sides of the lane in which she
was travelling. No discussion took place
among the officers. no conference was
called to consider these warnings. no
heed was given to them. The speed
was not relaxed. the lookout was not
increased"
The committee comes to the conclu.
sion that the THAMES lights were visi-
the Iceberg and that the California;
must have seen the distress rockets
fred from the bridge of the Titanic.
The report says:
The committee is forced to the In
evitable conclusion that the Californ-
ian, controlled by the same company,
Continued on Eighth Page.)