Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-28
FIX BLAME
FOR TITANIC HORROR
CONTINUED From Page IL


tisement OF the British board of trade.
to whose laxity Of regulation and
hasty inspection the world is largely
indebted for this awful fatality. or
contributing causes there were very
many. In the face of warning signals,
speed was increased and messages Of
danger seemed to stimulate her to ac-
ton rather than to persuade her to
fear.
Smith Died q Hero. But is censursd.
Captain Smith knew the sea and
his clear eye and steady hand had Of
ten guided his ship thru dangerous
paths; for forty years storms sought
in vain to vex him or menace his craft.
His indifference to danger was one Of
the direct and contributing causes of
this unnecessary tragedy, while his
own Willingness to die was the expiat-
ing evidence of his fitness to live;
anger. but in sorrow-file one specific
charge against him. over confidence
and neglect to heed the oft-repeated
horrible dismay, when his brain was
afire with honest retribution, we can
still see, in his manly bearing and mis-
women and little children some traces
Of his lofty spirit"
+: Effort to Avert Danger Fatal.
Senator Smith declared that the
command of the officer of the watch 20
avert the disaster actually exposed the
most vulnerable part of the Titanic to
the ice when the shock came.
i Distracted by the sudden appear
ance of danger said the speaker, "he
sharply turned aside me Prov. the part
best prepared to resist collision, ex
posing the temple to the blow: at the
turn of the bilge the steel encasement
yielded TO a -glancing blow so slight
that the innact was not felt in many
parts of the ship. altho representing
an energy of more than million foot
tons. said to be the equivalent of the
com bined broadsides of twenty of the
largest guns in our battleship fleet
fired at the same moment. with blow
SO deadly many of the passengers and
crew did not even know Of the col
lision until tardiiy advised Of the dan
ger by anxious friends. and even then
official statements were clothed in such
confident assurances OF safety as to
arouse no fear.
Ships Officers Scored.
4 Senator Smith said that the awful
force Of the impact must have indi-
Gated to master and builder that the
ship was doomed. He commented
upon the failure OF the
ships officers Immediately to give gen.
eral alarm or to establish some orderly
routine. Concerning the conduct of the
ships officers he said:
''Haphazard. they rushed by one an
other. on staircases and in hallway,
while men of self control gathered here
and there about the decks. belplessly
staring at one another or giving en-
to those less courageous
than themselves. Life belts were final-
ly adjusted to all and the lfeboats
were cleared away. and altho strongly
in number, were only par
italy loaded and in all instances I'M
provided with compasses and only
three OF them had lamps. They were
so badly that, in the absence
Of prompt relief they would have fallen
easy victims to the advancing ice foe.
nearly thirty miles in width and rising
sixteen feet above the surface Of the
water Their danger would have been
as great as If they had remained on
the deck Of the broken hull, and if the
sea had risen these toy targets with
over 7CO exhausted people would have
been helplessly tossed about upon the
waves without food or water.
500 Lives NeedIsssly Sacrificed.
zone witness swore that two Of the
three stewards in her boat admitted
that they had never had an oar in their
hands before and did not even know
what the oarlock was for. The life
boats were filled so indinerentiy and
loaded SO quickly that, according to the
evidence, nearly 500
people were needlessly sacrificed to
want of orderly discipline in loading
the few that were provided. And yet
It is said by some well-meaning per-
sons that the best Of discipline pre-
vailed. II. this is discipline what would
have been disorder?
Among the passengers were many
strong men who had been accustomed
to command, whose lives had marked
every avenue of endeayor. and whose
business experience and military train
Ing especially fitted them for such an
emergency. These were rudely ST.
fenced and forbidden to speak, as was
the president of this company, by
Junior officers, a few Of whom, l re-
grct to say, awaited themselves of the
first opportunity to leave the ship.
Some Of the men, to whom had been
entrusted the care Of passengers, never
reported to their official stations, and
quickly deserted the ship witt reck-
iessness and indifference to the re-
sponsibiities Of their positions as
culpable and amazing as it is impos-
sible to believe. And some of these
men say they laid by in their partially
fllled lifeboats and listened to the cries
Of distress until the noise quoted
down and surveyed from a safe dis
tance the .unselfish men and women
and faithful fellow officers and sea-
men, whose heroism lightens up this
tragedy and recalls the noblest tradi-
tons of the sea-"
q Tributes to the valor of Philips and
Bride, the wireless operators on the
Titanic, Eere paid by Senator Smith.
He said that the final exit Of the Phil
lips boy was mot 80 swift as to pre-
vent him from pausing long enough to
pass a cup Of water to a fainting
woman"
Withholding the News.
"The steamship Californian was
within easy reach Of this ship for near
~ four hours after all the facts were
known to Operator Cottam. The cap
tain Of the Carpathia says he gave
explicit directions that all official mes