Arizona republican., 1912-05-03
Senator Fails to Get Any More Information Re-
 garding Titanic
 Disaster E..
WITNESSES ARE
 RECALCITRANT
One of Them Was Operator Who Was Said to Have Received News in
 Advance !
ASSOCIATED PRESS DISPATCH

NEW YORK, May 2.-Testimony Smith, of Michigan. chairman of the senate committee Investigating the Ti- tanic disaster, did not reveal any facts tending to confirm the report that news of the Titanic disaster, which the White Star Line made public the ev- ening of Monday, April 15, reached New York early that morning. To de- termine this question was the principal object of the senator's visits here. He had before him today in the private hearing John Bottomly, vice president of the American Marconi company; E. J. Dunn, New York merchant, who testified in Washington that he had been informed by the son of a West ern Union operator that message was received in New York Monday morn ing telling of the Titanic'S fate, anu the operator himself who returned to the city today. Smith said. after having been absent since Sunday night.
 These two witnesses were disposed to be recalcitrant and the senator said their examination was unsatisfactory. He declared he would call the opera tor again. Vice epresident Bottomly. according to the stenographic testi- mony, disclaimed all knowledge of any such news being received here at the time reported Te said the Marconi company received it's first message oC the sinking of the Titanic about six D. m. The witness testified he made ev- cry effort to get news of the disaster from the Carpathia.
 He said he sent instructions to ali wireless stations asking them to fur nish the company with all the news they could obtain, and denied he tried in any way to influence Cottam or Bride, the wireless operators on the Carpathia, in regard to sending or re- Ceiving information until the vessel passed quarantine, when with Mar coni's consent. he had given by wire less, permission to Bride to sell his story. The witness denied the operat- DTS of his company are instructed not to give information to any ship not fitted with the Marconi wireless. Sem ator Smith said tomorrow he expected to take the testimony of a man who
 was "cOgnizant of the fact that mem bers of the crew could not turn a certain bolt in one of the water tight l compartments on which depended its efficiency. LONDON, May British Titanic funds now amount approximately to l $1.600,OO0. It has been decided to ex- tend immediate relief to widows and bereaved families of the members of l tho bn int, of mittee to undertake the administration of the relief funds. The committees l will include the Lord Mayor the Earl
 of Derby and the governor of the Bank | of England.
 | NEW YORK, May 2.-Papers in
 the first suit for damages brought by | a Titanic victim, were filed in fed eral court today The suit is in ad-
 miralty, and was brought by Mrs.
 Louise Robins, widow of Victor Rob
 ins, valet to John Jacob Astor The
 testimony of J. Bruce Ismay and of ficers of the sunken steamer is de-
 sired. The suit charges negligence on the part of the Oceanic Steam i Navigation company and asks $50,00O l damages and costs
 1 HALIFAX, May 2.-Wnite Star Line officials held long conference today
 with Captain Lardner of the Mackay-
 Bennett, discussing the ut'ty of tue proposal to send third steamer, tn, 1 Seal. to search for bodies of ctner ri l tanic victims. Lardner expressed tie l conviction it is not possible to find
 more and it is likely the idea will be
 abandoned. The bodies of 59 unidenti- fled victims, seven of them women will be placed in one common grave
 will be placed in one common grace
 in Fairview cemetery, and three. who
 were catholics, will be inferred in
 Mount Olive. Twenty seven have been
 shipped to friends. and eleven mor@
 will go tomorrow. This will leave
 ninety-thre still at the morgue
 claims for a majority of which haSs been sent in. Some of these likely will