Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-04-25
OPERATOR ASKED BY SENATORS
ABOUT DELAY IN INFORMING
WORLD OF THE DISASTER.
SENT MESSAGE SHIP SUNK
FEW HOURS AFTER WRECK
Titanic Key Man Admits to Commit
tee That the Steamship Cali
fornia Tried TO Warn
Him of Ice.

New, York, N. Y. - The delay OF
more than IL hours in getting news
of the Titanic disaster ashore, and the
cruel ~reassuring messages that came
through the White Sta offices all day
Monday, were the subjects taken up
by the senate investigating committee
here. Thomas Gotham, the wireless
operator of the Carpathia, was on the
stand.
Definite news of the entire disaster
was sen from the Carpathia at 1890
o'clock Monday morning, according to
Gotham, who says he himself flashed
the details to the line: Baltic. The
Carpathia was then ont of touch with
land stations. None of these details,
no word that more than a thousand
had gone down with the Titanic,
reached the shore until Monday even
ing.
II sent several messages to the Bal
TIC" said Gotham, answering questions
by Senator Smith. "But kept no rec
ord of these. There were many of
them, and I was too busy sending. At
1920 o'clock Monday morning l sent
all of the details to the Baltic, 1t was
the whole story. The Baltic then was
coming toward the wreck. | was not
in touch with land stations at that
time. / told of the total loss of the
Titanic, and of the rescue of those we
had picked up. l told them we were
going to New York"
Denies Reassurino Message.
Senator Smith then made an at
tempt to get some line on the reassur-
ing news of Monday afternoon that
the Titanic was being towed into Hall
fax.
did you send anything in any Of
your messages about Halifax" he
asked. "I think that one of my early
messages said we might take the sur
vivors into Halifax. That was talked
of at one time. But later I said we
we're going into New York.
II did not send from the Carpathia
at any time after the disaster a report
that the passengers and crew had
been saved and that the Titanic was
coming slowly into port in tow. Noth-
ing of that nature was either sent by
me or suggested to me by any officer
or passenger or anyone else on the
Carpathia," continued Gotham. IT sent
nothing that could be construed to
mean that, and it would have been
utterly false if / had sent out any such
word"
'Tf the White Star Line sent the
following message from New York on
April Is to Congressman Hughes in
Philadelphia: The Titanic is pro-
ceeding to Halifax and the passengers
probably will reach New York
Wednesday, all safe'-if such a mes
sage was sent out at any time, would
It have been true?" demanded Senator
Smith. "It would not" answered the
operator emphatically.
Smith asked whether any message
had been sent at any time that might
have been construed as meaning that
the passengers and crew had been
saved, but the operator insisted thai
no message from him could have been
SO interpreted.
No Attempt at Concealnent.
ibid you in any way attempt tt
withhold the exact facts about the dis
aster?" demanded Smith. 81 certainly
did not" replied the operator.
Ibid any message reach the Car
pathia Monday which indicated that
m was in circulation that all wer'
safe and the Titanic was being towel
to port?" mo, sir"
Gotham declared that from Sunda.
night until the Carpatfia reached New
York, Thursday night, he got onl,
about eight or ten hours sleep. Fror
the time of the disaster he worke'
continuously until 5 o'clock Wednes
day afternoon, when Operator Bird
of the Titanic, who was among tn
survivors, relieved him for a FEY
hours. Bride, he said, received seV
eral messages from the scout cruise
Chester, and sent several TO that ve'
sci, including the list Of third-clas
passengers saved.
at Is a C. @. D., Old Man."
Gotham declared that his first me
sage from Jack Phillips, the Titan
operator. read:
0CnME ATT ONCE TT IS A {