The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-26
REFUSED TO BULGE
Captain of the Californian Ig-
nOred the Titanic's Signals.
Member of Crew Says They
Were Plainly Visible.

Washington. April ga sworn
statement that the captain of the liner
Californian refused to go to the aid of
the Titanic although only a few miles
away. today was filed by Ernest Gill.
donkey enginman on the Californian,
with the senate committee inxestigat-
ing the Titanic disaster. Gill said the
distress rockets we're plainly visible
from the deck of the Californian and
must have been visible to both the
bridge and the lookout.
Gill was placed on the witness stand
Immediately after Senator Smith, the
chairman, had finished reading his af-
fidavit.
II saw the ship, which took to be
the Titanic said Gill after being
sworn, some time before midnight.
She was about ten miles away and
went past US apparently at full speed
She was big ship and I saw two tiers
of lights. The Californian at the time
was caught in field ice. Her engines
were stopped and she was drifting with
the foe"
The vessel. Gill testified, must have
been plainly visible to the bridge and
the loOkouts as well as the rockets
which she sent up later. The Califor-
MANS captain, he said, paid no at
tentiOn to the distress signals and MS
refusal to get up steam and go to the
aid of the stranger so incensed the
crew that Gill tried to organize pro-
testing party among the men, He
failed. he said, because THE men were
afraid they'd lose their jobs"
when did the Californian get up
steam?' asked Fletcher.
Il don't know exactly said the
witness, "but it was some time after
5 o'clock"
From the rockets. Gill judged the
distressed ship to be not more than 20
miles off He described the rockets,
his description tallying with that CIV
en- by Fourth Offieer Boxhah OF the
Captain StanleyLor of the Cali
fornian, prepared to enter a sweeping
denial of the statement by Ernest
Gill next took the witness stand.
Operator Gotham testified before the |
committee in New York that he did not
report a message to the captain of the |
Carpathia because he did not consider |
Smith. The operator on the Titanic |
refused to take warning of the pres |
ence of ice from the steamship Cali |
fornian because he was busy with his |
accounts 1 ask you if there should !
not be some rules and regulations for |
governing of operatOrs?'
The witness agreed most empha teal |
~ and said the steamship companies |
were anxious to get the best results
from the wireless apparatus.
NO doubt this investigation will |
bring out some legislation settling the
problem. I believe a law should be |
enacted compelling among other things
the presence of an operator at the in
strument all of the time" said Mr..
Franklin.
Senator Smith referred to the delay
of the Titanic's operator in receiving an
ice message and asked whether this 4
one instance was not sufficient proof of
the necessity of placing the operators
under the absolute control of the cap
tain. Il
.'The delay was unfortunate" said
the witness, but in this instance it was
not material for the Titanic got it 80 Il
five hours before the accident
More experienced men at better
wages and with reasonable and fixed
hours of duty, said Senator Smith also
would go far toward solving the prob
lem. He said that legislation looking Il
toward such reforms would follow. Il
Evidently smarting under the criticism
that the British witnesses We're being +
unduly detained by the committee, Sen
ator Smith asked the witness if he was
satisfied with treatment accorded him. 4
Entirely So responded Mr.. Frank
lin, quickly. In the case of the wit
nesses from abroad they are very
anxious to get home and naturally they II
are restive.''
we all recognize that you have a
big problem on your hands and if
you believe our testimony can aid, you
are the best judge of that
Senator asked MT Franklin if he
deemed it practical for ships to cross
the ocean in pairs. The witness said
1t would not only be commercial
i'm pra cticability but an element of
danger to the ships themselves.
Donkey Man Is Recalled.
Mr.. Franklin was then excused and
Senator Smith called Ernest Gill of
second donkey man on the
Californian. who made an affidavit
that the captainof the steamer refus-
ed to go to the aid of the Titanic.
Senator Smith first read the affidavit
made Wednesday. In this Gill declar-
ed he was "actuated by the disire that
no captain who refuseR or neglects to
give aid to a vessel in distress should
be able to hush I'D the matter
At midnight of April IA, Gill said,
he went to his cabin but could not !
sleep and went back on deck to smoke
a cigarette. Ten minutes later he saw
a white rocket ten miles to starboard
and remarked to himself:
THAT must be a vessel in distress" |