The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-04-24
BY Associated Press.

Washington, April 23.-Ldke the
missing horseshoe nail that cost the
monarch his kingdom, the failure to
provide binocular or spy glasses for
the lookouts on the Titanic was one oc
the contributing causes of the ships
loss and with it the loss Of more than
sixteen hundred lives. Two witnesses
before the senate investigating COM
mittee today agreed on this.
They were Frederick Fleet, lookout
on the Titanic, and Major Arthur God
frey Peuchen, a Canadian manufac-
turer and yachtsman, who was among
the rescued passengers. Fleet ac-
knowledged If he had been aided In
his observations by good glasses he
probably would have spied the berg
into which the ship crashed in time to
have warned the bridge to avoid 1t
Peuchen also testified to the much
greater sweep Of vision afforded by
binoculars, and believed the presence
of the iceberg might have been detect
cd in time to escape a collision had
the lookout been so equipped.
II was made to appear that the
blame for being without glasses did
not rest with the lookout men, Fleet
said they had asked for them at
Southampton and were told there were
none for them.
Peuchen said that when the call to
the crew responded to undertake the
work required in lowering and filing
the boats. He criticized the lack of
experienced sailors aboard.
Herbert J. Pitman, third officer of
the Titanic, told of his failure to turn
hack the life boat in which he and the
passengers were idly drifting, to at
tempt to rescue others when the I'll
tanio sank. He said the cries for help
made "one long, continuous moan.
The passengers insisted but to go back
to their aid would have meant their
destruction. he said, SO after starting
In the direction OF the cries he res
scinded the orders and waited for
dawn.
In an executive session at the close
Of the hearing today the committee
decided not to allow J. Bruce Isrnay |
or p. A. s. Franklin to leave Washing
ton until they are no longer needed, |
Ismay may take the stand tomorrow.
PUBLIC EXCLUDED.
Because of confusion caused by the
rush of crowds to the hearing, the SEN
ate committee determined today to
exclude the general public. To accom-
plish this. the hearing was transferred
to q smaller room. Only witnesses,
those particularly interested in the in
uuiry and members of the press were
admitted.
The change caused disappointment
to thousands, most of them women.
Hundreds around the building clam
ored for admittance. The crowds lined
the Railways leading to the new room
and the police had difficulty keeping a
passageway to the door.
Life and death struggles Of the IT,
tanic's victims reluctantly were pic
tured by Third Officer Herbert John
Pitman of the sunken liner.
nF the rOr1r1iftpn
pressed Pitman regarding scenes after
the sinking of the ship.
"How far away were the cries from
your life boat?"
Several hundred yards, probably,
some of them. I told my men to get
the oars out and pull toward the wreck
that we might be able to save a few
more.
THE people In my boat demurred.
They said 1t would be mad idea"
did anyone in your boat urge or
appeal to you to go back toward the
wreck?"
mo, not one"
Did any woman urge you to go
back?"
mo"
WHO demurred, the men with the
oars?"
"oh, no; they obeyed my orders, and
ell the passen gers said II was a mad
idea to go back, that we should add
another 40 to the list of drowned. Then
we took in the oars and lay quiet"
Describe the screams"
Don't sir, pleasel I'd rather not
talk about it."
I'm sorry to press It, but what was
II like? Were the screams intermit-
tent or spasmodic?"
1T was one long. continuous moan
The witness said the means and
cries continued for an hour and that
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