The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-05-04
SEAMEN
IN TITANIC INQUIRY
Lord Mcrsey Permits Repre-
sentatiOn of CniOn-WOnders
at ships Speed.
CRlTICISE DUFr.GORDON
Firemen's Dispositions Repeat
Charge He Bribcd Them TO
Row Away.

LONDON. May S.-At the outset OF the
Titanic inquiry by the Wreck Commission
to-day Lord Mersey. the chairman. an
nounced that he found that c2s Of the
members Of the crew Of the ship had been
members Of tbs seafarers' union.
or this number ~ had been saved.
For this rea.on tho chairman agreed
that the seAfarers' union should be
represented At the investigation. He
also decided that the Imperial Service
Guild. representing the officers of tho
vessel. should have representive at the
hearings.
Attorney General Isaacs then opened
the case Of the Government. He out
lined the main facts Of the disaster as they
would be presented laying stress on GER
tain points to which the Board Of Trade
desired to call particular attention. such
as the speed throughout the voyage and
the fact that the attention Of the Titanic
had been drawn to the large number of
icebergs in the neighborhood before the
disaster.
Tho Attorney General in opening his
formal statement Of facts said il was
founded on slight material. as he did not
feel justified in hasing it on statements
made elsewhere He emphasized the
fact that the Titanic never reduced her
speed from twenty-one knots after shc
had received warnings Of the nearness Of
the ber9s. although the temperature in
dicated the presence Of ice.
The speech Of Attorney General Isaacs
which lasted two hous and half, did not
CONTAIN any facts materially differing
from those which are alrea adv known
OF interest to Americans whose
countrymen perished on the Titanic
were several points IN the Attorney
Generals opening speech. He gave an
analysis Of the numbers saved and lost
by classes and sexes and indicated that
he considered that the disproportionate
number cf first class passengers res
cued should be a matter Of inquiry
"One striking figure" the prosec utor
said. "is that all except five women Of
the first class were saved. or had an
opportunity Of being saved. some re-
fusing to leave their husbands. One
fact that stands out is that very
large number Of men Of the first ella ~
were saved. II may he necessary lata!
TO analyze these figures more closely" :"
The Court interrupted ut one point
to ask question as to the warnings Of
Ice which the Cunarder Caronia and the
White Star liner Baltic had sent to
the Titanic on the day OF the disaster.
Am l right in supposlng." inquired
Lord Mersey. that she ran right into
the region where the ice was after a
warning that ice was there had been
received"
The Attorney General replied that
such was the case. He said the IT,
tanic's speed on April IA was 81 l;nots
an hour. which speed was never les
sened up to the time OF the collision
Nevertheless" he added. after dark
the Titanic ran right ahead at Fl knots,
the night being clear but with no
moon"
Sir Rufus said that he had served
notice upon Sir Robert Flnlay. chief
counsel for the White Star Steamship
Company. that the Government con-
sidcred this fact Of extreme Importance.
so that Sir Robert might bring evidence
to the contrary II he had It,
The first witness was Lookout Archie
Jewell. lie testified that he went on
watch In the crows nest for q relief
trick at $50 o'clock on the night OF
the accident. and was warned to watch
for ice. but saw mono up to the timc
he was relieved at 10 o'clock.
Jewell said later In his testimony
that the lifeboats were not provided
with cnmpasses and lights. and that he
saw no provisions in them.
The witness described the lowering
Of the boats. He declared that twenty
foreigners tried to get into his boat
and that to frighten them of the chief
offlcer fred his revolver.
Tho remainder Of the sitting was taken
up with the evidence of other members
Of the crew who returned here from the
United States on the steamship Lapland.
An adjournment wa then taken until
Monday. On Sunday the commission will
go TO Southampton to inspect the Olympic
In the sworn depositions al Plymouth
Of Firemen Dilley and Hendrickson il is
stated that Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon or
dered them to get away from tho eide OF
the Titanic with the boat to which they
had been assigned. Sir Cosmo said to
them:
"Go away? I am a man of money. y
They received $2S each.
Sir Cosmo Dun Gordon has consistently
refused to discuss his escape from the
Titanic. although Lady Duff Gordon
wrote out her story. She made no mon
tion Of her husband having paid sailors.
though.
Two passengers who escaped in the
same boat a. the Dun -Gordons are A. l..
Salomon. wholesale stationer Of "a
Broadway. and c: Z. Henry Stengel OF
1918 Broad street, Newark. Mr.. SaIomon
said that the boat was only large enough
TO carry nine, but that twelve were in T.
MIR. Stengel said that an hour after the boat
left the Titanic Sir Cosmo promised to
make it all right with the crew il the men
rowed hard, This he did with banknotes
when the Carpathia was reached.