The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-05-04
steerage had had just a. good chance as

steerage had had just as good chance as
the others.
Late in the afternoon another steerage
passenger, CLAUS Abelseth. was brought
to Senator Smiths room at the Waldorf
hv friend in New York. He had been In
the stcerage section in the bow OF the ship.
An officer had told him that there was no
danger, and for a while he had believed
him. He knew better when he saw the
water coming in After while. when tho
jumped overheard and swan to col
lapsible lifeboat. He agreed with
Buckley that the steerage passengers had
had the same chance to save themselves
as the first and second class passengers.
George A. Harder. who was coming
back from Europe with his bride. gave
Senator Smith some ideas about how the
watertight compartments did not work.
Harder is rs years old. lives in Brooklyn
and il a manufacturer. He said that in
passing through the starboard companion
way on the T. deck he came upon five men
near one Of the elevators who we're work
ing with key ,wrenches, at bolt in the
foor. The bolt was imbedded in q brass
plate about a foot long, and around the
head OF the bolt were the letters "W. r."
and perhaps "D." or a &C He had
noticed the plate and the letters in pre-
vious trips through the companionway
and supposed that the letters stood for
"watertight DOORS or "watertight COM
partments."
One of the five men was on his knees
working at the bolt with his key wrench.
The others were standing by. There
eeemed to be no excitement. As he
;1ssed Harder heard the man on his
knees say. Its no use. Let's try anosher
one"
Senator Smith wanted to know IL any
one Of the men explained why il was
important to turn that bolt Mr. Harder
said none did. but he supposed that they
were connected somehow with the mech
anism Of the watertight doors.
Jack Binns said that he had had chance
to learn good deal about steamship
construction and was familiar with the
plans of the Titanic and Olympic and the
Lusitania and MRuretania. The one kind
Of blow which the Titanic and Olympic
were not qualified TO withstand, he said
was a glancing blow such as that which
the Titanic received from the iceberg.
She had watertight compartments and
double bottom, but her sides we're single
Thus IL she ran on a rock or scraped her
bottom on a derelict there would he no
great danger Of sinking. but II she scraped
her sides there was no saving her.
Binns said that " the Carpathia had
sent the news to tho Californian the
latter would have had no trouble in re-.
laying it ashore. Senator Smith said
aftcrward that the burden apparently
lay with the Carpathia FOR not sending
the news out, but he wasn't blaming
anybody.
Senator Smith. who has a file Of tele-
grams relating to tho disaster showed a
Postal message which was dated on l,oar1i
the Carpathia between the hours Of 4:3)
and $50 O'Clock on the morning Of Mon
day. April II. II bore rubber stamt,
indicating that it had been received In
New York or April II. and pencil mark
through the stamp showed that il had
been delivered at o:?o o'clock W einesda !.
morning. two days after the Tita mic sank
II had been ,ftv-two hours in transit
This is the telegram:
Via halifax. IS Carpathia.
islcfrnnk. n. y. C.:
Deeply regret advise Won Ti,enic snpk
this morning after collision iceberg. result
ing serious loss life. Further pnrtculnrs
later BRrcE IsMAy
"Is,efronk is the code address Of
", a. :: Franklin. vice-president of tie
White Star Line. Mr.. 1smay testified
that he mad filed such a telegram as voc !,
as he reached the Ca, pathia. but Senator
Smith did not soe the message il self at
the time that he was questioning Mr.. Is
may.
Now what ] want to know" said the
Senator yesterday afternoon. "is wher,
was that message during the two days
following its sendinS3 The Californian
was within wireless distance, and why
didn't the Carpathia send it ashore by
way Of the Calisorniant"
Senator Smit.i hopes to wind up his
investigation here by tonight