The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1912-05-02
SAYS HIS CAPTAIN
IGNORED TITANIC
ENGINEMAN SAYS CALIFORNIAN
WENT AHEAD REGARDLESS
i OF ROCKETS.
SAW SINKING OF VESSEL
This Is Denied by chief.-WireIess
Man Says Doomed Ship Gave
No Heed of Warm
ings.

Washington, April 29.-Ablaze with
light from her saloons and cabins the
Titanic dashed full speed ahead to her
destruction. according to Ernest Gill
a donkey engineman on the steamship
Californian, who testified before the
senate committee investigating the
disaster.
He said that Captain Stanley Lord
of the Californian refused later to go
ito the aid of the Titanic, the rockets
from which were plainly seen. This
Captain Lord denied but both he and
his wireless operator acknowledged to
having seen rockets. Their ship, they
said, was fast in the ice.
Gill submitted an affidavit to the
committee and when sworn and put on
the stand stuck to his charges against
the captain of the Californian. He said
he was standing on the deck late Sun.
day night when he sighted a great
ship sweeping along at top speed about
ten miles Off He did not know it was
the Titanic but he made out readily
that it was not a freighter or small
vessel because of the manner in which
1T was Illuminated
Saw the Distress Rockets.
Some time later he saw distress
rockets on the horizon. He said the
captain was apprised of these signals,
but made no effort to get up steam and
go to the rescue. The Californian was
drifting with the foe. So indignant
did he become, said Gill, that he en-
deavored to recruit committee of pro-
test from among the crew, but the men
failed him.
Captain Lord entered sweeping de-
nial of Gills accusations and read
from the Californian's log to support
fornian's wireless operator, however,
told Of hearing much talk among the
crew who were critics of the captains
course.
Gill, he said, told him he expected
to get $500 for his story when the ship
reached Boston.
Evans told of having warned the
Titanic only brief time before the
great vessel crashed into the berg that
the sea was crowded with ice. The
Titanic's operators, he said, at the
time were working with the wireless
station at Cape Race and they told
him to "shut up" and keep out" ;"
Within half hour the pride of the
sea was crumpled and sinking.
It developed that one reform that is
certain to spring from the present in
h4 ;~, l,~
wireless rooms of ships entering or
leaving American ports. This con-
Germs lack of authority over the oper-
ators, pay, hours and freedom from
responsibility as brought out by the
testimony to date. Senator Smith,
chairman, announced publicly that
such legislation was inevitable.
Says He Was Warned.
The declaration that he was warned
Is minutes after the crash that he did
not have half an hour to live and to
keep the information quiet, and that
this warning came directly from Man
ager Andrews of the firm of Harland e
Wolff, builders Of the Titanic, who
went down with the ship, was made
by Samuel S. Hemming, a seaman
Other witnesses from among the
crew declared they did not get such a
warning and that many of them were
"skylarking and joking" after the acci.
dent.
Tell of lsmay's Escape.
Several sailors told of seeing J.
Bruce 1smay, managing director of the
International Mercantile Marine, after
the accident and his escape from the
ship. One of them said Ismay aided
women and children into the boats.
George Rowe, quartermaster, In
charge of the lifeboat in which Mr..
Ismay left the Titanic, said Mr.. Ismay
and children had failed to respond to
call Ismay, he declared, was not
ordered into the boat, but stepped in
dust before it was lowered Ismay, he
said issued no orders in the lifeboat
leaving him (Rowe) in absolute
charge.
Jumps Three-Foot Chasm.
It was necessary for women ani
children on the sinking Titanic tt
jump three.foot chasm from the decl
to The lifeboats, and babies were tossed
into the boats, according to testimony
given by r. o. Evans, one Of the III
tanic's crew.
Evans credited this method of load
ing the boats with the heavy loss o
life among the women and children
Reward for Dog Poisoners.
Fargo, April 29.-To cope with tn,
dog poisoners, who have been activel.
at work in several sections of tn,