Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-05-04
English Government, Out
lining Course, Will Lay
Stress on Speed, Lack Of
Boats and Construction.
DISCRIMINATION is
SEEN IN RESCUE WORK
Inquiry Will be Directed To-
ward Discovering Why so
Many Saved Were First
Cabin Passengers.

eral, Sir Rufus lsaaCS, today aQ-
dressed the wreck commission which
is investigating the loss of the White
Star liner Titanic, setting forth the
facts as understood by the govern
ment and laying special emphasis on
the evidence that speed Of 21 knots
was maintained after the warnings OF
ice ahead had been received, right up
to the moment Of the collision.
When the court opened Lord Merry,
who headed the commission, granted
permission to President Lewis, of the
Seamens union, and the attorney Tor
the Imperial Mercantile Guild, to par
ticipate in the proceedings.
The union Is new organization
composed of 1000 Southampton
sailors. Two hundred and twenty-eigh
of it's members were employed on the
Titanic and of these only seventy
seven survived. The officers OF the
Titanic were members Of the guild.
The inquiry is likely to extend over
several weeks and will be devoted
largely to technical details.
The court today displayed the great.
est interest in the warnings OF Ice
which tho Cunard 4liner Caronias and
the White Star steamer Baltic sent to
! the Titanic on the day Of the disaster.
April II. Lord Merry asked:
"Am I right in supposing that she
ran into the ice region after a warn
ing had been received?"
eyes, replied the attorney general.
Sir Rufus said that the Titanic's
capacity was 3,547 persons and that
she carried fourteen life boats, two
cutters, four collapsible life boats, &C.
commodating a total Of 1,167 persons
and 1850 life belts. The vessel carried
|1,316 passengers and S92 persons in
her crew.
She was fitted with fifteen bulk.
heads and a number Of water tight
DOORS being designed to float In the
event of any two adjoining compart-
ments being flooded under which con-
dition the top Of the bulkheads would
above water.
The Titanics speed, the attorney
general said, on April IA was 21 knots
an hour, which speed was never les
sened up to the time Of the collision.
During that day the Caronia and the
Baltic had sent wireless messages to
the Titanic stating that Ice bergs,
GROWERS, and "field ice," were in
her track.
"Nevertheless," continued Sir
Rufus, latter dark the Titanic ran
ahead at 21 knots, the night being
clear but with no moon" He said he
had served notice upon Sir Robert
Finlay. chief counsel for the White
Star Steamship Co.. who is represent
ing the line at the present inquiry,
that the government considered this
fact Of extreme Importance. That Sir
Robert might bring evidence to the
contrary if he had it. .....
Sir Rufus announced that particular
attention would be given to the three
points: The Titanic's speed after the
warnings of the ice had been re-
ceived; the insufficient number Of
life boats to the persons carried by the
ship; the construction of the water
tight compartments.
He gave detailed analysis of the
number saved and lost by classes and
sex and indicated that he considered
that the disproportionate number Of
first class passengers rescued should
be matter of inquiry.
Zone striking figure" he said, lis
that all except five women of the first
class were saved or had an oppor-
tunity of being saved, some refusing
to leave their husbands. One fact that
stands out is that very large num-
Der of men of the first class were
saved. It may be necessary later to
analyze these figures more closely"
Sir Rufus statement took up the
early session. The court has arranged
tc adjourn until Tuesday. T..