The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-05-28
S[NATE COMMITTEE ON
TITANIC DISASTER
REPORTS
RECOMMENDATIONS LOOKING TO
PREVENTION OF REPETITION
OF SUCH CATASTROPHE.

| Washington. May 2S-The final
recommendations have been decided
upon by the subcommittee of the
Senate committee on commerce aft
CT an exhaustive inquiry into the
Titanic disaster.
The committee of United States
senators having this investigation
IN hand has comprised one OF the
riOst important committees selected
in either branch of the national leg
islaturc in many years. The report
o. the committee Is very lengthy
ole, going practically into every i'm.
portant subject bearing upon the Ii
tanic disaster and the causes leading
Up to it,
senator Fletcher of Florida, as
one of the Senators on this commit
tee. attended every meeting OF the
committee held in Washington, and
gave to the inquiry that patient
study that has characterized his SER
vice in the Senate at all times.
| il is believed that the invcstiga-
| tion will result in additional lrgis-
| latiOn to secure safety of life and
property at sea senator Fletcher
j. heartily in favor of such addi-
lionll legislation as will achieve
these ends
II will be- recalled that the Titanic
left Southampton. England, Wcdnes-
that it sank AT l2:i7 a m. New
York time. April l5 Including the
crew, the Titanic sailed with 2,23,;
persons aboard; l,5l9 were lost and
70i were saved. OF those saved 6
per cent were first class passengers.
!. per cent second class and 25 per
cent We're third class Twcnty-fOur
per cent Of the crew were saved
Recommendations.
The committee finds that this ac-
cidrnt clearly indicates the ncccs-
sity of additional legislation to Sc
cure safety of life at sea.
by amendment to revised statutes,
i,i00. act of March II, 1906, the
United tSatcs accepts rcciprOcally
the inspection certificates of foreign
countries having inspection laws ap-
proximating those of the United
States Unless there is early re-
vision of inspection laws of foreign
countries along the lines laid down
hereinafter the committee deems Ii
proper that much reciprocal ar
rangcmcnts b. terminated and that
no vessel shall be- licensed to carry
passengers from ports of the United
States until all regulations and re-
quiremcnts of the laws of the Unit
with
Tho committee recommends that
sections 4.4sI and 4.4SS, revised
statutes. be so amended as to def
nitely require sufficient lifcbOats to
accommodate every passenger and
every member of the crew. That
the Importance of this feature Is rec
ognized by the steamship lines is in
dicated by the fact that on many
lines steps are being taken TO pro-
vide lifeb0at capacity for every per-
son on board. including crew; and
the fact of such equipment is being
widely advertised. The president of
the International Mercantile Marine
Co. Mr. Ismay. definitely stated to
the committee Up. 953):
We have issued instructions tina,
none of the ships of our lines shall
leave any port carrying more pas
sengers and crew than they have ca
pacity for in the lifeboats"
Not less than four members of
the crew. skilled in handling boats
should be assigned TO every boat
All members of the crew should be
drilled al least monthly in lowering
and rowing the boats. and the fact
OF such drill or practice should be-
noted in the log.
The committee recommends the
assignment of passengers and crew
to lifeboats before sailing; that oc-
cupants of certain groups of state
rooms and the stewards of such
groups of rooms be assigned To GER
tain boats most conveniently locat-
I'd with reference to the rooms in
question: the assignment OF boats
and the shortest route from state
room to boat 10 be posted in every
CONTINUED on Page 40