The Detroit times., 1912-04-27
5IAMER NEAR SINKING
TITANIC IGNORED DISTRESS
SIGNALS, SEAMAN DECLARES
Member Of Californian's Crew
Declares He Saw Blazing
Rockets Distinctly
Less THAN 20 MILES AWAY
Bodies of John Jacob Aston, Isa-
dor Straus and c. M.
Hays Found

WASHINGTON, April 26.-That thu
steamer Californian ignored distres:
rockets OF the sinking Titanic while
less than 20 miles away was the state
uent made today to the senate IN
cuify committee by Ernest Gill;
uonkeyman OF the Californians crew.
Not until nearly seven hours after
BE saw the rockets did the California;
steam toward the Titanic. GIN declar
ed He said the Californian's wire
less operator was asleep. Gill follow
"a Vice-President Franklin OF the
White Star line on the stand.
II was on deck at 1l:5Gep. m. Sun
DAY. April IA, while the Californian
With engines stopped was drifting
through a field OF foe ice said Gill
~ saw the lights Of the big vessel go
Ing Mt full speed on the starboard
about ten miles away. l went below
and told my bunkmate. A half hour
later saw a white rocket on our star.
board and then a second. said II
must be vessel In distress. II was
not my business to notify the bridge,
but the officers could not have helped
but see II.
Gill said he then turned in and was
ordered ont at GAO TO render assist
ance, finding the Californian going ut
top speed toward the distant vessel.
He said he heard the ships engineers
and crew afterward tell OF seeing the
distress signals.
''I heard one man say: Why didn't
they wake the wireless man up?'
Gill declared
The entire crew was talking about
the captain not going to the vessels
Assistance.
Il am quite sure" Gill said. that
we were less than twenty miles away
when | saw the rockets. | could see
her very plainly"
Gill told the committee he felt sure
now that the distant vessel was the
Titanic. He said he was losing Job
BY testifying. ellis statement was
made before notary public and read
by Senator Smith. Gill was then Civ
en- brief cross-examination.
There Is no truth whatever in the
story OF Ernest Gill that the Callfor-
MIA saw and ignored distress signals
from the Titanic" positively declared
Capt. Stanley Lord, of the California,
Immediately upon his arrival here
from Boston TO testify before the sen.
ute investigating scommittee.
Accompanying Capt. Lord was the
Californian's wireless operator, d. G
Evans.
Il was asleep from 1880 Sunday
night until $50 Monday morning :
Evans said. Not until $50 did we
hear of+the Titanic--and then IL was
Through a message from the Vir-
sian."
Why many women were left to drown
ON the Titanic was explained today to
Senator Smith, in his private Office.
BY +. o. Evans, Titanic sailor.
Evans said lifeboat No. Is was
swung out three feet from the deck
r before women were told to get aboard.
Many jumped over the space between
the deck and the boat, 20 feet above
the pitching waves. Others refused
to take the risk and remained on the
boat to die.
That many babies and children were
TOSSED into the boat over the deck
rail, was declared by Evans. He said
one woman jumped into the boat and
4 almost fell overheard into the sea
Her shoe caught on a row lock and
she hung suspended head downward
until pulled in.
Evans testimony was taken before
Senator Smith, individually, accord
ing to the plan adopted yesterday tc
expedite the hearings. The main
committee met today with VicePresi