Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-09
SAYS Compartment
DOORS OF TITANIC
WERE THROWN OPEN

LONDON, May 9.-Evidence that the
doors of four water-tight bulkheads had
been opened after having been closed
from the bridge was introduced today at
the British wreck commissions inquiry
into the loss of the White Star steamer
Titanic. This was done, according to
Thomas Dillon of the engineers staff. in
order that the engineer crew might reach
the pumps.
Dillon said that after the watertight
compartments had been closed from the
bridge the chief engineer ordered his men
to go through four boiler rooms in order
to reach the pumps in boiler room No. o.
To carry out this order the men were
obliged to open the doors of four water
tight bulkheads. and, having done so,
they left the doors OPEN
i Replying to a question from Lord Mer-
sew, the president of the commission, the
witness said that the men did not go into
boiler room No. because there was too
much water there. In fact, the water
was leaking through into boiler room
Mo- f.
At this point the attorney for the White
Star line Sir Robert Finley. explained
that the doors mentioned by the witness
could not be opened without being re-
leased from the bridge After the last
boat had left, Dillon testified, he went
to the poopdeck, where there were many
men, but no women. When the Titanic
foundered he was sucked down about two
fathoms and laker was picked UP uncon-
about for twenty minutes before being
rescued and saw, he said, at least LOCO
other men swimming or floating on the
surface buoyed up by life preservers. He
saw no women in the water.
Praises Ismay's Action.
The conduct of ]. Bruce Ismay. man.
aging director of the International Mer-
camille Marine, after the casualty, was
70 $ho ret hn
British investigation and was describ-
ed by James Johnson, steward, as hav
ing been exemplary.
Johnson. who left the ship in No. 2
emergency boat, small dingey, was
asked why there were not more women in
the boat. He replied that they would
not get into II. Mr.. Ismay, the witness
said, tried to induce the women to enter
the dngey, but they refused whereupon
he escorted them to larger boats He
did everything an Englishman could do"
Johnson added.
Johnson was asked why his boat had
not returned to the scene of the disaster
when It's occupants heard cries for help.
He replied that the officer in charge had
asked the women if they should return,
but the women decided against this course
and the officer took their advice. Under
the existing weather conditions their boat
would have held five or six more persons,
Johnson testified.
The attorney for the Seamens and Fire
mems Union suggested tnat the evidence
OF some witnesses that the afterpart OF
the ship righted itself momentarily, after
the forward part had sunk. justified his
theory that IL the bulkhead doors had not
been opened the afterpart of the ship
would have remained afioat.
The attorney general. Sir Rufus Isaacs,
explained that the only evidence obtain
able in regard to the engine room was
that of the stokers. as all the engineers
went down with She ship. Only seven of
the eighty-three firemen on duty at the
time of the accident were saved