Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1912-04-23
FRANKLIN WITNESS
BEFORE SENATE
Continued From Page 1.)


nouncing the success of the Titanic
trial trip.
"This is the only attempt at com
munication, so far as you know Any
attempt from officers, crew or passen
gers to communicate with you after
they left Southampton? the senator
continued
yes"
Senator Smith then showed Mr.
Franklin the telegram received by
Congressman Hughes of West Virginia
from the White Star line, dated New
York, April IS, and addressed to J. A
Hughes, Huntington, w. ", as fol
llows
Titanic proceeding to Halifax
Passengers probably land on Wednes
day. All safe.
(Signed) "The White Star Line"
"I ask you," continued the senator
i"whether you know about the sending
of the telegram, by whom it was
authorized and from whom it was
sent?'
II do not, SIR" said Franklin. "Since
1T was mentioned at the Waldorf Sat
urday we have had the entire passen
iger staff examined and we cannot
find out"
First News From Associated Press.
| Asked when he first knew that the
Titanic had sunk, Mr. Franklin said
he first knew it at 6:27 p. m. Monday,
About 1:4O on Monday morning,
said Mr.. Franklin, "a reporter tele-
phoned me that the Titanic had met
with an accident and was sinking. The
information, he told me, had come by
wireless from the steamship Virginian,
which had been appealed to by the
Titanic for aid"
J Mr.. Franklin said the White Star
docks had no information and he then
appealed to the Associated Press, and
there was read to him a dispatch
from Cape Race advising Of the acci-
dent.
81 asked the Associated Press" said
Mr.. Franklin, mot to send out the
dispatch until we had more detailed in
formation in order to avoid causing
unnecessary alarm. I was told, how
ever. that the story had already been
sent out"
Inaccurate kilograms Questioned.
The reassuring statements sent out
by the line in the early hours Of the
disaster next were made the subject
of inquiry.
"Tell the committee on what you
based those statements" directed
Senator Smith.
eve based them on reports and ru-
mors received at Cape Race by indi-
viduals and by the newspapers. They
were rumOrs and we could not place
our finger on anything authentic"
Had you heard from the Carpathia
at that timer"
mo, sir" =
Mr.. Franklin declared that the
Olympic was sent this message:
":Haddock, Olympic. Rumored here
| Titanic sunk Cannot confirm here
Expect Virginian alongside. Frank
lin
| "At 2:4O D. m. we wired Haddock
to endeavor by all means to ascertain
the whereabouts Of Mr.. Ismay and to
| advise us as soon as possible,'' con-
tinued Franklin.
1--WE followed this dispatch with an
other to Haddock in which we urged
do your utmost to ascertain condi-
ton of Titanic; advise us fully dis
| position Titanics passengers and
where they will be landed
| AT 500 or $50 Monday evening"
Mr.. Franklin continued, "a message
was received telling the fateful news
that the Carpathia reached the Titanic
and found nothing but boats and
wreckage; that the Titanic had found
cred at 2:2O a. M, in 41.16 north,
50.14 west; that the Carpathia picked
! I'D all the boats and had on board
about CTS Titanic survivors, passen-
gers and crew. This message was
from Haddock also.
'It was such a terrible shock that
it took me several moments to think
what to do. Then l telephoned two OF
our directors. Mr.. Steele and J. p.
| Morgan, Jr. Then I went downstairs
to the reporters began to read the
message, holding it high in my hand.
, had read only to the second line,
which said that the Titanic had sunk
when there was not a reporter left.
They were so anxious to get to the
telephones.
Sent Inquiries About Ismay.
After that we got another mes
sage from Haddock stating that
'Yamsi,' meaning 1smay, was on the
Carpathia."
| Mr. FTdukllu Lucu SAplddACu AO"
the company wired the Olympic to
get the names Of the survivors and to
stand by an relay them from the Car
pathia.
II want to say that during the entire
day on Monday after our first mes
sages concerning the Titanic we con-
sidered the Titanic absolutely unsink-
able. We never dreamed of such a
thing and that there had been loss OF
life never entered our minds until we
| got Haddock's awful message at $3.50
that evening"