The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-27
TESTIMONY SHOWS
MANY VESSELS WERE
NOT FAR DISTANT
Rockets Sent Up From Sink
ing Leviathan Were SeenBut
Nobody Took Trouble to
Find Out What Was
the Matter
BY JAMES j. MONTAGUE.

WASHINGTON. April as.--Fifteen
minutes before the Titanic sent her
cry for help across the north Atlantis
the wireless operator or tine Califor-
MAN. which fav quietly in an ice Held
less than twenty miles away. slipped
the receivers from his ears. pulled or
his clothes, and turned In to his berth.
The rockets that were sent UP from
the sinking marine giant were seen
from the Cafifornian's bridge. but no
one thought it worth while to arouse
the wireless man and ask him to find
out what was the matter. Had this
been done. the steamer could have,
been rushed through the icefleld to
pick up the struggling Titanic pas-
sengers, and hundreds of them could
havo been saved.
This testimony. which confirms that
affidavit of Donkey Engineer Gill. Of
the Californian, first published by thu
International News Service, was given
by Captain Lord. Of the Californian.
and Cyril Evans. his wireless man.
before the Senate subcommittee to-
Gay. 1t establishes beyond question
the TACT that on all small vessels tho
wireless men are asleep or Off duty
before the hours OF darkness that are
most perilous to steamships,
Ten minutes longer. and the Car
I'athia's operator. Co>ram. would have
reen beyond the sound of the Titanfc.n
c. @. d.
IHe Garp2thfa was more than fiftr
mies away. yet she answered the cali.
ire Californian. within sight or ths
THAMES rockets. lay unresponstve mi
morning. when the wireless man
aroused. got the dresdfai news. ana
Aa'"eo TOO tate to the rescue
still Another Near.
was also brought out I'm the tes.
l,Hnnv that within four miles OF tho
Californian, between her and rho ~
fanfc. lay still another vessel Th.
Californian sought to communicates
with her but got no response ana
she finally. according 10 the tes,imon,,
or Captain Lord, hauled Off 10 the
southwest ~
1t was either from this vessel -
beyond her that the rockets that fiaah-
en up from the horizon were xa~n
~ II was from her. she may have been
the 1ltanic, but Lord thinks not FIR
ne 's sure that she sailed away on
ner course. and he saw her va,Io-
tunnel above the horizon "a no ms.
nurryinE southwark through th.s
dawn. Possibly II was beyond No.
Inat the rockets were fired. and thar
tney came from the doomed Whitr
star liner Neither Lord. nor any nna
else. can say.
Had Warned Titanic.
me Californian, so Wireless Opera.
.or Evans testified. had at O'clock
On the evening Of the catastrophe.
informed the Titanic that ice was all
ABOUT For reply he got "Shut IN
we are busy talking TO Cape Race =
Thus 1t tG been made clear th.t
lying all about the Inflated leviathan
were vessels not only ready and win.
ihS 70 come to her aid, but aetna IL
warning her OF the danger she was n.
hut the Titanic rushed on toward .
the iceberg that was to DESTROY her
ana. because the smaller ships could
nor anord extra operators ut twenty
6ohafs month apiece. Her frantio
- ~. ~ was flashed into dead 70
ceavers. and her passengers and cree
persisted needlessly in the Icy sea.
The Californian had been gosstnin~
Win many other ships. all or them
WITHIN the danger zone. The Franz W
furt was within few miles Of hArs
and 80 was the Mount Temple. 49,
though there is no record that sin
spoke to the latter vessel. But m.
small Try only carried one Operate
ana IN the real hours Of peril they
were as useless as II they had been4
~Kt~cSAsS SAuE u tIle eaIln. 4sS
Passengers Frantic.
In the testimony Of Able Seaman
Evans. which was taken late in tho
afternoon. the story was told OF what
approached very near panic whflas
the boats were being lowered on th1s
Titanic. s7A
A woman jumped for boat 10, which;
was three feet out. swinging from IT,
davits. She missed the boat. arIs1a
went down head frst to the next deolG "
there her foot caught In the dac1
railing. She was hauled In and cauI,2 Il
hack to the boat deck. where ailS
succeeded In getting into the HI
boat. Children were tossed tntn fI4
hcat like bundles. and because the
were some passengers to catch the
wsre unhurt ~
Evans said also how Fifth OnIcl
Rose In rescuing the passengers
one OF the fiimsy and sinking coaIo1
sibles. fired four shots into thu y =
to warn the passengers not to ece
aboard too fast. ss5ss27
Rose was unusually handy with
pistol. for It Was he who frod
warning shots AZ his boat Was ~
lowered away. Evans Also al
his boat was tho last to leave fhA
In contradiction Of Mr. Ia1nA1
insisted, that the collapsib1e. ~
he left. was the last 70 iAAve-
In tho morning. DCnkay Il
Gill told the story o. D1eaMg t
ctr on the Californian u Wh161
| Thursday BY the InternatloH
r. 4. 4. Franklin A1nna61 I S1i1
70 liverpool M 1oWq
| tantio hed sunk ~ oMk5
GnxA 4 ont A. NaN