Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-06-05
REPORT ON TITANIC DISASTER.
Blanc Is Placed Mainly on Capt.
Smith for tho Horror.

lceDerSS anead, put responsibility
for unnecessary loss OF life must be
shared by Capt. Lord, Of the steam
ship Californian, through his#disre-
gard Of distress signals. This is the
finding Of the Senate committee that
Investigated the sinking OF the III
tanic, as prepared in a comprehensive
speech delivered by William Alder
Smith, of Michigan, chairman of the
committee.
Senator Smith declared that re-
sponsibility also rests upon the Brit
ish Board Of Trade, "to whose laxity
of regulation and hasty inspection
tho world is largely indebted for the
awful fatality" In denouncing Capt.
Lord the Senator said that the Ii
tanic's distress signals were plainly
seen from the deck Of the vessel a
short distance away.
America will leave to England the
chastisement Of those guilty, assert
ed the Senator, and he quoted Brit
ish law to show that Capt. Lord
might be prosecuted for a misdemea-
nor.
Other conclusions presented, in
brief, were as follows:
Before the Titanic departed on
her maiden voyage there were no
sufficint tests OF boilers, bulk hea ds,
equipment or signal devices.
to each other and not familiar with
tho ships implements or tools, and
no drill or station practice took place
and no helpful discipline prevailed.
The speed of the Titanic was "a y
miles an hour at the time of the ac-
cident, although officers Of the II
tanic had been advised Of the pres
ence Of icebergs by the steamships
Baltic, America and Californian.
Passengers were not advise ed of
danger, although President Ismny, of
the White Star line, who was taking
the vessels maiden voyage, was in
formed. No general alarm was given
nor any organized system of safety
undertaken.
OF the 1928 passengers and 500
members Of the crew OH board there
was room in the life-boats for only
l,l76 persons, and becarse of lack of
orderly discipline the boats took only
704 persons aboard, twelve being
rescued from the water.
Officers Of the White Star H'c
nrt'led vita the yruth' after .guglr-
mturloouoa ,rom ueir Ncgyopl
Office Monday morning GoHn~ugt inc
acejdcu,
Capt. Rostron. of the rescue ship
Carpathia, was praised by Senator
Smith, and he urged that Con gress
recognize his valor.
At the outset Senator Smith de-
Tended the course OF his committee
in holding British subjects to secure
their testimony without delay, and
briefly answered the criticisms OF his
lack OF nautical knowledge.
"Our course was simple and plain
to gather facts relating to this dis
aster while they were still vivid real
tiles" he said.
"ln the construction Of the III
tanic,' continued the Senator, mo
limit OF expense circumscribed their
cndeavor, and when this vessel took
its place at the head Of the line every
modern improvement in shipbuilding &
was supposed to have been realized.
SO confident were they that both the
owner and the builder were anxious
to go upon the trial trip.
when the crisis came a state Of
absolute unpreparedness stupened
both passengers and crew, and, in
their despair, the ship went down,
carrying as needless sacrifice Of
noble women and brave men as ever
clustered about the Judgment Seat in
any single moment Of passing time.
I'VE she'll leave to the honest judg-
ment Of England its painstaking
chastiscmcnt Of tho British Board of
Trade. to whose laXity of regulations
and hasty inspection tho world is
largely indebted for this awful fatal
ity. OF contributing causes there are
many. In the face OF warning sig
nails speed was increased and mcssa-
gcs OF danger seemed TO stimulate
her TO action rather than to persuade
her to fear
IN nj, l., "a