Mexico Missouri message., 1912-04-25
OPERATOR ASKED BY SENATORS
ABOUT DELAY IN INFORMING
WORLD OF THE DISASTER.
SENT MESSAGE SHIP SUNK
FEW HOURS AFTER WRECK
Titanic Key Man Admits to Commit
tee That the Steamship Call.
fornia Tried to Warn
Him Of Ice.

New, York ~ Y. - The delay OF
more than II hours in getting news
OF the Titanic disaster ashore. and the
cruel reassuring messages that came
through the White sta offices all day
Monday, were the subjects taken up
by the senate investigating committee
here. Thomas Gotham. the wireless
operator of the Carpa'hia, was on the
stand.
Definite news of the entire disaster
was sent from the Carpathia at 1890
o'clock Monday morning, according to
Gotham, who says he himself flashed
the details TO the line Baltic. The
Carpathia was then out of touch with
land stations. None OF these details,
no word that more than n thousand
had gone down with the Titanic,
reached the shore until Monday even
ing.
Il sent several messages to the Bal
tic" said Gotham. answering questions
by Senator Smith. But kept no rec
ord of these. There were many of
them. and was too busy sending, At
1890 O'Clock Monday morning ] sent
all of the details to the Baltic. It was
the whole story. The Baltic then was
coming toward the wreck. / was not
IN touch with land stations at that
time told of the total loss of the
Titanic, and of the rescHc OF those we
had picked up. told them we were
going to New York"
Denies Measuring Message.
Senator Smith then made an at
tempt TO get some line on the reassur-
ing news of Monday afternoon that
the Titanic was being towed into Hall
fax.
Did you send anything in any OF
your messages about Halifax" he
asked 81 think that one of my early
messages said we might take the sur
vivorS into Halifax. That was talked
Of at one time. But liter I said we
were going into New York.
IT did not send from the Carpathia
at any time after the disaster n report
that the passengers aud crew had
been saved and that the Titanic was
coming slowly into port IN tow. Moth
ing of that nature was either sent by
me or suggested to me by any officer
or passenger or anyone else on the
Carpathia," continued Cottam. Il sent
nothing that could be construed to
mean that, and it would have been
utterly false IL had sent out any such
word"
'If the White Star Line sent the
| following message from New York on
| April Is to Congressman Hughes in
| Philadelphia: The Titanic is pro-
ceeding to Halifax and the passengers
| probably will reach New York
Wednesday, all safe'-if such a mes
sage was sent out at any time, would
II have been true?" demanded Senator
| Smith. at would not" answered the
| operator emphatically.
! Smith asked whether any message
| had been sent at any time that might
| have been construed as meaning that
the passengers and crew had been
saved, but the operator insisted that
| no message from him could have been
/ so interpreted.
! No Attempt at Concealnent.
Did you in any way attempt to
| withhold the exact facts about the dis
aster?" demanded Smith. 81 certainly
! did not" replied the operator.
did any message reach the Car
pathia Monday which indicated that a
rumor was in circulation that all we're
safe and the Titanic was being towed
to port?" NO. sir"
Gotham declared that from Sunday
night until the Carpath ia reached New
York, Thursday night, he got only
about eight OF ten hours sleep. From
the time OF the disaster he worked
continuously until o'clock Wednes-
$day afternoon, when Operator Bride
OF the Titanic, who vas among the
survivors. relieved him for a few
hours Bride, he said, received sew.
eral messages from the scout cruiser
Chester, and sent several 10 that yes,
sci, including the list Of third-class
passengers saved
at is a c. @. D., Old Man."
Gotham declared that his first mes.
sage from Jack Phillips, the Titanic
operator, read:
COME AT ONCE. 1T is A c.
| O d OLD MAN"