Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-05-29
vailed. If this is discipline what
would, have been disordered?

Among the passengers were man,
strong men who had been accustomed
to commal 3D. whose lives had marked
every avenue of endeavor, and WHOSE
business experience and miitar.
training especially fitted them TO,
such an emergency. These We're rud
ely silenced and forbidden to speak
as was the president of the company
by junior officers, few of whom,
regret to say, availed themselves Of
the first opportunity to leave the ship
Some of the men, to whom had beer
intrusted the care Of passengers
never reported to their official sta
tons, and quickly deserted the shiI
with a recklessne~s and indifference
to the responsibilities of their posi-
lions as culpable and amazing as it
ds impossible to believe. And some of
these men say they laid by in their
partially filed lifeboats and listened
to the cries OF distress until the noise
Quilted down and surveyed from a
safe distance the unselish men and
women and faithful fellow officers
and seaanen, whose heroism lightens
up this tragedy and recall the noblest
| traditions of the se1.'
Tributes to the valor of Phillips
and Bride, the wireless operators on
the Titanic, We're paid by Senator
Smith. He said that the final exit of
| the Phillips boy was mot so swift as
to prevent him from pausing long
enough to pass a cup of water to a
falntlng woman The senator show
ed that had not the underpaid Wire
less operator ON the Carpathia pre-
pared for bed with his receiver still
on his head the Titanic's distress
signals never would have been re-
cerved by the rescue ship.
when the world weeps together
over a common loss," said Senator
Smith, "all nations should take steps
wisely to regulate wireless biography
and see that operators are fairly
PAID He condemned the reign of
silence concerning the details of the
disaster. In condemning the failure
OF the Californian to learn all about
tine disaster before the Titanic sank
and go to her rescue, Senator Smith,
said:
the steamship Californian was with.
in easy reach of this ship for nearly
four hours after all the facts were
known to Operator Gotham. The cap-
tain of the Carpathia says he gave
explicit directions that all official mes
sages should be Immediately sent
through other ships, and messages of
passengers should be given prefer
ence. According to Binns, the inspe,-
tor. the apparatus on the Californian
was practically new and easily tuned
to carry every detail of that calamity
to the coast stations at Cape Sable
and Cape Race, and should have done
so.
1.-The course taken Was singularly
In accord with the reticence of the
officials of the White Star Co., who
knew at 2:30 Monday morning" said
the Senator. what was supposed to
nave occurred, and yot, at 7:Jl Monday
evening a message from their own
office. officially signed, containing the
positive assurance of the safety of
the passengers, was sent to a half
crazed father at Huntington, w. Va,
nearly two hours after their admitted
familiarity with details of the disas.
ter. 1t is little wonder that We have
not been able to fix with definiteness
the author of this fasehood."
Senator Smith reviewed the testi.
mony of Captain Lord, showing that
the Californian came within four
miles of the doomed vessel and that
he went to his room to lie down
while the signal rockets were being
fired.
Failure of Captain Lord to arouse
the wireless operator on his ship, who
easily could have ascertained the
name of the vessel in distress and
reached her in time to avert loss of
life" said Senator Smith, places a
tremendous responsibility upon this
officer from which it will be difficult
for him to escape"
Contrast. if you will, the conduct
of the captain of the Carpathia in this
and imagine what must |
the consolidation of that thoughtful !
and sympathetic mariner, who res
cued the shipwrecked and left the |!
people of the world fhis debtor as his !
ship sailed for distance seas a few
days ago. BY his utter self-efface-
ment and his own Indifference to peril |
by his prOmptness and his knightly
sympathy. he rendered a great service
to humanity He should be made to
realize the debt of gratitude this Ma
zion owes to him. while the book of
good deeds. which has so often been
familiar with his unaffected valor,
would 'henceforth carry the name of
Captain Rostron to the remotest per-
cd of time.
"The lessons of this hour" said
Senator Smith in conclusion, "are.
indeed. fruitless and its precepts will
if rules of action do not
ollow hard upon the day of reckon
ng. Obsolete and anticuated ship
ling laws should no longer cucumber
he parliamentary records of any
government. and overripe administra-
i've boards should be pruned of dead
ranches and less sterile precepts
aught and applied
Senator Smith recommended that ,
anes of travel should be more care
ully defined. strength of ships bows