The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-04-22
DENIES THAT TITANIC
STORY WAS BOTTLED UP
Secretary Of Marconi Co. Says
Marconi Himself Asked for
Details.
THE BLAME SHOWED ALONG
Csrpathis's Captain Called Re-
sponsible for Lack of Defi-
mite News.
THE BLAME SHOWED ALONG

II was hotly denied last night by John
Bottomley. secretary Of the Marconi
Wireless company. that the story OF the
sinking Of the Titanic was kept bottled
up on the Carpathia all day last Monday
because Of instructions from the Marconi
people. Mr.. Bottomley admitted that
this message was sent to the Carpathia
wireless operator:
stop. Say nothing. Hold your story
for dollars in four figures. Will meet
you at dock"
But this message instead OF being
flashed to the Carpathia on Monday. as
was intiuated by a newspaper yesterday.
was sent ON Thursday evening after
o'clock while the Carpathia was on her way
from Quarantine to the Cunard pier.
"The Marconi company made absolutely
no attempt to keep news Of the Titanic
from the public during all those days
OF waiting Mr.. Bottomley said. "On the
contrary. Mr.. Marconi as soon as he heard
on Monday evening that the Titanic had
gone down and that the Carpathia had
some OF the survivors. caused this mes
sage to bo sent to the operator on the
Carpathia:
wire 500 words reliable news for the
public Remember Jack Binns"
Jack Binns was mentioned. Mr.. Bot
ton,ley said last night. with the idea
that his name might inspire the Carpathia
operator to do his utmost in sgiving an
account OF the wreck to the Marconi
Office in New York to be spread among the
newspapers. The 500 words were not sent.
nor any part of them.. because Of the
censorship exercised by the Carpathia's g
captain" Mr.. Bottomley said. and he
added. -Our wireless operators while at
sea are entirely under the orders Of the
ships master"
"1n addition to this MESA &c asking for
500 words from the Carpathia." said Mr..
Bottomley. instruct ions were sent to
every land station ON the Atlantic sea-
board to make every effort to get news
from the Carpathia. That endeavor failed
because Of the Carpathia's censorship"
Mr.. Bottomley said that the arrange
ment with a newspaper by which the
stories Of Cottam. the Carpathia operator.
and Rride. the surviving wireless operator
of the Titanic. we're to be sold to that
newspaper was made at $50 o'clock on
Thursday evening while the Carpathia was
coming up the lower bay.
Mr.. Bottomley went on to say that he
had not talked to Mr. Marconi yesterday.
but that he personally considered the
message sent by Mr.. Sammis to the Car
pathia perfectly legitimate one.
Good heavens" Mr.. Bottomley said.
why shouldn't those boys get all the
money they could for the stories of their
experiences?
They have lost everything they had
except the clothes they were wearing.
Bride had nearly lost his life, and Cottam..
after the wreck, worked for days without
sleep under extraordinary tension. II
they had got $4,000 instead OF the four
figures it would be none too much. in
my opinion.
Il know that Mr.. Marconi feels deeply
hurt by the suggestion that this company
withheld the news. In the first place it
was the company's business TO gather and
sell news. It makes its living that way.
In the second place MIR. Marconi is the
tenderest hearted OF men and extremely
public spirited. He wanted the public
TO know all about the Titanic wreck that
he could find out. HIS was extremely dis
tressed in thinking Of the possible fate
OF his operators, and when the Carpathia
came in he left a dinner party to 90 10
the pier and find out from Bride and
Cottam themselves just what their con-
dition was.
Let me insist that every word Of news
that the Marconi company got was given
TO the public and that consisted only Of
lists OF names"
1t was said elsewhere yesterday that
on Tuesday the Marconi land stations
were instructed by the New York office
not to give information to any newspaper.
!hat everything would be given out at
John W. Griggs. president of the Mar
conf company. said yesterday that the
company denied all knowledge of the
wireless messages which Samms is said
to have sent.
-of eourse'rhsve not seen Mr.. sammis.
and OF course don't know what he will
have to say .abouttt. said Mr. Griggs at
his home in Paterson. y. j.. last night,
Il car. .only.say this. that We cant prevent
our operators from talking with each
other. The company does not sanction
IT, though. and we had no knowledge that
these messages were sent
"rhis must be remembered: Cant
Roetron was in command of the wireless
on the Carpathia. and anything that was
sent was sent by his orders. The operator
on the Carpathia could not have sent
anything II ne had wanted to- and Sam
miss messages advising him not to send
could not have had any weight with him
a. he could only send what Capt. Rostron
ordered him to. Capt. Rostron's orders
were to send messages to the Cunard
Line. the White Star Line, the press, and
then private messages. in that order. and
these occupied the time of the Carpathia
operator 30 that he could not have sent
long message IL he had wanted to. IL
WAS not his business TO send a story If
he wanted to disregard Sammiss in
structions.
in one Of the MESA ges itSsays 'Marconi
agreeing don : believe that at all, and
II Salnl,aia who In onI,,