The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-10
FAILS TO REVEAL
MATERIAL FACTS
Testimony in New York Relating
to Titanic Wreck.

New York, May 3.-Testimony taken
by Senator William Alden Smith of
Michigan, chairman of the senate COM
mittee investigating the Titanic dis
aster, did not reveal any facts tending
to confirm the report that news of the
Titanic disaster, which the White Star
line made public on Monday evening,
April 10, had reached New York early
that morning.
To determine this question was the
principal object of the senator's visit
here and he had before him in private
hearing John Bottomly, vice president
of the American Marconi company; E.
J. Dunn, the New York merchant who
testified in Washington that he had
been informed by the son of Western
Union operator that a message had
been received in New York on Mon
day morning telling of the Titanic's
fate, and the operator himself, who
returned to the city, Mr.. Smith said,
after having been absent since Sunday
night.
These two witnesses were disposed
to be recalcitrant, the senator said,
and their examination was very un-
satisfactory. He declared he would
call the operator again, when he hoped
to obtain more definite information.
Vice President Bottomly, according
to his stenographic testimony, dis
claimed all knowledge of any such
news being received here at the time
reported.
DO you know of your own knowl-
edge, or have you been Informed by
any person by wire, wireless, cable,
letter, word Of mouth or otherwise,
that information regarding this disas-
ter reached any office of your company
or the White Star line on Monday,
April 10. prior to 10 o'clock" was the
question Senator Smith put to him.
Denies knowledge of Message.
mo, | don't know of any such mes
sage" Mr. Bottomly replied adding
that the Marconi company received its
first message of the sinking of the Ii
tanic about p. m.
The witness testified that he had
made every effort to get news of the
disaster from the Carpathia and had
sent instructions to all wireless sta
lions asking them to furnish the COM
pany with all the news they could OBJ.
tain He denied he had in any way
tried to influence Gotham and Bride,
the wireless operators on the Carpa
thia, in regard to the sending and re-
ceipt of information until the vessel
had passed quarantine, when, with
Mr. Marconi's consent, he had given
wireless permission to Bride to sell
his story. ..-.
Senator Smith said that he expect
ed to take the testimony of man
"cognizant of the fact that members
of the crew could not turn certain
bolt in one of the watertight cOmpart-
ments, on which depended its eff
cheney" .-.....
Senator Smith announced he had
taken the sworn testimany of Mrs. j..
Stuart White of Briar Cliff, N. Y, who
left the Titanic in the second Or third
boat which put out from the ship.
MRS. White said this boat contained
twenty-three women and three men,"
Senator Smith declared. "One of the
men, she said, was seaman, the 9TH
er two said they had never handled
an oar in their lives and knew moth
ing about rowing.
Mrs. White swOre that these men
were neither kind nor courteous; that
they lighted pipes or cigarettes, not
withstanding that there was ignitable
material aboard"