The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-05-04
INQUIRY
WILL BE LENGTHY
Sir Rufus Isaaes Addresses Wreck
Commission, Setting Forth Some Of
the Facts.
py Associated Press.

London, May 3.-The attorney gen.
eral, Sir Rufus Isaacs, addressed the
wreck commission which is investi-
eating the loss of the White Star liner
Titanic today, setting forth the facts
as understood by the government and
laying special emphasis upon the evi-
dence that a speed of 21 knots was
maintained after the warnings of ice
ahead had been receievd. right up to
the moment of the collision.
The whole Of the forenoon session
was taken up with this statement,
which brought out little that had not
been already developed at the sena-
torial inquiry at Washington The at
tendance Of spectators was small A
group of sailors, survivors of the sea
tragedy, who arrived here on the Lap
land from New York and had been
subpoenaed to testify, were objects Of
interest.
When the court opened, Lord Mer
sey, who heads the commission, grant
ed permission to President Lewis Of
the Seamen's Union. and to an attor-
ney for the Imperial Mercantile Guild
to partieinats in the proce edpgs, The
uII1crs f---n orsnnfEutipu composed
of $4,000 Southampton sailors. Two
hundred and eighty OF its members
were employed on the Titanic and
only n survived The officers of the
Titanic were members of the guild.
The inquiry is likely to extend over
several weeks and will be devoted
largely to technical details.
The court today displayed the
greatest interest in the warnings of ice
which the Cunard liner Caronia and
the White Star steamer Baltic sent to
he Titanic on the day of the disaster,
April IA. Lord Mersey inquired par
ticularly on this point, finally asking:
Am I right in supposing that she
ran right into the region where the ice
was after q warning that ice was
there had been received p
YES" replied the attorney general.
Sir Rufus said that the Titanic's ca \
pacity was 3,547 persons and that she
carried IA life boats, cutters, 4 col
lapsible life boats accommomodating
total of LIST persons and $3.50 life
belts. On her first and last voyage
the vessel carried 1916 passengers and
S92 persons in her crew. She was fit
ted with Is buIkheads and a number of
water eight doors, being designed to
still float in the event of any two ed-
joining compartments being flooded,
under which condition the top of the
buIkheads would be 2 Ia or 3 feet
above the water.
The Titanic's speed, the attorney
general said, on April Il was q knots
an hour, which speed was never less
ened up to the time Of the collision.
During the day the Caronia and the
Baltic had sent wireless messages to
the Titanic stating that icebergs, !
GROWERS and '1ielders" were in her
track.
Nevertheless" continued Sir Rufus, !
"a rfr right 2 n
at 81 knots, the night being clear but
with no moon"
He said that he had served notice |
upon Sir Robert Finlay, chief counsel
for the White Star Steamship Com
pany. who is representing the line at
the present inquiry, that the govern
nent considered this fact Of extraordi-
nary Importance, so that Sir ROBERT
might bring evidence to the contrary If
he had II.
Sir Rufus announced that particular
attention would be given to these three
points:
The Titanic's speed after the warn
ngs of ice had been received.
The insufficient number OF life boaIs
'or the persons carried by the steamer
The construction OF the water tight
He gave a detailed analysis Of the
numbers saved and lost by classes and
sexes, and indicated that he considered
hat the disproportionate number of
irst class passengers rescued should
e a matter Of inquiry.
It was extremely difficult, the attor-
ley general said, to ascertain exactly
What occurred between the moment OF
he collision and the sinking OF the
iner. II appeared that there was no
lanic. The men took their boat sta
ions according to the list. All the
ife boats were lowered except the col
apsibles, concerning all of which there
vas no accurate evidence, but most OF
he boats did not have full compile
nent Of persons But for the wireless
duipnent of the vessel IL was doubt
ul II anybody or many would have
,een saved
Lord Mersey wished to know to how
many officers warnings of the ice had
een communicated. Sir Rufus could
Iot answer more definitely than prob
bly, the chief and first officers.
Lord Merssy also wished to know
vhether the vessels Of other nationali
les were compelled TO carry more life
oats than British ships. Sir Rufus
ould not say positively as to this, but
aid that evidence on the point would
e offered.
The court has arranged to adjourn ,
he inquiry until Tuesday.