Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-04-23
Description Of Death Cries of
Victims Forced from Unwil-
ling Lips of Sailor Who Had
Charge Of Lifeboat.
FORCED By PASSENGERS
TO IGNORE PLEA FOR AID
Drifted Near Drowning PeO-
pie and Made No Effort to
Save Them Is Admission Of
Third Officer of the Ship.

Third Officer of the Ship.
(By EvnninE nernIa a. p. LEASED wlroD
Washington. Aprli 2s.-The life and
death struggles OF the victims Of the
Titanic disaster were pictured To the
senate investigating committee today
by Third officer Herbert John Pitman
OF the Runken liner.
Chairman smith OF the committee
pressed pitman Regarding scenes az
ter the sinking or the ship
II heard no cries Of distress until
after the ship went down." he said.
How far away were the cries from
your life boat2"
Several hundred feet, probably;
some OF them. I told my men 10 get
the oars out and pulled toward the
wreck, that we might be able 70 Bave
few moro. The people In my boat
demurred, They said Il would be a
mad idea"
ibid any one In your boat urge or
appeal 70 you 70 so back toward the
ono, not one"
"Did any woman urge you to 80
back"
No"
who demurred. the men with the
oars
con. no; they oheyed my orders but
all the passengers said Il was a mad
idea to 20 hack, that we should add
another forty 20 the list Of drowned.
Then we took IN our oars ana lay
quiet"
tunlties 9f the passengers no uld NOT
turn back 10 hee, bat merely pulled in
his oars and drlfted.
"Bestrshe the screams.
Don't sir, please. ID rather not
talk about g."
"I'm sorry to press Il, but what was
Il like2 Were the screams intermit'
tent or Bpasmodicf"
"It was one long, continuous moan.
The witness said the mOans and
cries continued an hour and tnat ne
made no effort 10 80 20 the rescue,
You drlftcd near, the drownine
people and made no effort % giye
thom aid2" asked the senator IN sur
prise. -,
Please don't" pleaded Pitman. u
can't hear 10 recall H. / wish We
minht not discuss the scene
a have no desire 10 lacerate your
feeiiags" said senator smith. but We
must know whether you drifted there
without Oifering aid. Answer that and
/ shall press you no more.
~ did, air. answered the witness
"Did you ever hear anything Of 9
boat known as the HeIlig Oiavg" sud.
denly asked Senator smith.
"No. 4 did not There may be 9
boat OF that name" said Pitmah.
The OiaV docked az New York Apri
Il. and Is reported TO have encounter
cd an iccbeFs near where the Titanic
sank IL has been suggested that th'
oiaV may have been the boat whoH'
lights Fourth Officer fsoxhali saw ans
which he Intellectually tried 20 signa
with distress roc6ess,
Frederick Fleet who was the look
out la the crows nest OF the Titanic
teatiGod that on sunday night some
time after 10 d 1l1ck nc reported
hihek fuusa of ice ahead 60 the otuceFl
ON the nridFe. How .onR thih whs De
fore the collision. ,ho lookout eoui'
not say.
Ficct tald the committee that ther'
were no lookout glassas IN the ~
ianio'a crows meet icaYing soutnhnnp
ton If no had giasaea he said, ~
could have seen the iceberg enouk'
a0oner 10 have escaped II. he SAT-
riaasea were furnished the luokou
from Belfast 20 southampton "hef
they were taken away
When lookout Fleet this afternoon
followed Fourth officer Pltman ol
tha afand ~ safe he was In the crow
nest at the time OF the collision.
"Who WAS on the bridge sunda'
night after YOU took your place N IN
crows neatT"
aMr. Murdock ana Mr. Pitman."
WAS thu captain on the bridgef
n did not aec hiIn,'
Fleet said he took his watch az n
o'clock. sailor LohlRh was with hin
ia the crows nest fleet said the mel
he relieved told him 90 keep shar
lookout for small lee.
did you Keep a sharp lookout2'
eyes, sir"
"Dld You zee any lce9"
"Yes, al seven bella, (tlis3O y. m,
reported a black miss ahead"
s'llow long before the collision a.
you report iee ahead ?"
"I've no idea"
"About how longf"
Il couldn't say"
what dld you do when you saw th
aI sounded three bells ana then tel
ephoned to the bridge that there wa
an Iceberg ahead" replied Fleet.
lie got prompt response 70 III
ring ho said aud the report was no
delayed. shortly after the accldeu
hp aud Lnhiah were relieved.
was ID fVn minutes or an hour ht
fore the collision that you saw ~
iceherR q" demanded senator smith
evaporation.
n don't know, sir" said the wi'ne'
obduratoiy.
II wish you would tell the commit
Zee whether you anprehcnded DANCE
when you sounded these signals.
"All we have 80 do VA tho nest
ring the bell and if We think there
danger we telephone said Fleet.
'ThNn you ala thlnh there was uhf
NU AaIN