Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-04-27
Testifies Ship Was
About 20 Miles from White
Star Liner When Wireless
Was Received.
'D0NkEYMAN ALLEGES
SIGNALS IGNORED
1t is Claimed He Tried to Or
ganize a Mutiny to Force
Skipper to Respond to C, Q.
D. Call for Help.


IBy Morning journal Special Leased Wire. ]
! Washington, April 26.--A sworn
, liner Californian refused to go 10 the
| aid of the Titanic. although only n
| few miles away, today was filed by
| Ernst Gill, donkey engineman on the
Californian with the state committee
investigating the Titanic disaster.
Gill said that the distress rockets
were plainly visible from the deck of
the Californian and must have been
visible to both the bridge and the
lookout Gill was placed on the Wit
ness stand Immediately after Sena
tor Smith, the chairman, had finish
ed reading Gill's affidavit
Il saw the ship. which | took to
be the Titanic" said Gill. after be-
ing sworn, some time before mid
night She was about ten miles away
and went past us apparently at full
speed. she was big ship and ! saw
two tiers of lights. The Californian
at that time was caught In field of
ice. Her engines were stopped and
she was drifting with the floe,"
The vessel, Gill testified, must have
been plainly visible to the bridge and
the lookouts as well, as the rockets
which she sent up later. The Cali
fornian's captain, he said, paid no at
tention to the distress signals and his
refusal to get up steam and go to the
diu Of the stranger. so incensed tho
crew that Gill tried to organize
protesting party among the men. He
failed, he said, because the men
We're afraid they'd lose their jobs
what time did the Californian get
up steam?" asked Senator Fletcher.
Il don't know exactly" said the
witness, but it was some time ar
ter 5 o'clock
From the rockets Gill judged the
distress ship to be not more than
twenty miles off. He described the |
rockets, his description tallying with |
that given by Fourth Officer Box |
hall of the Titanic. who sent them |
aloft, Captain Stanley Lord. of the !
prepared TO enter q |
sweeping denial of the statements by |
Ernst Gill, next took the witness |
stand.
Captain Lord brought the log Of !
the Californian with him.
Did you try to get into communi-
cation with the Titanic on Sunday
night?' asked Senator Smith.
"Yes, sir; about 1915 that night,
ships time. We told him we were
by ice and had stopped"
Did the Titanic acknowledge that
yes. sir. 1t told us to shut up
Dr keep out or something like that"
How far were the Californian and
he Titanic apart when you sent your
message to the Titanic, telling her
you were blocked i'm the ice?"
About nineteen and one-half
niles"
Did the Californian receive the
&C, Q. D. CALF"
NO" said the captain, but we
got it from the Viriginian about
,'clock the morning of the fifteenth" |
What Is the speed of the Califor-
iian?'
About eleven knots ordinarily
aid the captain. I'VE made thirteen !
md half when we were going to the
titanic"
Were you under fun speed then ?"
we were driving all we could"
when you told the Titanic you
we're surrounded by ice, how badly
we're you surrounded ?"
The witness said the field was =
bout twenty-five miles long and sew !
MD |
bout q quarter of a mile from the
dge of the floe.
DO you know anything regarding
he Titanic disaster Of your own
Nothing
Did you see any Of her signals or J
nyth!ng of the ship. herself?" l
NO"
was the Titanic beyond your g
ange of vision?''
Yes. nineteen and a half or TWEEN I
= miles away"
Senator Smith asked the witness
ow long 1t took the Californian to
ct to the scene of the Titanic dis
ster. lie read from the log TO show
nat at 6 o'clock they started for the
,ene. drove alongside the Carpathia
/ sac.
Captain Lord said he was on the n
ridge himself until 1890 Sunday
ight and that the watch was y
Dubbed. l.
If you had received the TitanIe's n
isiress call sunday night after your G
,mm unication with the Titanic. how ca
ng would it have taken you TO d
ZACH her. n
Al The very least two hor.z.~ said ~