Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-23
Senate Report on Titanic
Disaster to be
Scorcher.
READY NEXT TUESDAY
Responsibility Laid Upon Cap
tain Smith and Company
Officers.

Washington, May 23.-The senate
its report of the Titanic disaster. 1t
is understood the report criticises Cap
tain Smith as mainly responsible from
the fact he had iceberg warnings; the
British board of trade for lack of in
spection; J. Bruce Ismay, a passenger,
and Captain Lord of the Californian
for failure to take the necessary steps
toward rescue when the Titanic's sig
nails of distress were seen.
Washington, May ga scathing
arraignment of J. Bruce lsmay and
White Star line officials in New York,
a denunciation of many members of
the pickup" crew of the Titanic and
sweeping charges of incompetency in
the management of the line will be
made in the report of the special sub
I committee appointed to investigate
the Titanic disaster by the United
States senate. 1t will be given to the
senate Tuesday morning.
! The report will be submitted by
Chairman William Alden Smith of
Michigan. Senator Smith has COM
pleted his speech, which he will de-
liver with the submission of the re-
port, and in which he will make an
earnest plea for the enactment of leg
islation which will make such an
other horror as that of the Titanic
limuossible.
OFFICERS NOT SPARED.
The report spares neither j. Bruce
Ismay nor his subordinates in New
York. Direct responsibility for the
accident is laid to Captain Smith, and
it is pointed out that, had he needed
the warnings of ice sent him by the
Amerika and other vessels, the lives
of the l ,631 victims would have been
saved.
Pointing out that the speed of the
Titanic Just before it struck the ice
berg was "a " miles an hour, and
that It had been steadily increased
after receiving ice warnings by wire
less, the report asserts that the pres
> ence on board of Ismay, the managing
director of the line, and Andrews.
the designer for Harlan & Wolf, the
constructors, was undoubtedly an in
centive to making this great speed.
IsMAY KNEW DANGER.
1t is stated that President Ismay,
who got away safely, was advised i'm
mediately of the danger, while many
passengers were not, the impact, al
though equal in momentum to the i'm
pact of the combined broadsides of
20 great battleships, being scarcely
felt on the vessel, such was it's giant
size and tremendous stability.
, The report recites that members of
the pickup" crew with which the
White Star line manned the vessel
: were unacquainted with each other
most confusion when the vessel
struck.
EVENTS RECITED.
Much space is devoted to a brief
and effective recital of incidents on
: the vessel after the iceberg had slid
= along its side, leaving a great, gaping
hole in the starboard bilge, through
which water was pouring at such a
rate that it sank 10 feet within a few
: hours.
: WARNED BY COLD.
The report riddles the assertion of
= many members of the crew that the
I sudden drop in the temperature
2 which was noted and testified TO by
almost every witness placed under ex-
amination was no warning of the ap-
proach of ice.
Officer Lightoller sneered when ask
ed if the sudden cold was not an in
! dication, but he refused to say what
. such indications consisted of.
Concerning the lifeboats, it is re-
ported that none had compasses
l only three had lights, all were insult
t fciently manned and none by sailors
q The Indifference of such officers and
I warrant officers as did get into the
D boats 70 the cries of distress is caus-
j, tically commented upon.
D COULD HAVE BEEN SEEN.
In the general criticism OF the con
!, duct OF the crew and the insuhiciency
= of the life saving apparatus, comment
e is made on the statement OF the look
G outs that had they been provided with
e marine glasses they could have sight
= ed the iceberg much earlier; in time
in fact, to have avoided the collision
! Baptists Elect.
e Des Moines, May 23.-The princi
: pal business OF the Northern Baptis