The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-04-24
Wireless Operator on Titanic
Said That He Heard Call
But Did Not Report
STEAMER CALIFORNIAN
SENT ICEBERG WARNING
Day of Investigation in Senate
Devoted to an Inquiry Into the
Way the Wireless Was Handled
During Scenes of the Disaster

NEW YORK, April 20.-With dra-
matte suddenness the senate investiga-
ton of the Titanic disaster came to an
end today so far as the New YORK
hearing was concerned. 1t will be re-
sumed, however, in Washington Mon
day, when j. Bruce lsmay and T. A
S. Franklin, chief officers of the W hlte
Star, and more than a score OF otncers
of the crew of the Sunken vessel VIII
appear before the committee.
Incidental to the sudden close of the
hearing here was the story of Harold
s. Bride, the second and only surviving
wireless operator of the Titanic. his
tale was one of suffering and death
He told of the final plunge of the yes
sci and revealed the end of Captain
Smith who. he said, leaped from the
bridge when the water was closing
over the ship.
In connection with the transfer of
the hearing to Washington it is init
mated the power of the senate on fed
eral territory will be undiSputed IN
getting real facts and no question OF
state rights could raise an interference
Wireless Operator Questioned
Throughout the hearing today Wire
less Operator Bride, crippled as the re-
suit of his experiences, seated IN an III
yalid's chair, told the story of last mo-
ended he was almost on the verge of
collapse. The committee devoted the
entire day on the connection of the
wireless with the disaster. H. I. Cot
tam, operator on the Carpathia, on be-
ing questioned, briefly substantiated
further the testimony given by him
yesterday.
Like Gotham, who is % years old.
Bride is merely a boy. Neither had
N
taking up wireless biography and both
told tales of long hours. low wages and
days and nights spent without sleep.
Gotham testified he had not slept more
than eight or ten hours between sun
day night and Thursday night, when
the Carpathia locked here.
Thought Call a Joke
Bride, on being questioned closely
as to the first call for aid for the
Titanic said the first answer was from
the Frankfurt, North German Lloyd
liner. The operator on the Frankfurt,
according to the witness, apparently
considered the call more or less trivial,
for an hour after he called the Titanic
to inquire specifically just what was
wrong. Chief Operator Phillips of the
Titanic called the operator on the
Frankfurt a fool and told him to
keep out" meaning the Frankfurt
operator was lnteTfupIlnS MS SlSndlS
to the Carpathia although Phillips felt
certain the Frankfurt was much
nearer than the Carpatha. This,
Bride said, Phillips judged by the
reason of the greater power of the
Hertzian waves. Senator Smith pressed
IT, witness for an explanation of why
the aid of a vessel many miles nearer
to the sinking ship was not invoked.
Bride evaded the direct answer say
ing he did not know, but that probably
the Frankfurt operator could not un-
derstand and that Phillips. his SUI
perior, had used his own Judgment.
Did Not Heed Warming
Bride acknowledged that sunday
evening he was sitting with the tele-
graphic apparatus strapped to his
ears, adjusting his accounts while the
steamship Californian, seeking to warn
the Titanic of icebergs called inces-
sanity. Bride said he did not answer
because he was busy" Not until half
an hour later when the Californian
was seeking to warn the steame
Baltic, was it noted by Bride and YER
bally communicated to the liners cap
tain. Bride, showing signs of a col
lapse, Senator Smith ceased his in
QUESTION on wireless and switched to
questions of the final scenes aboard
the Titanic. Bride and Phillips were
among the last to leave the vessel
Brides story OF the final hours of
the Titanic was substantially the same
as told by other persons who were
among the last to leave the big liner.