Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-04-20

HORRlFlED AT THE NEWS
Captain of Sister Ship Minimized Dis.
aster. Fearing Serious Effect on the
Ships Company. sia

on board steamer Olympic, Ply
mouth, England, April 20.-It was not
until the English papers were brought
on board here today that the terrible
horror of the Titanic's disaster was
realized by the vessels company. No
details of the death list had been fur
nished here and only the most mearrc
details of the great tragedy had been
on board of the ill-fated Titanic's sis
ter ship.
As far as possible Captain Haddock
and the officers of the Olympic mini
mZed enroute the tragedy because
they feared for the ships company.
But when the British papers were
brought on board here and the great
black faced lists of the dead were
read, the magnitude Of the tragedy
comes home to all of us.
Some of the women passengers on
board the Olympic were on the verge
OF faInting when they read the names
of friends and acquaintances who had
tone etO the bottom with the lost lev
latham.
Money was freely Offered for the
relief funds. Mortimer l.. Schiff, the
New York banker, headed the list
with subscription of $500 and within
a few minutes $500 had been raised.
Lady Ashburton, who was formerly
Francis Belmont, the New York
Floradora beauty gave $lO0 and
Madame Gmone gave a similar amount
The first news Of the tragedy came
to us from the rumors while we were
at breakfast on Monday. There were
no confirmation or verification- until
noon when bulletin was posted in
the smoking room and in the women'S
lounge. This announced that the IT,
tanic had collided with an iceberg but
that all of the passengers we're safe.
| tried to Communicate this to land by
wireless. but the pursuer said this
would be impossible because the wire
less was being utilized to its fullest
capacity to get news of the tragedy
and to communicate with the Titan
ic," Which we passengers later learn
ed, was even then at the bottom Of
the sea.
Later the pursuer offered to accept
u bulletin to send to the United Press.
He carefully edited the first message,
but later returned it saying he could
not send it. Finally however, hc
did send through one message.
Immediately after dinner on Mon
day night Captain Haddock caused to
be posted posted bulletins announcing
that the Titanic had been totally deS-
troyed and that all Of her company
had gone to the bottom with the en-
ception of 675 who were then on the
Carpathia.
EIIOTlS lD Scnu "DTu W IdH'l ny
wireless from then on proved futile,
1t was stated that the wireless was
in constant use for line business.
There was a rumor among the stew
ards that the officers Of the Olym-
pic knew that the Titanic had sunk
several hours before they posted the
news but withheld it in the hope that
there might be an error. They wcr"
almost unable themselves to credit the
dreadful news.
The holding up of the wireless mes
sares | believe was more due to cx-
citement than to any desire on the
part of the Olympic's officers to es-
tablish a censorship.
London, April 2O.--The fund be-
ing raised for the Titanic's survivors
passed the S250,o00 mark today and
is growing constantly. Checks and.
money are coming in on every mail
and it is certain that England's c0ntri
button will be more than half mil
lion dollars.