The Washington herald., 1912-04-25

left the stand. 70 hold himself IN readi
ness to obey the wishes Of the commit
tee.
Harold Godfrey Lowe. junior oficer OF
the Titanic, testified that he had FOLLOWED
the sea for fourteen years. having starte<
on a sailing vessel
Senator Smith questioned the witness Il
regard to the drills that had been held
on tie Titanic and then asked Lowe II h
knew that the Titanic was on the Grand
Banks OF Newfoundland on that fatefu
Sunday night.
Yes; knew where she was. as fai
as that goes, but never had crossed ths
Atlantic before" said Mr.. Lowe.
saw Twenty IceberEs.
did you know that was the region Of
the icebergs and the field lce2f
well, you must understand that had
never been there before"
"You had certainly heard about it7"
II cannot say that I have. sir"
you never heard about fee In the vicln-
ity OF Newfoundland
mo. sir"
Have you ever heard about ice any
where?'
"Yes. on Cape Horn.'
Have you ever seen an iceberg or a
growler?"
II have seen icebergs- down South.
The witness testified that on the Mon
day morning following the collision he
saw twenty or more icebergs within four
or five miles from his position.
Lowe testified he was on duty from
to S o'clock on the Sunday night OF
the collision. He had busted himself
working out the ships table and doing
odds and ends. He went to bed soon
after his detail had ended at s O'Clock
Officer Lowe testified the speed Of the
Titanic from noon until O'Clock when
he prepared the chart was about q
knots.
Awakened by voices.
of1cer Lowe said he went to bed be-
tween Sis and $50 o'clock in the even
ing. Il was awakened he added, by
hearing voices. and 1 Thought II was
very strange, and realized there must
be something the matter; 50 looked
out and l saw a lot OF people around
and ! jumped up and got dressed and
went up on deck
Lowe explained that IL asHteboat with
floating capacity or sixty-five was
filled with that number before II was
lowered. there would be grave danger OF
the boat buckling. breaking IN the mid
die, because the only support would be
at the ends. Though making most con-
servative estimates on this point. II de-
veloped later Lowe took fifty-eight in his
boat, or nearly maximum floating ca
pactty. Senator Smith sought to ascer-
tain why. according to Maj. Peuchem's
charges there were not enough men ae
the boats competent to man them
You must remember" said Mr.. Lowe,
that when this accident took place there
was Crowd Of men went down, which
accounts for the shortness Of sailors-a
crowd OF men went down with the boat
swain to clear away the gangway doors
in the hope that we should be able to
send people down there when We had
lowered the boat down.
Denies Peuchem Charges.
Second oficer Lowe was followed on
the stand by Robert Hichens. a quarter
master, who was at the wheel when the
Titanic struck the iceberg. HIchens was
also the man accused by Mai. A. G.
OF brutality and negligence.
Hichens took occasion to deny the
charges of Mai Peuchem. He said he
was put in charge Of the boat by one Of
the officers and told to row toward the
light vessel on the port bow. This he
did, he said. He had in his boat thirty
eight women. one seaman. two male pas
one OF whom was an Italian
boy with a broken arm and the other
Maj. Peuchem.
Every one seemed quite upset" said
Hichens. II told them some one would
have to pull the oars. II was a danger
ous place, the snip was going down, and
as was in charge Of the boat thought
| ought to steer. / told them-women
and alf-they must do their best.
"a mile from the ship, after we had
been unable to get any nearer to the
light, which We thought was a cod
banker. we stopped and tied up to an
other boat. After the lights of the Titanic
went out we heard some cries. Some said
I was the other boats hailing each other.
suppose they said that so as not to
alarm the women"
HicAens denied that the women had
urged him. as Mai. Peuchen had said. TO
90 back and try to pick up some OF the
survivors. 1t would have been impossi-
Die, he said. as he was too far away, and
lfter the lights went out would not have
Known in what direction to steer.
Hichens was accused. he said, by a
Mrs. Myer. OF wrapping himself in
using bad language, and
drinking whisky. He declared before
he committee that a woman had given
him a spoonful OF whisky out Of
iask she had. and another woman had
given him half wet and half dry
with which to cover his head.
Asked IL he had had any trouble with
Maj. Peuchem, Hichens said:
r About ten minutes after he came
nto the boat he wanted to take charge
II it. 1 told him was in charge of |
he boat and to do as he was told. He |
iidn't answer, but went forward and |
'at down beside Seaman Fleet, who had |
been doing all the work"
COrroborates Fleet Testimony.
In his account of what happened on !
he bridge just after the ship struck |
he iceberg, Hichens corroborated the \
OF Fleet about the iceberg |
'eing reported by the lookout, and the
attempt to port the ship |
round the berg This was at Il:4O. he |
aid. He stayed at the wheel until |
2:23, he stated, when he was relieved, |
md then he assisted with the lifeboats
lntil sent away in charge OF one.
At the conclusion of his testimony
senator Smith told HIchens to hold
imself subject TO the call OF the COM
nfttee. The Senator's colleagues, how
yer, urged Senator Smith to let Hich- /
ms go home to his family, whittier he
ad started ON the Lapland last Satur-
ay. only to be aiken on that ship by
he committee order. Senator Smith
old Hichens tlr4t he must yield to the
unanimous op nion of his colleagues,
royiding Hichens would agree to come
efore the committee again II It was de-
Ired he do so after he reached England.