The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-04-30
Saws Californian Refused Aid.

Washington, April 26-Ablaze with
light from her saloons and cabins tie
Titanic dashed full speed ahead to her
doom, according to Ernest Gill, a don
key engineman on the steamship Cali
fornian, who testified today before the
senate committee investigating the
disaster. He said that Capt. Staney
Lord, of the Californian, refused later
to 90 to the aid of the Titanic, the
rockets from which could be plainly
seen. This Capt. Lord denied, but both
he and his wireless operator acknowl-
edged to having seen rockets. Their
ship, they said, was fast in the ice.
Gill submitted an affidavit to the
committee and when sworn and put
on the stand stuck to his charges
against the captain of the Californian.
He said he was standing on the deck
late Sunday night when he sighted
great ship sweeping along at top speed
about ten miles off. He did not know
it was the Titanic, but he made out
readily that it was not freighter or
a small vessel because of the manner
in which it was Illuminated. Some
time later he saw distress rockets on
the horizon.
Says Captain Knew of Signals.
He said the captain was apprised of
these signals, but made no effort to
get up steam and go to the escue.
The Californian was drifting with the
foe.
The vessel, Gill testified, must have
been plainly visible to the bridge and
the lookouts, as we'll as the rockets
which were sent up later from the
vessel. The Californian's captain, he
said, paid no attention to the distress
signals and his refusal to get up steam
and go to the aide of the stranger so
incensed the crew that Gill tried to
organize protest among the men. He
failed, he said, because they feared
''to lose their jobs
From the rockets Gill judged the
distressed ship to be not more than 20
miles off.
Sweeping Denial From Captain.
Capt Lord entered a sweeping de-
NAL of Gill's accusations and read
from the Calfornian's log to support
his contention. Cyril Evans, the Cali
fornian's wireless operator, however,
told of hearing much talk among the
crew, who were critical Of the cap
tain's course. Gill, he said, told him
he expected to get $500 for his story
when the ship reached Boston.
Evans told of having warned the
Titanic only a brief time before the
great vessel crashed into the berg that
the sea was crowded with ice.
The Titanic's operators, he said, at
the time were working with the wire
less station at Cape Race and they
told him to shut up" and keep out"
Within half hour the pride of the
sea was crumpled and sinking.
One Reform Certain.
1t developed today that one reform
that is certain to spring from the
present investigation will be enforced
in the wireless rooms of ships enter
ing or leaving American ports. This
concerns lack of authority over the
operators, pay hours and freedom
from responsibility, as brought out by
the testimony to date Senator Smith,
its chairman, announced publicly to-
day that such legislation was inevita-
BILE.
Senator Smith read into the record
at the New York navy yard, stating
note from Operator Young, of the
United States naval wireless station
that the "Carpathia would at no time
acknowledge receipt Of messages from
navy ships or stations
Capt. Stanley Lord, of the Califor-
nian, then took the stand. He had
brought the log of the Californian with
him from Boston and read from the
record. The entries include several