Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1912-05-01
TITANIC t | SIGNAL
PASSED BY SHIP
FIVE MILES away
Fourth Officer Says Vessel So
Close to Wresk He Gould
See Its Lights.
ICEBERG THIRTY FEET E: HIGH

.f-.. WV ~ -'5saASs4
ICEBERG THIRTY FEET HIGH
Made More Difficult to See Because
K Calmness Left no RIppIes on Sur
,5% face of sea-Vice President Tells
OF Efforts to Hush Up Disaster. s
Washington, April 23.--With succor
only five miles away, the Titanic Slid
into its watery grave, carrying with it
1900 Of its passengers and crew.
while an Unidentified steamer that
might have saved all failed or refused
to see the frantic signals flashed to 1t
for aid.
Y This phase of the tragic disaster
was brought out before the senate in:
vestigating committee when ]. B. Box
hall, fourth, officer of the Titanic, told
of his unsuccessful attempts to at
tract the strangers attention.
According to Boxhall this ship could
not have been more than five miles
away and was steaming toward the II
tanic. So close was it that from the
bridge Boxhall plainly saw Its mast
head lights and side light. Both with
rockets and with the Morse electric
signal the young officer tried to hail
the stranger. v
u ship Saw Signals.
n Captain Smith and several others In
the vicinity Of the bridge declared at
the time their belief that the vessel
had seen them and was signaling In
reply. Boxhall failed to see the re-
plies. however, and in any case the
steamer kept on its course obliquely
past. the Titanic without extending aid.
This, and the declaration by p. A.
IS. Franklin, vice president Of the
White Star line, that there were not
sufficient lifeboats aboard the Titanic
B to care for the ships company at one
time, were easily the features OF the
hearing.
The official was quizzed throughout
the session on the messages exchang-
ed between the Carpathia and himself
after the ship had started for New
York with the Titanic's survivors
aboard Among the survivors was ].
Bruce Ismay, managing director OF the
line.
Urged to Hold Cedric.
Among the wireless kilograms read
into the record was one from Mr.. Is
may urging that the steamship Cedric
be held until the Carpathia arrived
with it's sorry burden. He declared
he believed it most desirable that
the crew be. rushed out OF the coun-
try as quickly as possible. He also,
the message said !. would sail on the
Cedric, and asked that clothing be
ready at the pier for him when the
Carpathia locked, The senate's sub
poenas blocked the plan.
/ 33 Wanted to Avoid Scare.
Mr.. franklin told the committee
how he had asked to have the earlier
reports Of the Titanic disaster held up
ito avoid unnecessary alarm. He de-
MED any knowledge Of the message
signed by the White Star line and adj
dressed to Representative Hughes OF
West Virginia about the ships being
towed to Halifax and that all pas
sengers had been saved.
Mr. Franklin acknowledged that he
had issued reassuring statements
when he had no facts on which to
base them. : ~ .59s
The witness read from sheaf OF
wireless kilograms received Monday
morning. None Of them contained any
information OF value, but 1t was upon
this data that the line issued its state
ments in an effort, said Mr. Franklini
to reassure inquirers. 4 NJ
Gives Reporters NeWs.s
When the actual news came. he said.
he sent Immediately for the reporters
and proceeded to begin reading to
them the lengthy wireless message
from the Carpathia. giving the grue-
some news In considerable detail
Il began to read Titanic went
down this morning at 2:2O,, and then
7 looked up" said Mr.. Franklin.
There wasn't a reporter in the room.
Tney were all racing for phones to
get the news out to the world"
Mr.. Franklin denied that the White
Star company had any intention to
spirit away from the country any IT.
tanic officers or crew or that the
plans to return the survivors of the
crew were prompted by any desire
to suppress the facts. He said that
nothing that the officers or crew could
tell could affect what might be told
by surviving passengers. ts
Awful Mistake Made.
Mr.. Franklin. volunteered a state-.
ment relating to criticism Of the
White Star company for attempting
to return the crew Of the Titanic; to
Europe Immediately.
II think there has been an awful
mistake made about that matter" said
Franklin II would like to .clearit up.
The criticisms have been made that
we were trying to keep these men
from testifying. That is not SO. It
was not the eason at all. AS far as;
the crew are concerned it was our
duty to return them to their homes.
What possible harm could these.
men do us in an investigation? They
could not tell any more than the pas
sengers, many of them probably not
SO much. The worst they could say.
couldn't help matters"
Saw Vessels Lights.
That. part of Boxhall's testimony