The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-04-25
White Star Official
Says it Wasn't
Official
ON MONDAY NOON
Company was Appriscd of
Truth About the
Disaster

Washington, ID. C.-The Senate
caucus room was crowded today when
the Smith investigation committee re-
newod its probe Of the Titanic disas-
ter here this morning. Detectives are
shadowing j. Bruce Ismay, managing
director of tile White Star line and
also members r f the Titanic crew.
Experts of the government service
are on hand to aid the committee.
Vice President Franklin of the
White Star Steamship company was
first witness called. He admitted that
the White Star officials had Il wire
less telegram Monday Don from Gaze
Race saying that the CaIpathia had
picked up twenty boat loads of pas
sengers and members Of the crew of
the Titanic and that all the rest of
the crew and passengers were lost.
However, his company, he stated, did
not make this public for six hours.
iiuihllh su4u ludl lIe IcdaUl why
this telegram was not disclosed was
that the report IA not official.
Franklin admitted further that
some one in the White Star office
might have sent out a false report
that all the passengers were safe,
but that no one was ordered by the
officials to co so.
Chairman Smith says that the
crew CT the Titanic viii be examined
first, so they can return home, and
that the passengers will come next.
London. England-W Will Crooke,
the Laborite leader in the house of
Commons, today obtained permission
ior q FUN debate of the Titanic trag-
cdy in the Commons tonight. He
charges that the statement of Sid
ney Buxton. president of the Board
OF Trade, is Extremely unsatisfact-
Dry"
New York City-At s O'clock this
morning, the White Star Officials had
received no word of identification of
Tins which were recovered by the
cable steamer Mackay Bennett.
TITANIC WIRELFSS OPERATOR
TELLS OF SINKING VESSEL.
New York City-With dramatic
suddenness the senate investigating
committee of the Titanic disaster
came to an end Saturday so far as
the New York hearing was concern
ed. IT will be resumed, however, in
Washington today, when j. Bruce L.
may and =. A. S. Franklin, the chief
officer of the White Star line, and
crew Of the sunken vessel will appear
before the committee. Incident to the
sudden close of the hearing here was
the story of Harold S. Bride, the sec
ond and only surviving wireless OPP
of the Titanic.
II. i. Gotham, the operator of the
Carpathia, vas the first witness. Sen
ator Smith sought to establish GER
tain testimony he had given on the
stand yesterday and this was soon
ended.
Star Witness Appears.
Then came the star witness of the
day. Bride was wheeled to the end
of the stage. He was hollow cheek
ed and weak and had just come from
a physicians care. His nerves were
quiet and he looked at his inter-
locked fingers necessarily.
Like Cottam, who is only % years
old, Bride is merely Il boy. Neither
had any Geographic experience pre-
.vious TO taking up wireless telegra-
at low wages and days and nights
spent without sleep
This ineXpcrionce and the mental
condition of the ycnng operators
were two points on which Senator
Smith bore persistently. He had put
Gotham through a grueling examina-
tion, in which the youth testified that
he had not slept more than eight
or ten hours between Sunday night,
when the Titanic called for help, and
Thursday night, when the vessel
locked here. Brides story was one
that bore out virtually all that Cot
tam had established except that his
was one of nervous strain and worry
and high keyed suspense.
Frankfort First to Answer
Bird, WIS closely questioned as to
the first call for aid sent out by the
Titanic. He said the first vessel tc
answer vas the Frankfort, of the
North German-Lloyd line. The oper-
ator on the Frankfort, according tc
the witness, apparently considered
the call more or less trivial for hall
an hour receiving the imperative ap.
peal of the sea she called the Titanic
to inquire specifically what was