Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-16
centage if hot the majority of the pas
sengers are Americans.
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| mentary newspaper dispatches seen at
the breakfast tables but in the early
morning hours there was nothing vital
to add to the alarming reports from
Cape Race. Something further was
expected every moment but there was
nothing at hand to relieve the anxiety
shown in every quarter.
The fact that at best the Virginian,
which appeared to be nearest to the
! Titanic could not reach here untX 10
o'clock this morning, however, only
added to the anxiety Of those here
who had friends on board. The bare
report that the vessel was sinking at
the bow at midnight, that women were
being taken off in life boats then and
that half an hour later wireless COM
munication was broken, were all re.
ceived with the utmost anxiety. There
was excellent reasons, however, for
belief that even though the Titanic
was In dire straits there was fair
chance that no lives would be lost
The Cape Race dispatch reported
the weather as calm and clear and in
a reasonably quiet sea there is little
danger in the transfer of passengers
to the life boats in which they might
wait with reasonable tranquility the
arrival of the Virginian this morning.
Other Boats Hit lcebergs.
It was difficult for even mariners to
interpret the situation from the Mar
conf dispatches. They could not un-
to take of any passengers If the liner
we're sinking slightly at the bow un-
less her captain felt that the water
a. ~, r. on
The presence of an unusually large
number Of icebergs in the path of the
transatlantic liners was Indicated by
wireless last week. Twelve hours be-
fore the news of the Titanic's accident
reached the Cap Race station the seri-
Gus menace Of the iceberg was pointed
out by the arrival here of the Cunard
line steamer Carmatia which reported
having lodged twenty-five big bergs,
some OF them more than $50 feet high.
The Carmatia reported that the French
steamer Niagara had a worse expert !
ence, having bumped into two small |
bergs which had punched holes in the
hull. The Niagara had this experience
on Thursday and unless she has great
ly reduced speed, she should reach
port some time today. The Titanic |
ran into the same ice
bank.
White Star Officers Statement.
Vice President P. A. S. Franklin of
the International Merchant Marine,
The highest official of the White Star
inc here, was one of the first to be
Notified Of the reported disaster, but
t was only through the Associated
Press that he learned of it, and for
hours thereafter he could only ex-
press his establishment at the news
md his doubt that such a large and
thoroughly protected ship as the Ii
anic could be in danger at sea.
Upon hearing the first reports he
poke reassuringly, saying that only
light or ten hours before the White
Star offices had received a wireless
giving the liners position. He was
ure if she had met with any accident
le would have heard from her
1--WE are absolutely satisfied that
ven if she was in collision with an
ICEBERG she is in no danger he said.
With her numerous watertight COM
artments she Is absolutely unsink-
BILE, and it makes no difference what
uO ulI0. AO AOPOiI oAASuAN INV SouoS |
ny serious anxiety"
At 9 o'clock this morning Mr..
rankin gave out the following state
1ent:
1--WE place absolute confidence in
he Titanic. We believe the boat is
bsolutely unsNkable, and although
he may have sunk at the bow, we
now that she would remain afloat.
We do not attach any significance to
he fact that there are no Marconi
Messages being received from the
oat. We think it denotes nothing but
he fact that the boat is in communi-
alton with other steamers, for she
lay have gotten off all messages she
'anted to send. We are not at all
,orried about the loss Of the ship,
ut we are extremely sorry for the
nnoyance and inconvenience to our
and the travelling public.
GU can make our views as forcible
s you like regarding the capabilities
f the ship to withstand any exterior
We figure that the Virginian (
f the Allan line will be alongside the
titanic by 10 o'clock and we figure
ne Olympic of the White Star line
nd the Baltic an hour later"
Mr. Franklin said also, after giving
ut the formal statement, that they
cured the boat 1880 miles from New !
'ork and 900 miles. from Halifax. He
dded that no direct communication
ad been received from the liner. 4
Mr. Franklin said he had received n
brief wireless from the Olympic '
aging she had talked by wireless 9
nth the Titanic at 4:24 o'clock this g
The message gave no fur.
her information. This message shows
Exclusively that the Titanic was :
till afloat six hours after the report +
d accident.
The officers of the Titanic are: i
Captain E. J. Smith, commander: +
urgeon, w. ]. O'Loughlin; assistant
urgeon, J. E. Simpson; purser, H. w. +
1cEleroy; second purser, r. L. Brock $
r; chief steward, A. Latimer. G
Franklin Makes Later Statement.
An hour later Mr.. Franklin author
.ed the following statement: