Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-24
Fifth Officer H. G. Lowe
Tells of His Experiences


bhipped on a schooner. He knocked
hround the world on sailing ships. took
up the steamer and about fifteen months
ago joined the White Star line. Up to
khipping on the Titanic. he said, he never
before had been in the north Atlantic.
Examined Lifeboats at Belfast.
s''You were present at the test Of the
Titanic in Belfast harbor?" asked Sena-
tor Smith.
! YES, SIR"
''What did you do?'
( 81 looked to the lifeboats. With Mr.
Moody and Mr. Boxhan l looked over
the ifeboats, examined them carefully,
and found everything in them except that
in one case a dipper was missing. The
boats 1 examined were all numbered in
figures: the others were on the other side
of the ship"
Did you examine these boats person
ally?.'
Yes. sir
AS to the co.iapsible boats. Lowe said
he could not remember precisely what
was found.
I'VE did find that there were plenty
of oars, with extra oars for each boat,
he said.
You have detailed the requirements
of the British board of trade for life
boat?" Senator Smith asked.
NO. not all, but l can: and all the
requirements were in the boats. includ-
ing lights, compass, biscuit. etc" said
Fleet.
The witness said that while 1t had been
Ilanned to hold the lifeboat drill April
l. IL was postponed because there was a
breeze. In fact the witness said. 1t was
of the Titanic, her trip from Belfast.
No Test for Speed Made.
Was there any test made for speed?"
Senator Smith asked.
NO. sir. l know she was not tried out
She never had been tried out
And never WILL interpolated the SEN
ator.
And never WILL" echoed the officer
solemnly, adding that he believed the Tt
tanic was capable of making from twen-
ty-four to twenty-five knots an hour.
s.'Have you any idea yourself Of the
speed the Titanic made on her trial trip?',
the senator continued.
81 do not know exactly" Lowe replied,
but i believe 1t was between twenty and
twenty and a half knots
How many revolutions did that speed
require?''
Il can't tell exactly, because the revo-
buttons had not been entirely worked out
when the ship went down. We had been
working out the number of revolutions of
the engines to knot at certain speeds
to put in the chartroom; but the ship
WAS there any representative of the
British board of trade on the Titanic dur
ing the test trip
mot that / know Of"
Did you hear that there was from
any one?"
mo. sir
Drill Of Grew at Southampton.
sThe witness said that before the Titanic
sailed on it's maiden and last voyage one
drill of the crew was neld. He could not
remember whether 1t was held at Belfast
Or in the harbor at Southampton. He
hesitated also when asked his especial
station and did not know whether any
other officers were at their stntions on
the starboard side Of the ship, where his
station was located. :,
Il was a complete stranger in the ship
he said, in e6 tentlation.% Later he remem-
bered that the test was held at Southamp-
ton. He was in charge Of one of the two
boats lowered. The entire drill, he said,
consisted In rowing about the harbor for
half hour.
Now, Mr.. Love- the senator con-
tinued. no other drill took place after
that until the accident?'
NO drill took place after that
Was there no FIRE ,dsili--no alarfn; d
drill requiring the presence OF each man
There always is fire drill when we had
boat drill. There was fire drill previous
to the general drill at Southampton
Are you quite sure you had that fire
drillr'
LET me see," said Lowe II don't want
to be telling a storyI may be confusing
her with some Of the other ships"
said: I'VE will annul that because am
not sure
WELL" said the senator, 1--WE will not
annul that. and want your best answer"
We'll. I'm here to help you all I can,
and don't remember
Then that Is what you want us to
understand. You do not remember
Yes"
Officers Strangers to One Another.
Lowe said that most OF the officers OF
the Titanic at the beginning were stran-
gers to each other He confirmed the tes-
timony of others regarding the clear
weather on the T.tanic's voyage. The
temperature he said. was about 4s.
Senator Smith,
NOS fahrenheit said Lowe.
On the Sunday evening Lowe said that
the temperature was not lower than As
degrees before o'clock
Did you ever hear of ice in the vicinity
of Newfoundland?
NO, sir"
Did you ever hear of an iceberg?'' in
4uI.ru senator CIlitn. III surprise.
Yes, sir. ON Cape Horn
This one. Lowe said, was the only one
he had seen In his career Until he saw
a number at dawn the day following the
collision.
We're they in the course of the III
tanic."
Yes. sir. they must have been, for
they were all around the horizon
The biggest, he said. was at least 100
feet high This was from four to five
miles away and all were within a radius
OF six miles. The witness said that ice
bcrgs were one-eighth above water and
seren-eighths below.
The Secretary of the Treasury, Franklin
MacVeagh, arrived at the committee room
during loves examination and sat at the
committee table near the cha
throughout the morning session. Mrs
MacVeagh accompanied him.
!, Worked on Course of Ship.
Senator Smith asked Lowe IL he had
any part in determining the course Of
The Titanic on the fatal Sunday. He
said he did from noon up to the time
I'VE turned the corner about in the
afternoon.
Was the ship on its true course at
the time OF the collision" the senator
asked
q was in bed. but from the position IN
the chart l believe she was on tina
tack" said Lowe.
Pressed further for information about
the recognized tracks" Lowe said.
'sy on mtfsf reri1k,,6cr <ht. d. -, a..