Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-05-04
SEA WIRELESS
REFORM NEEDED
PrObers win Urge Law Against
Withholding Wreck News.
OPERATORS ARE DEFENDED
Marconi Declares His Company Did
Not Seek to Delay Messages Of the
Titanic Disaster.

moi seek 10 beiay messages W wv
Titanic Disaster.
Washington, April 3o.-After a day
Of discussion intended to discover the
needed reforms in the use OF wireless
telegraphy at sea, the senate commit
tee investigating the Titanic disaster
entered on the final stage Of Its In.
quiry.
II was made clear that the commit.
tee already had made up It's mind TO
advocate legislation preventing wire.
less operators on shipboard from hold
ing back details of disasters. Mr.. Mar
conf and Mr.. Sammis both acknowl-
edged that a mistake had been made
in sending messages to Bride and
Gotham. on board the Carpathia, not
to give out anything until they had
seen Marconi and Sammis ashore.
+. NJ. Sammis, chief engineer of the
American Marconi company. also tes-
tilted. explaining what had aotuated
him In sending messages TO Bride and
Cottam. operators OF the Carpathia. to
hold their tales for -four figures" He
said he had made an arrangement
with New York newspaper for them
to sell their personal tales and had
sent the messages to the boys" in
forming them OF that fact.
Sammis declared that Bride and
Gotham. operators on the Carpathla.
should not be blamed for not sending
news OF the ship.
IF there Is any blame" said Sam
mis-. lit should be upon the. captain OF
the Carpathia. The captain of ship
is censor OF all wireless messages sent
from a ship. The operators are there
TO send and receive. They send moth
ing that the captain does not pass
upon"
Senator Smith demanded to know II
the witness did not believe Il would
have been more "creditable" to him.
self and to his company If they re.
warded such heroism as was shown
by Operator Bride rather than by seal
ing their lips to arrange for q pit
lance from private source?' The
witness replied that they were "all
doing the best they could"
Ablaze with light from her saloons
and cabins. the Titanic dashed full
speed ahead to her destruction. &C.
cording to Ernest Gill. donkey en-.
gineman on the steamship Californian,
gineman on the steamship Californian
gill said that Captain Stanley Lord.
OF the Californian. refused later to so
to the aid OF the Titanic. the rockets
from which could be plainly seen Oh
the Californian.
This Captain Lord denied, but both
he and his wireless operator acknowl'
edged to having seen the rockets.
Their ship. they said. was fast In the
Ice.
Gill's affidavit was listened to with
teh deepest interest by the committee.
Gill was present and was placed on
the witness stand Immediately alter
Senator Smith. the chairman. had fin
ished reading the affidavit.
Il saw the ship. which took to be
sworn. some time before midnight.
She was about ten miles away and
went part us apparently at full speed.
She was big ship and saw two tiers
OF lights. The Californian at the time
was caught in field Ice. its engines
we're stopped and she was drifting
with the Hoe"
The vessel. Gill testified. must have
been plainly visible to the bridge and
the outlooks. as well 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 10 get steam
and go TO the aid of the stranger so
incensed the crew that Gill tried TO
organize protesting party among the
men. He failed. he said, because OF
the timidity OF the men.
what time did the Californian get
up steam?" inquired Senator Fletcher.
Il don't know. exactly" said the wit.
ness. but II was some time after 5
o'clock"
From the rockets Gill judged the
distressed ship TO be not more than
twenty miles on. He described the
rockets. his description tallying with
that given by Fourth Officer Boxha'l
Of the Titanic. who sent them aloft
When he tried TO organize com
mittee OF the crew to go to the cap
tain and protest against his course.
he said the men were afraid they'd
lose their Jobs"