Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-20
MAY NEVER KNOW
NUMBER Of DEAD

VUUIUln VI UlnD
CONTINUED From First Page.)
who was Secretary Of tho Navy under
Theodore Roosevelt.
The burden Of the testimony thus far
presented emphasizes the unquestioning
faith Of the Titanic's officers in her I'M
sinkable character, the rechessness Of
steaming full speed through a sea where
dangerous icebergs were known to threat
en-. and the remarkable calmness with
which passengers and crew faced the last
moments Of the sinking ship.
Will Take Another Route.
The T1tanics Nate already has resulted
in prompt action by tho transatlantic
companies to insure liners hereafter TAX
ing q course far to the south, where the
iceberg danger will no longer be present.
The various lines. 1t is announced, have
agreed on q new long course. which
dips far south Of the course OH which
the Titanic met disaster.
There Is little disposition to criticise
in which he met disaster. He showed
unusual caution. according to the naval
photographers, in steering a course we'll
to the south OF the regular southern
lane. The northern course, used by YES
sells for July to January. crosses the
Grand Banks in latitude AZ north, four
degrees farther up. the map than the
southerly or long course In which the
Titanic met its fate. AS matter of fact
the Titanic was sixty miles south Of the
regular southern course and was even in
danger OF collision with eastbound steam
ers which are entitled to right Of way
there by the rules Of the sea.
The new route eastbound provides that
St0amSlinH - Ia ND
the first third of their course, making a
total distance from New York to Fastnet
OF 5000 miles, where the distance is now
reckoned at 85S miles. Liners will thus
be carried 30 miles below the route here
tofore followed. The loss of time on the
new course will be about nine hours for a
twenty-four-knot boat. Boats Of the
Olympic class may be eleven or fourteen
gain. however, in having clear weather
most OF the time, avoiding delays from
fog.
Could Not Handle Boats.
There was some criticism among the
survivors here today Of the Titanic
crews inability to handle the lifeboats
THE crew Of the Titanic was a new
one, Of course" declares Mrs. George N
Stone Of cincinnati. land had never been
through a nfeboat drill, or any training
In the rudiments of launching, manning
and equipping the boats. Scores Of lives
thus were ruthlessly wasted, a sacrifice
to ineffciency: Had there been any sea
running. instead of the CLASSY calm that
prevailed, not a single passenger would
have safely reached the surface Of the
water. The men did not know how to
provisioned. Many Of the sailors could
not handle an oar with reasonable Skill
Albert Major, steward on the Titanic,
admitted that there had been no boat
drills and that the lifeboats were poorly
handled.
"One thing comes to my mind above all
else as 1 live over again the sinking Of
the Titanic he said. I'VE of the crew
realized at the start of the trouble that
We were unorganized, and, although every
man did his best. we were hindered in
getting the best results because we
couldn't pull together There had not
been a single boat drill on the Titanic.
The only time we were brought together
about y O'Clock on the morning we sailed.
From Wednesday noon until Sunday
nearly five days passed. but there was no
boat drill"
Tell Of Fire Before Disaster.
Another story told by members Of the
THAMES crew, which may have bearing
in the investigation Of the rapid sinking
Of the ship, is Of a fire which is said
to have started in one Of the coal bun <
ers Of the vessel shortly after she left
not extinguished until Saturday after
noon. The story. as told by a fireman, Is
as follows:
1T has been necessary to take the coal
out Of sections 2 and on the starb0ard
side, forward, and when the water came
rushing In after the collision with the
ice the bulkheads would not hold because
they did not have the supporting weight Of
the coal. Somebody reported to Chief En-
gineer Bell that the forward bulkhead had
God, we are lost.
THE engineers stayed by the pumps
and went down with the ship. The fire.
men and stokers were sent on deck five
minutes before the Titanic sank, when it
was seen that they would inevitably be
lost II they stayed longer at their work
of trying to keep the fires in the boilers
and the pumps at work. The lights
burned to the last because the dynanos
| were run by oil engines"
The story OF what precise injuries were
sustained by the Titanic in striking the
iceberg that caused her to sink has yet
| mystery.
No Official Statement.
The promised official statement of the
White Star line has not been forthcoming
and there is no indication when 1t will
be. Oflcers and crew rescued from the
| Inflated ship have been kept under close
watch and put under seal Of silence.
With the sailing "a majority OF the
| THAMES crew this morning on the Lap
| land. some sources Of Interesting informa-
| ton have been closed until the Red Star
| liner reaches the other side. United
States Senator Smith believes that GER
tain members of tho crew that he has
held here for examination may reveal
just what happened to the Titanic below
decks when she struck the berg.
Second Officer LghthQlder says that the
Titanic did not break IN two, but made
her dive diagonally into the sea, and that
| when half way under tho waves there
were two explosions, which he believed
| to be the boilers.
The survivors in the hospitals are re-
ported to be doing nicely this morn
ing, and they are being given every
care. Contributions to the Titanic sur
vivors' relief fund continue to pour In,
and more than $4,000 has been raised
so far. No more clothing is needed.
Happy were the members of the
Titanic's surviving crew as they pre-
pared to depart this morning on the
Lap1and. Generous merchants and others
had fitted them out with clothes, hats,
| brushes and razors and numerous other
things for their use. together with
money for their immediate needs. More
mil hn OF hxv ~