Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-14
THEY FAIL TO AGREE
Witnesses in Titanic Inquiry
Before British Board.
VARY ON DISTRESS CALL
Capt. Lord Of the Californian First
to Be Heard.
EVENTS OF DISASTER RECALLED
Skipper Does Not Remember Being
Called During Night-Appren-
tice seaman's Story.
VARY ON DISTRESS CALL
EVENTS OF DISASTER RECALLED

LONDON. May 14.-In the expecta-
ton that j. Bruce Ismay, managing d.
rector of the White Star line, would
be present. the hall and galleries were
well filled today when the British
court of inquiry into the Titanic dis
aster resumed Its sessions.
Capt Stanley Lord Of the Californian.
vessel which was in the vicinity
when the Titanic sank, was the first
witness to undergo examination.
Sir Rufus Isaacs, attorney general, In
dicated that there would be material
difference between the stories of the cap
tain and his officers In regard to the
steamer seen from the deck Of the Cali
fornian during the night Of the catas-
trophe.
Capt. Lord said he was sure the steam
er was not tie Titanic, but a vessel of
about the size of the Californian.
He said he had not been told that the
deck lights of the vessel had disappeared.
The second officer of the Californian, he
said. reported in the morning that the
vessel whose masthead light had been
seen had stopped during the night, but
had started again at about / o'clock and
went off to the southwestward, her stern
light being seen at O'Clock.
Saw Only One Rocket.
Witness continued:
'It was reported in the morning that
the steamer which had been seen during
the night had fired several rockets. but l
saw only one. If they had been distress
signals I should have heard the reports
of the rockets, as the vessels were only
five miles apart. / did not hear that the
Titanic had sunk until the morning. At
the time / thought. as she was reported
to be nineteen miles away, We might have
seen her sinking.
Allen Edwards. representing the Dock
ers' Union. asked Capt. Lord whether
he and his officers had not been offended
by a wireless message received from
the Titanic telling the Californian to
shut up
Capt. Lord replied that they did not
discuss it.
The other officers of the Californian
were sent out of court during the ex-
animation of Capt. Lord.
Was Told of Night Call.
Capt. Lord said that both the appren-
tice and the second officer who were on
the bridge during the night told him in
the morning that he had been called dur
ing the night and report made to him
that a vessel nearby had been firing
rockets and that he had answered the
calls. He, however, could not remember
doing SO, and in the morning asked the
second officer why he had not been called.
That officer replied that he would
have called the captain himself If he
had thought that the rockets were dis
tress signals.
According to the apprentice. Capt
Lord, when he was called, asked If
the lights were white ones.
Sir Rufus Isaacs asked: "Why would
you ask that question:
Because the company signals are made
with colored lights Capt. Lord respond
ed.
Sir Rufus Isaacs next asked: 'Then
white lights are distress signals?"
Some companies use white lights" re-
piled the witness.
Lord Mersey and Sir Rufus Isaacs pro-
tested that the captain was not doing
himself justice.
Capt. Lord in reply to his own counsel
said: while 1t would be dangerous to
go through ice, II ! had known the tt
tanic was sinking I should certainly have
done SO. although I do not believe /
could have reached her in time
Testimony Of Apprentice.
Gibson, an apprentice on the Cali
fornian. who was on the bridge Of that
vessel during the night of the disaster.
said that he could not see the outlines
of the steamer which was lying nearby,
but only the glare Of her lights.
Witness said that while watching the
steamer which was firing rockets. the
second officer remarked that the steamer
was not firing rockets at sea for nothing
and that she appeared to be very queer
out of the water and seemed to have a
heavy list to starboard.
Gibson told of his reporting the firing
of rockets to Capt. Lord. a report which
the captain had previously testified that
he did not remember receiving Gibson
said that the captain was awake
Witness further testified that at $40
long after the Titanic had sunk, he saw
another rocket