The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-04-22
.OYR-N()R|ED OPERATORS
OF scanty Experienee Were In the
Tftaniess Wireless Room On the
Nlghf Of the Wreck

New York, April 22.-With dramatic
suddenness the Senate Investigation OF
the Titanic disaster came to an end
Saturday, so far as the New YORK
hearing was concerned.
1t will be resumed, however. In
Washington today, when j. Bruce Is
may and p. A. s. Franklin, the chief
officers of the White Star Line, and
more than score of officers and crew
of the sunken vessel will appear be-
fore the committee.
Incident to the sudden close OF the
hearing here was the story or Harold
S. Bride the second and only surviv-
ing wireless operator of the Titanic
His tale was one of suffering and OF
death. He told of the final plunge OF
the vessel to its ocean burial. Its
captains end was also revealed. He
Ieaped from the bridge when the wa
ters were closing over his ship.
An UnAeeded Warming
phase of the laxity of the wire
less, so far as man is concerned was
developed by the chairman. He drew
from the witness an acknowledgment
that on Sunday evening Bride was
sitting with the telephone apparatus
strapped to his ears. adjusting his ac-
counts, while the steamship California.
seeking to warn the Titanic that ice
bergs were invading the lanes of ocean
travel, called necessarily. Bride said
he heard the call but did not answer
because he was busy" It was not
until half hour later that the Cali
fornia, striving to reach the steam
ship Baltic, reached also the Titanic,
whereupon the warning that three
huge icebergs had been sighted was
noted by Bride and verbally communi-
Gated to the liners captain.
stiney Steamship Company Emplays
Incompetent Men
Like Gotham. who is 90 years old.
Bride is merely q boy. Neither had
any te1egraphic experience previous to
taking up wireless telegraphy and
both told tales Of long hours at low
wages and days and nights spent
without sleep.
This inexperience and the mental
condition of the young operators were
the two points on which Senator Smith
bore persistently. He had put Cot
tam through gruelling examination
In which the youth testified he had not
slept more than eight hours between
Sunday night when the Titanic called
for help and Thursday night when the
vessel docked here. Brides story was
one that bore out virtually all that
Cottam established except that his
was one of nervous strain and worry
and high keyed suspense.
4 RuheA Of Amateurs
Bride was closely questioned to
the first call for aid sent out by the
Titanic. He said the first vessel to
answer was the Frankfurt of the
North German Lloyd Line The opera
tor on the Frankfurt. according to the
witness. apparently considered the
call more or less trivial for half an
hour after receiving the imperative
appeal OF the sea, he called the Titanic
to inquire specifically just what was
wrong.
Bride testified, referring to the chief
operator on the Titanic who lost his
| life, "and told him to keep out
| No effort was made to reestablish
communication with the Frankfurt, al
| though Phillips felt certain that the
vessel was nearer than the Carpathia,
with which communication had been
affected. This, Bride said. Phillips
judged by reasons of the greater pow
er of the Hertsian waves
"As I have said, we did not try for
the Frankfurst for any length Of time,
but concentrated our messages on the
Carpathia, which had answered that
she was rushing to our aid"