Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-10

> Wrilllnan added that an explosion on
the Titanic Killed a great number Of
people and blew him along with wall
of water toward a bundle of deck chairs
on which he climbed.
Mrs Mahala Douglas, a Titanic pas
senger. in n sworn statement quoted Mrs.
4, Ryerson of Philadelphia as saying that
Ismay showed her Marconigram and
announced that they We're 'in the ice
bergs.
"of course you will slow down." asked
Mrs Ryerson.
"oh no" he replied. 1--WE will put on
more boilers and get out of it."
Mrs. Douglas said this story was told
by Mrs. Ryerson in the presence of Mrs.
Myers of New York and others. Mrs.
Douglas severely criticized the 'fneffi
cheney of the crew" of the Titanic
just before recess Mr. Farrell made
q formal statement explaining that the
reports his company published came
chiefly from the office of the White
star Line. fha Iaffan News Bureau and
the Boston News Bureau. He contend
cd that the expression standing by
in connection with the Baltic and Vir
gilman was only a nautical indication
,fIe said that at s A. NJ. on the fate
full Monday a reporter received infor-
nation from White Star representatives
IN their New York office which was
summarized on the Dow Jones 4 Co.
news tickers as follows:
"ofcers Of the White Star Line stat
cd at S O'Clock. this morning, that
passengers on the Titanic were being
taken OF in boats, and that there was
no danger of loss of life. The Baltic
and the Virginlan they stated. were
standing by 10 assist IN the rescue
Mr.. Farrell added. TO the lay
mind standing by conveyed the mean
ing that the vessels We're in the inn
mediate vicinity holding themselves In
readiness TO render aid Its use. how
ever, appears to have been in the tech
meal nautical sense, indicating that the
vessels had received the C. @. D.. re
sponded to ii and had headed their
course toward the Titanic.
"The statement was cabled to Lon
don and later in the day at least two
DISPATCHES Of similar purport, but diff
ferent yerbiage, were received from diff
ferent quarters and may have repre-
scented merely a return of the same re-
port from other parts of the world.
In New York they were at the time
taken as confirming the earlier state
ment made at the White Star office.
No one was willing TO believe and in
fact at The time could believe that the
Titanic had sunk Every scrap of what
purpor ted to be news indicating safety |
of the passengers was seized with |
avidity and rushed by telephone. tele-
graph or cable to all parts of America |
and Europe.
..This process doubtless entailed du- |
pfieation of the same messages flying |
back and forth which was enormously |
construed as conflrmatory evidence.
@As an example of the misunder-
standing arising, | am informed that
the White Star officers at Boston call |
ed up the Allan Line in Montreal by |
telephone to get confirmation of a re- |
port that all Titanic passengers were
transferred to the Virginian and the
Titanic was proceeding to Halifax un-
der her own steam. The Allan Line
5-eplied that they had such a state |
ment. meaning that they had heard |
such report The White Star Bos-
ton office took this as substantiating
the rumor and accordingly called up
the White Star office in New York,
confirming the message to Vice Presl-
dent franklin. Doubtless many similar
eSges of tlnintentional errors occurred
IN The same way. the chances of error,
of course being increased ms the re-
ports went through different channels
Just before Farrell's testimony was
concluded at the afternoon session Sen
ator Smith asked:
WAS there any attempt TO suppress
any news item in possession of you or
your company"
"There was not" replied Farrell.
ANY pressure brought 10 bear?"
mo. sir. If there had been it would
have been resented.
Was any attempt made by the White
Star Line to influence your publication
81 know there was not answered Far
reli In conclusion.