The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-20


about life preservers.
Did any passengers get on?" ask.
ed Senator Smith.
u. b. Thayer. the second Marconi
operator. and Colonel Oracle. re.
call" said the witness. "All the rest
We're tiremen taken out of the water
Two of these died that night and
slipped off into the water. think the
senior Marconi operator did that"
Died from cold?"
"Yes. SIR"
WAS there any effort by others to
get on board?" continued Senator
Smith,
We took all We could"
There must have been others In
the water?"
But not near us"
How far away?"
Seemed half a mile"
"Who took commando"
Il did, as far as necessary
when you left did you see any
women or children on board?"
NO, SIR
ANY passengers on the so-called
boat deck?"
"a number"
An error in his testimony was cor.
rected by the witness saying there
We're twenty lifeboats aboard. four OF
which were collapsible. One boat
stuck In its tackle and never got off.
How were the passengers selected
to fill the boats?"
by sex"
Who determined who should so:'
II did"
"How?"
whenever saw woman pu,
her in except stewardesses. I turned
those back
Did you see any attempt to gel
women to go who would not?'
eyes"
why would they not go?"
Il hadn't time to learn"
Did any ask for their family te
go?"
Yes, one or two?"
Did any families go?"
No"
In the first boat to be put off. Light.
holder said, he put 20 to 20. Two
seamen We're placed in it, The Off.
that the fact that women rowed die
not show the boat was not fully
equipped.
At that time he did not believe the
danger was great. Two seamen placed
in the boat. he said. were selected by
him. but he could not recall who
they were.
How did you happen to name
mthe."
Because they were standing near
did they want to go?"
Il did not ask them; they went by
my orders"
How many passengers did the sec
ond boat take?"
About thirty" said Lightholder
Two men as far as l remember, sir
Did you see that boat again"
Not to my knowledge"
THE third boat?"
by the time l came to the third
boat-all these on the port side
began to realize that the situation
was serious, and l began to take
chances"
How longi did all the work o,
loading and lowering a lifeboat take p
1T was difficult to say, but think
about Is or 20 minutes"
How many passengers did the
third boat contain?"
Il filled her up as full as l dared
sir. then lowered her, baout 35. ]
think. The women and children
could not have been quieter if they'c
been in church"
In loading the fourth lifeboa,
Lightholder said he was runninr shor,
of seamen.
Il put two seamen in and one
jumped out. That was the first boa,
had to put man passenger in. He
was standing nearby and said he
would go If needed him.
Il said. are you a sailor?' and he
replied that he was yachtsman
Then ! told him that if he was sailo,
enough to get out over the bulwark,
to the lifeboat to get in. He did anC
proved himself afterward to be a YER,
brave man.
II didn't know then. but afterward
I looked him up. He was Major
Peuchen of Toronto" said Light.
Never
OF the fifth boat Lightholder had
no particular recollection. The last
boat I put out, my sixth boat" he
said. I'VE had difficulty finding women
l called for women and none were
on deck. The men began to get in
and then women appeared. AS rapid.
ly as they did. the men passengers
got out Of the boat again.
THE boats deck was only ten fee,
from the water when I lowered tn,
sixth boat. When We loered the first
the distance to the ater was seventy
feet"
All told. Lightholder testified, 21t
members OF the crew were saved.
III the same course was pursued or
the starboard side as you pursued or
the port. in filling boats. how do yor
account for 30 many members of tho
crew being saved?" asked Chairman
Smith.
II have inquired especially an6
have found that for every six person.
picked up. five were either firemen OF
Stewards
Some lifeboats. the witness said
(Continued an pouo Ky