The Calumet news., 1912-05-28
DEAD CAPTAIN SMITH IS
HELD PARTLY RESPONSIBLE
Continued From Page one.

is often more desirable than learning,
and the inquisition serves a useful
purpose 10 the state.
In the construction OF the Titanic"
continued the senator. mo limit OF
cost circumscribed their endeavor and
when this vessel took its place at the
head OF the line. every modern i'm
provement in shipbuilding was sup
posed TO have been realized: so conf
dent were they that both owner ana
builder were eager to go upon the
trial trip.
when the crisis came. state OF
absolute unpreparedness stupehed both
passengers and crew and, In their
despair, the Ship went down. carrying
an needless a sacrifice OF noble wom-
en- and brave men as ever clustered
about the Judgment Seat in any sin
gle moment of passing time.
I'VE shall leave TO the honest
Judgment OF England It's painstaking
chastisement Of the British Board OF
Trade. 10 whose laxity OF regulation
and hasty inspection the world is
largely indebted for this awful fatal
iU. OF contributing causes there
were very many. In the face of warn
ing signals. speed was increased and
messages of danger seemed to stimu-
late her Ia action rather than 20 per-
suade Ter to fear.
Refers to Capt. Smith.
The Titanic rushed onward on her
true course---one recognized as appro-
priate and agreed upon by mariners
as the international highway for
westbound vessels. yet dangerous at
this season OF the year, when the La
trador current may be bearing vast
masses OF ice across the track OF
ships-scores Of these towering sla-
ciers planted themselves in the very
pathway OF this ship and were so
large and so numerous that. In the
absence of fog, they should have been
easily dlscernible by the lookout. If.
as he says I'm his testimony. he had
been supplied with glasses.
Capt. Smith knew the sea and his
clear eye and steady hand had often
guided his ship through dangerous
paths; for 40 years storms sought in
vain To VeX him or menace his craft.
His Indifference 10 danger was one
OF the direct and contributing causes
of this unnecessary tragedy. while
his own Willingness to die was the
expiating evidence OF his fitness to
live; those Of us who knew him we'll
rot in anger. but in sorrow-file one
specific charge against him, overcon-
fidence and neglect TO heed the Oft
repeated warnings of his friends; but
IN his horrible dismay. when his brain
was anrc with honest retribution. We
can still sec. i'm his manly hearing
and his tender solicitude for the safe
ty of women and little children. som,
traces of his lofty spirit
Captain Too Ovsreonfident.
The mystery Of his indifference 10
darger, when otrcr ana less preten-
tious vessels doubled their lookout or
stopped their engines. finds no reason
able hypothesis in conjecture or spec
uiation. science In shipbuilding was
supposed To have attained perfection
and to have spoken her last word;
mastery OF the ocean had at last been
achieved: but overconfidence seems
Ia have dulled the faculties usually so
alert With the atmosphere literally
charged with warning signals and
wireless messages registering their
last appeal. the stokers In the engine
room fed their fires with fresh fuel
registering i'm that dangerous place
her fastest speed.
Mature gave warning of ap-
peril so significant thal
i'm stateroom and steerago
shut out the chill and spoke to one
another of the sudden cold Sailors
off the Grand Banks know the i'm
ortancc of the thermometer, which |
IS almost as necessary to their safe
iy as Is the compass. Even the quar-
Icrmaster. Hichens who regularly |
ook the temperature OF the water
rom the sea. said: 1T suddenly be-
anne bitter cold and added that the
irst order received by him from Sec
md once Llghtoller at o'clock Sun
lay evening was to take his COM
,liments down TO the ships carpenter
md inform him 60 look to his fresh
gater. that IL was about to freeze"
Vulnerable Part Exposed.
Senator Smith declared that the
ommand of the officers of the watch
o avert the disaster actually expos
q the most vulnerable part Of the
titanic to the ice when the shock
anne.
"Distractcd by the sudden appear
nee of danger" said the speaker, "he
harply turned aside the prov. the
art best prepared to resist collision.
xposing the temple TO the blow; al
he turn of the bilgc the steel encasc-
1ent Yielded to n Elancing blow SO
light that the impact was not felt In
lany parts of the shin, although rep
an energy of more than a
,illion foot tons. said 10 be the equiv
lent of the combined broadsides of 20
( the largest guns I'm our battleship
Get fired az the same moment. with
blow so deadly many OF the pas
nngcrs and crew did not even know
Z the collision until tardily advised