The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-30
BETTER WIRELESS REGULATION
Essential at Sea Was the Opinion at
the Inquiry.

Washington, ID. g., April 3O.-After a
day of discussion intended to discover
the needed reforms in the use of wireless
telegraphy at sea, the Senate committee
investigating the Titanic disaster yes
terday enterd on the final stage Of its
inquiry.
Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the
wireless telegraph, +. M. Sammis, chief
engineer of the American Marconi COM
pany; wireless operators Bride and Cot
tam: a passenger, Hugh Woolner of
England; and Fourth Officer BoxhalI of
the Titanic were the days witnesses.
Virtually all agreed that better regula-
ton of wireless communication at sea
was essential.
1t was made clear early in the hearing
that the committee had made up its
mind to advocate legislation preventing
wireless operators on shipboard from
holding back details of disasters. Mr..
Marconi and Mr.. Sammis both aeknowl-
edged that mistake had been made in
sending messages to Bride and Gotham.
on board the Carpathia, until they had
seen Marconi and Sammis ashore
Senator Smith held out no promise as
to when the officers of the White Star
line would be released, but it was the
general understanding that they would
be freed as soon as Mr.. Ismay is exam
ined This, it was expected, would not
take long unless some additional facts
brought to the surface made it necessary.
p. A. s, Franklin, vice president of the
International Mercantile Marine, al
ready. has been subjected to examination.
When the inquiry was resumed after
luncheon, Hugh Woolner of London, a
survivor of the Titanic. was called to the
stand. He was asked to recite his OBJ
servations on the trip from Southamp-
ton until the accident, with especial ref
erence to the speed of the Titanic and
her equipment.
"The speed increased daily" said the
witness "One day the record was 314
miles and the next it had increased to
$50 miles. It was the last record posted,
| think"
Mr.. Woolner said that he inspected the
lifeboats and the life apparatus. He said
he considered the work of the sailors
very slow.
II made one remark to Captain
Smith" said Woolner, "when ] heard
him say that he wanted all the passen-
gers to 90 to the "A deck to get into
the boats there went up to him and
saluted and said: Captain, haven't you
forgotten that all those windows on "A
deck are closed? ? and he said My God,
you're right; call those people back
Only a few had gone down and they
came back. Everything went all right
after that"
Regarding the launching of the life
boats. the witness said:
There was certain amount of re-
luetance on the part of the women to
get in the lifeboats."
From your own observation, do you
believe all the women and children got
awayf"
Il do, all except Mrs. Straus. She
refused to leave Mr.. Straus although l
made two appeals to her.
"The second time | went up to Mr..
Straus and said Surely no one viii OBJ
jcct TO an old gentleman like you get
ting in the lifeboat, and he replied, I
will not go before the other men"
Woolner related the incident in re-
gard TO the flashes of a pistol which
aroused his attention when the first col
lapsible boat WAS being filled.
The Senate investigation into the