The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-05-05
Senator Smith Has About All the In
formation He Wants Now
About the Dis
aster.
COMPARTMENTS
Crew Did Not Know How to Operate
Lever Which Might Have Kept
Ship From Sink
Ing.

|. NOW YORK, May 4.-When the SEN I
ate committees investigation of the /
sinking of the Titanic was completed
here tonight by Senator Smith, it be-
came known that the committees re-
/ port, which may be ready fer the SEN
ate in week, will be based on these
facts brought out in the testimony:
The Titanic was warned of ice
bergs by other vessels.
The liner was running S3 knots an
hour and did not slacken speed.
Captain Smith was not on the
bridge but at dinner III his cabin.
The lookout in the crows nest not
provided with binoculars.
There was no evidence that the
watertight compartments we're closed
at all.
:, There was no testimony that the
life saving apparatus and safety de-
vices were properly tested before the
Titanic left Southampton.
! There were lifeboats for not more
than one third of those on board. 1t
4 was learned that some of the things
that Senator Smiths report to the
senate will recommend are:
: Requirement of life saving appara.
3 tus and liftboats sufficient for all on
4 board and sufficient watertight com
9 partments.
~ Standardization of the wiwless
. There will be an international wIra
+ less convention in Berlin in July anc
y Senator Smith said that this phase o
y the lesson taught by the Titanic dis
y aster will be taken UP there.
Just before he left for Washington
tonight, Senator Smith closed thu
senate investigation with the test
10 mony of H. Chambers, of New York, ;
= surveyor, who said the ships com
y partments were not closed. Chambers
- who is an engineer and familiar witt
= the mechanism of liners, swore tina
W the brass plate in e. deck, cover
10 ing the lever that operated the CON
u partments, was in place fifteen mir
u utes after the Titanic struck "Ha
the lever been operated, that plat
10 could not have been in its place." h
y said. He said members of the GREY
~ did not seem to know how to operat
the device.
1T pert Ficharu, RUSSIAN s'eeras
=. passenger on the Titanic, told of tn
-, steerage gates being locked. One ma
- broke it down after a ships Office
= threw him down the steps. Their
&c was a fight among the steerage me
: and women to get out but they wer
r. given equal chances with the first an
second class passengers after the
got on deck, Pickard said.
Harold Bride, wireless operator
the Titanic, was recalled In an effo
- by Smith to clear up the delayed me
10 sage from ]. Bruce Ismay to p A.
- Franklin, telling of the sinking of Il
liner Ismay said he filed the me
- sage on the Carpathia the morning
on April Is and it was not received
New York, Franklin said until tv
=, days later.
- Bride said he did not rememb
. -, seeing it. Harold CotWm, the ca
w pathia operator, sailed for Southam
'on ton today on the Caronia and cou
SOU not be reached.
IT. FISQ0llCh Ddui6I, SlAty Years "
for Al years with the Western Uni
:. Telegraph Co. denied that he handl
the alleged "Islefrank" wireless fro
~ 'Yamsi'' telling the White Star Ii
~ that the Titanic had sunk f.
10 Dunn, New York importer told I
'o' committee that Dauler's son told h
chat his fatheg delivery clerk in
Western Unions main office hand
that message early Monday. Dau
today swore that the message
ern told his son about was one receiy
and two days later from Ismay, ask
IN that the Cedric be held for h
day Senator Smith declared that his
quiry along that line had not BIZ
on; cleared up to his satisfaction the S
sun picion that the White Star line h
UP information.
oler