Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-04-29
-FOUR FIGURES"
IS EXPLAINED
Sale of Operators Personal
Story of Titanic Disaster
Was Meant
CARPATRIA WIRELESS BUSY
Few of 500 Messages Sent
Were Over Published Said
Inventor Marconi.

(By Special Leased Wire to New Mexlcass
Washington, D. c. April 29.-En-
deavoring further to repudiate any
intimations that he had sought to SIP
press or delay news of the sinking of
the Titanic, Guglielmo Marconi, in
ventor of wireless telegraphy, appear
ed today for third time before the
Senate Committee of Inquiry.
Mr. Marconi has discovered after
| leaving Washington last week that
he had sent a message to the operator
of the steamship Carpathia, urging
him to send news of the disaster to
the wireless station at Siasconset,
| Massachusetts, or two vessels of the
United States navy. He read copies
of these messages and declared that
when he was examined before he had
forgotten these messages.
Marconi Could Not Get Details.
Mr. Marconi also produced copies
Of many other messages which passed
between the Marconi office and the
Carpathia in an endeavor to get defi-
mite information. Mr. Marconi was
excused by the committee in order
that he might sail tomorrow for Eng
land.
Mr. Marconi read several additional
messages asking for news of indivdu-
ais, among them Mr.. and Mrs. Isador
Straus, Colonel John Jacob Astor,
Charles NJ. Hayes, Benjamin Guggen-
helm, and Major Archibald Butt.
why did you not get any reply to
these messages, sent by high officials
Of the Marconi Company"
Il have no explanation to give ex-
cept that the operators, l believe
were busy on the Carpathia all the
time sending messages from the sur
vivors on board to their families and
/ relatives and friends ashore"
Mr.. Marconi said he did not believe
that the captain of the Carpathia had
any disposition to prevent the send
ing of news.
Wireless Engineer Testifies.
F. NJ. Sammis, chief engineer of the
American Marconi Company, also tes-
titled, explaining what had actuated
! him in sending messages to operators
/ Bride and Cottam on the Carpathia to
! hold their stories for ''foIr figures" :"
He had made an arrangement with
newspaper for them to sell their
personal stories and had sent the mes
sages to the boys" informing them
OF that fact.
IF, as a matter of fact, the wire
less operators on the Carpathia were
busy, so busy they could not answer
messages from the managers of the
company which employed them is
there not some means of checking up
/ the exact amount of the business they
actually transmitted during those
four days." the Senator asked
Yes Mr.. Marconi answered, "it
would take time. We would have to
check up with the Carpathia."
/ Would Know What Carpathia Wire
less Did.
The Senator suggested Mr.. Marconi
find out just how much business was
done by the operators and whom it
was transacted with. He said if pas
sengers on the Carpathia were send
! ing as many messages as had been
claimed, he thought it strange that
| the public did not get the news from
relatives of the survivors.
Chief Engineer Sammis interrupted
to explain that he had handled all the
messages from the family of c. M.
Hayes. of the Grand Trunk and the
Astors, and that the information did
come that neither Mr.. Hayes nor Mr..
Astor was on board.
| 1--WE can show that during those
days personal messages were coming
from the Carpathia at the rate of
forty to fifty an hour" said Mr.. Sam
mis-. "The captain of the Carpathia
would not handle any other business
but that of getting news of survivors
to relatives. These messages were
not made public to any extent
carpathia Sent 500 Messages.
Mr.. Marconi said that Operator
Bride told him on land that from 400
to 500 messages had been sent from
the Carpathia and acknowledged by
the shore stations.
Il How can We ascertain what mes
sages were sent by Mr.. Isnay OF
others from the Carpathia?" asked
Senator Smith.
I only by getting the records from
y the ships themselves answered Mr.
Marconi.
There is a prohibition against the
publication of these records in the
English law"
i Senator Smith said he did not be
i lieve that phase of the matter would
effect the present hearing.
4 with reference to the Carpathia's
records" said Mr. Marconi, they nov
are on foreign ship in foreign wa
ters.
4 Senator Smith said the committee
desired all messages passing between
the Carpathia and ]. Bruce Ismay
managing director of the Information
al Mercantile Marine and officers Of
the White Star Line.