Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1912-04-26
OFFICIAL STORY OF THE GREAT DISASTER

ic," said the captain, was, Engine.
room nearly full of water ! answer.
ed that ! was rushed to her aid. Eek.
rect to reach your position about 4 30
o'clock ! flashed back"
Was the Titanic on her right
course when she first spoke your" Sen.
ator Smith asked.
Absolutely on her regular course
bound for New York said the cap
tain. she was In what we call the
'southerly,' to avoid icebergs."
DO YOU think that the route is a
practical one?"
quite so; but this is noteworthy
exception"
Captain Rostron declined to say
whether Captain Smith had warning
enough and might have avoided the
ice II he had needed.
would you regard the course taken
by the Titanic In this trial trip as ap.
propriate, safe and wise at this time
Of the year," Senator Smith contin.
ued.
quite So"
sWhat would be safe. reasonable
speed for ship of that size and in
that course?"
II did not know the ship" the cap.
tain said, "and therefore cannot tell"
Dared Ice To Reach Titanic.
81 had seen no ice before the Titan.
ic signaled us, but knew from her
message that there was ice to be en-.
countered. Tut the Carpathia went
full speed ahead. had extra officers
on watch and some others volunteered
to watch ahead throughout the trip"
Captain RostrOn said the Carpathia
had twenty lifebOats of her own in &C
cordance with the British regulations.
Would not that indicate that the
regulations are out of date, your ship
being much smaller than the Titanic,
which also carried twenty lifebOats?"
Senator Smith asked.
"No. The Titanic was supposed to
be a lifebOat herself"
You say that the captain of ship
has absolute control over the move.
ments of his vessel"
YES, by law that Is the rule" Cap.
tain Rostron answered.
But suppose we get orders from the
owners of our ship to do certain
thing - If we do not execute that or.
der we are liable to dismissal. When
| turned back for New York with the
rescued ! sent message to the Gun.
ard Line Office saying ! was proceed.
ing to New York unless otherwise Or
dered. then Immediately proceeded.
! received no order to change my
course"
lsmay, sitting in corner, smiled as
Captain Rostron said he never knew
of managing director of one line Civ.
ing directions to the captain Of anoth.
er line when passenger on the cap.l
tain's boat.
At Representative Hughes sugges-
ton, Captain Rostron was asked fur.
Their about the lifeboat with one officer
and one seaman in il. This was the
boat from which the Representative
daughter was rescued. At least two
women were rowing. In another life.
boat he saw women at the oars, but
how many he could not tell.
Why so few messages came from the
Carpathia was gone into. Captain
Rostron declared the first messages,
all substantially the same, were sent
to the White Star Line, the Chnard
Line and the Associated Press. Then
the first and second cabin passenger
lists were sent, and then the wireless
failed.
Senator Smith said some complaint
had been heard that the Carpathia
had not answered President Taft's in.
quiry for Major Butt. Captain Ros
tron declared reply was sent, mot
on board"
He declared he knew of no attempt
OF President Taft to communicate di.
rectly with the Carpathia.
Captain Rostron testified he issued
orders that no messages be sent eX.
cept on instructions from him and for
official business to go first, then pr.
vate' messages from Titanic survivors
In order of filing.
Absolutely no censorship was eXer.
cised," he said. The wireless contin.
ued working all the way in, the Mar.
conf operator being constantly at the
key.
In discussing the strength of the
Carpathia's wireless, Captain Rostron
said the. Carpathia was only IS miles
from the Titanic when the call for
help came.
Our wireless operator was not on,
duty" said Captain Rostron. but as
he was undressing he had his apparat.
us to his ear Ten minutes later he
would have been In bed and we never
would have heard"
Captain Rostron was then excused.
Chairman Smith despatched Assist.
ant Sergeant-at.Arms Cornelius to the
White Star docks to bring before the
committee as witnesses a seaman from
each of the rescued lifeboats.