The Washington herald., 1912-04-27

Lad sunk. and then a few minutes later
said that It was the Titanic which had
sunk. after hitting an iceberg. had
the chief ofiicer tell our wireless man to
get her position and that was the hrst
/ had OF the sinking OF the Titanic. As
We were trying to get the oficial posi-
ton from the Frankfurt. the Virginian
came In with this:
Titanic sinking. Struck an iceberg.
Wants assistance. Passengers in boats"
'sHave you any idea as to the identity
Of the steamer that lay alongside you In
the ice that Sunday night2' the captain
was asked.
mo- was the answer. 'we all thought
It an ordinary cargo steamer. At day
light we saw a yellow funnel steamer
eight miles away. but / don't think 1t
was the same one.y
Heard Ice Report.
Capt Lord was followed on the stand
by Cyril Evans, youth of twenty, wire
less operator on the Californian
Evans told how he was on watch in
the wireless room from early Sunday
morning until about 11:30, when after
sending the ice warning to the Titanic,
he went to bed.
Asked II he had any other communica-
INlOu Will Nlt DEolQct LuG IuGEtAkc
sent Sunday night, Evans said:
Yes, on Sunday afternoon, after send
ing an ice report to the Antillean. the
Titanic called up and we exchanged sig
mails. said: Here's a message-an ice
report The Titanic answered. AN right,
old man, I heard you send It TO the An
tiIlean.' .
Asked to recount the circumstances un-
der which he sent the last fee warning
m he mir 81 .s.-te
Evans said:
Just before that stepped out on the
deck and met the captain and told him
was In computation with the Titanic.
A little while before We had passed on
a report OF ice that we had sighted and
were then. the captain Informed me,
stopped in the midst OF an ice pack. The
captain suggested that as long as was
In communication with the Titanic bet
ter tell them how we were situated in
regard to the ice. So I went back and
sent the Titanic this message:
say old man. were stopped, sur
rounded by Ice
Told to s.shut Up.o
He replied: Shut up. Shut up. I'm
working Cape Race and I am jammed'
Evans explained that the Titanic oper-
ator meant by the word damned" that
the message from the Californian was
interfering with his communication with
Cape Race.)
Just before 6 o'clock I was awakened
by the chief officer. He said there was
a ship that had been firing rockets, and
asked me to please try and find out II
was the matter. I got up
partly dressed. and started the key.
calling all stations. / was answered |
by the Frankfurt. He said: do you
know the Titanic has sunk during the |
night, after colliding with an iceberg?"
No." 1 replied Please give me |
her position
"Just as he gave II to me the Vir- |
ginian came In. asking the same ques- |
ton. and replied that had just eheard |
about the sinking Of the Titanic, and |
asked him to give me oficiaf1y the IT,
tanic's position. He gave 1t to me. and /
/ was the same as the Frankfurt had
given me. sent It to the captain.
Was to Get $500.
did any one tell you he would re-
,eive or had received 500 for a story (
about the rockets seen from the Cali
Iornian that night2"
Yes, sir; the donkeyman said to me
night before last on shore when We were
standing outside the North Station, I'll
make 500 on this referring TO the mat
er of skyroC..ets. 1t was GIL He said
he had told the newspapers about IT."
Q.-were you offered or did you re-
,eIve any money for information in your
possession about the sinking Of the IT,
anic2 A.-No. sir.
Q.-wouId you receive money for such
Information as happens to be in your
possession? A.-NO.
Q.-Why? A.-Because / have no right
o receive money for such information.
That's ALL said Senator Smith.
That's Just what 1 wanted to get at"
Senator Smith and other members OF
he committee spent considerable time
With Evans, trying to get at the matter
II the rockets seen from the deck Of the
and the opinion formed on
he ship as to their source and meaning.
Evans made it clear that the matter Of
he rockets attracted a great deal Of at
ention on the Californian, and had been
he subject of conversation on that ship
ver since the night the Titanic sank. An
apprentice who was on the bridge had
old him that rockets had been seen from
he bridge, and that the Morse had been
ised in trying to attract the attention
4 the ship from which the rockets SEEM
c to come, but that no reply was re-
eived to the Morse signals sent from
he Californian.
Evans was excused from the stand, but