Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-04-25

II was properly loaucu lot towering.
What Is the official quota for such a
lifeboat?"
1T is 655."
You mcan---''
That 1t can carry 65 adults and say
boy or girl
Then you wish the committee to un-
derstand that lfeboat under British
regulations could not be lowered with
safety with new tackle and equipment
containing more than "a people?"
DANGER OF BuCKLING
"The dangers are If you overcrowd the
boat It will buckle UP from the two ends.
said Lowe. The 655 is a floating capacity.
If YOU load from the deck to lower, |
should no, like to put more than 80 in
a lifeboat'
MIR Boxhal has stated that his life
boat contained only g people when lower
ed" suggested Senator Smith. THAT was
not full capacity was it?"
We'll. he was not in charge Of that
boat, was he?" replied Lowe.
''1f Officer Lightolor said that boats
on the port side were not loaded with
more than S5 people because of safety,
those boats were not loaded to their full
capacity. were they?" Lowe was asked
That is a matter Of personal Judgment"
answered Lowe
What became of lifeboat No. 81"
1T was lowered and | saw It pull away"
Senator Smith then referred to Thir,.
Officer Pitmans testimony yesterday in
which he said there were 35 persons In
lifeboat No. 8. That being the case he
NJ rod tx.k,
to the rescue of the drowning. whose
cries he heard but did not heed
WHY SAILORS CAN'T ROW.
Had he attempted to rescue those in
the water he would have endangered the
lives Of those with him." said Lowe. ~
want to say word about that danger"
Lowe continued II heard Major Peuchcn
say on the stand that the sailors could
not row. Sailors and boatmen are diff
ferent Many sailors may be at sea for
years and never go In rowboat. They
are different callngs, That is the reason
that a great riany Of the sailors couid
not row
Lowe said he was not in a position to
order who should go into the boats.
"But you were in a position to tell Mr..
Ismay to go 10 hell?''
Yes. because he was interfering
The witness denied that the reason why
the boats were not properly loaded was
because the crew were not able to row.
What was the drill for at Southamp-
toni" asked the chairman.
1T was for the board OF trade
There were eight men to a boat then.
Where were these men when the emer-
gency arose? They were all oarsmen.
Where were they when you were loading
| lifeboat No. So"
You must remember. sir, we were In
harbor and we had the pick of the men.
At the time of the collision the men went
! down with the 'bosun to clear away the
sangway doors to pake way for the
loading
PROTESTS AT INTERPRETATIONS.
Did that take skilled men? ANY one
could have done that and yet skilled men
| were sent below when they were needed
| for the loading and lowering of the life
boats. Is that the impression you want
tc leave with this committee
The witness protested against that In
lterpretatlon of his statement He said the
discipline was excellent. Only one boat,
| a collapsible. overturned All the re-
| ma Under of the 10 boats. he said. were
scientifically handled.
"lt takes from eight to ten men to make
a lifeboat ready. said Lowe. II don
know how many men were at the other
boats. You must remember there was a
crowd down at the gangway doors"
Senator smith asked the number OF
nd ba Sn ;iS
ne knew there were 903 of them
And with !O3 men aboard said the
senator, you did not have enough to man
o. life boats properly
The witness demurred and the chair
man criticised the officers refusal to
make direct replies.
fou mean present at the hoats?' said
Lowe finally mo, there weren't"
NO SELECTING OF PASSENGERS
Senator Smith then sought to dis
cover whether any men. women OF
chill 1ren had been refused admission
to the boats or wera put out of the
boats after they had got in. The of
hcer said no one was refused and 1e'
clared the only confusion was by the
passengers interfering with the low
ering gear.
with everything quret and orderly
who selected the people to get into
these boats?'
There was no such thing as Sc
lecting. First. we took the womer
and children, then others as the,
came. There was procession a
both ends of the boat"
AS you passed the women into th'
boats, what did you say?'
Il simply shouted: Women and chill
dren first. man stand back
Was there any discrimination as t.
class9"
None"
How about stewar iesses!"
"It made no difference who. wome'
and children"
Lowe sal. that First Officer Murdoch
gave the order for the lowering l'feboat
Nos. 8 and g. Murdock was In charge
Was Mr. Ismay there?"
1sMAY HELPED AT BOATS.
"Yes. he was: he was right aionssid
of me. l didn't know 1t was MT 1sma
then. II was the same man who ! ha
ordered not TO interfere in lowering No.
But he took hold and was helping after
ward / could see his face In the glar
of the rockets and he aided In lowerin
! boat No, 8"
| Senator Smith sought vainiy to lear
the number OF women In life boat NO.
The witness said he thought the men an
women we're about equally divided, II
finally ventured the belief that the boa
contained about 70 persons
Why weren't there more?' asked tn