The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-04-25

The Great Loss OF Life was Due
TO Criminal Segiigence-Congrc
sional Investigation-The senate
Directs the Re-opening Of the To-
baeco Trust Case-One Of the
Most Remarkable Bills Ever Pre-
sented and Passed by the Senate.
Especial TO The Caucasian.)
Washington. ID. c., April %. 1912.
During the past week the horrible
disaster in the sinking of the Titanic
in mid-ocean, with fifteen hundred
souls lost, and the wonderful victories
being gained by Colonel Roosevelt in
his campaign for the Presidency. have
been the overshadowing topics OF con-
sersation.
More Light on the Titanic Catas-
trophe.
1t was pointed out by this writer
In d letter TO The Caucasian last
week, written Immediately after the
news of the Titanic's catastrophe.
that the terrible loss of life was due
TO criminal carelessness and neglect
Attention was called TO the fact that
the Titanic was not supplied with
llfe-boats enough to save more than
one-third of the crew and passen-
gers; that the vessel was travelling
at recklessly high speed, in the
midst of known dangerous ice-field.
which could have been avoided If the
vessel had taken the southern course
about two hundred miles to the south.
1t was further pointed out that the
Titanic was not equipped with search
lights, which would have enabled the
officers on the bridge and in the
crows nest to have seen the enor-
nous iceberg in time to have changed
is course and missed the fatal col
| lision.
Since that time, all of these glar-
ing and inexcusable wants of precau-
ton have been pointed out and COM
mented upon by the press of the
country Senerally.
! Immediately upon the landing of
the Carpathia, the first vessel to
/ reach the scene Of disaster, and which
rescued seven hundred of the passen-
ers and crew who were still afioat
N life-boats, the Senate appointed q
committee to 80 to New York and at
once subpoena the surviving officers.
crew and passengers, and take their
dispositions to ascertain the cause OF
the disaster and fix the responsible
ity where 1t belongs. 1t is proven
hat the Senate acted wisely in TAX
ing such prompt action, because the
surviving officers and crew of the tt
tanic had arranged to be shipped
back to England the next day in an
other boat They were all, however,
subpoenaed and were brought to
Washington and are now being ex-
amined thoroughly.
The investigation has proven prac-
tically every charge made by The
/ Caucasian a week ago, and has shown
that these were the chief causes OF
the disaster and the great loss Of life
and property.
Our Government Will Take Action.
II is now certain that this Govern
ment will take prompt action in pass
ing a law prohibiting any vessel from
touching or sailing from any port OF
the United States that is not properly
equipped to make the recurrence OF
such a disaster impossible.
In addition to the criminal negli-
gence and neglect shown above, ii
/ has also been brought out that most
passenger vessels are equipped with
only one wireless operator, and that
| this operator is permitted TO leave
his duties and retire at out 10 O'Clock
each night and not return TO duty un-
/ til o'clock the next morning The
operator on the Carpathia, which res
cued the survivors OF the Titanic, had
/ fortunately stayed up a little later
than he was required 10 do, and was
/ just preparing to retire when he re-
/ ceived the distressed call from the IL
tanic that it had struck an iceberg
and that it was going down Ii the
wireless operator on the Carpathia
had retired ten minutes earlier, not a
| soul on that GREATEST Of ocean liners
ever built would have been saved.
and to-day and forever hereafter the
| details OF the horrible disaster would
have been unknown 10 the world.
Two Wireless Operators Necessary.
/ II is certain that Congress viii pro-
vide that all vessels hereafter shall
carry two competent wireless opera
tors, and that one or the other shall
be on duty all the time
| The investigation has brought out
the fact that this Government has
never made any effort to regulate the
rules governing passenger vessels car