The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-24
STEAMER CALIFORNIA ONLY IS MILES FROM TITANIC WHEN GREAT SHIP STRUCK; HER WIRELESS OPERATOR ASLEEP AND CAPT. LORD HAD SHUT DOWN ENGINES

Smith suaveIy. 'Who, me?' asked 1 Lowe, leaning over in his chair, his face flushing. T never did, I say # without fear of contradiction"
 The young officer said he went to bed before 8 o'clock, before the coI- voices of many people on deck. 'I went out and found all the passen- gers wearing belts and the 1ifeboats getting ready the witness continued. T felt the boat tipping, she had q downhill grade by the bow, at an the head. I don't know what time ;t was.
 Fourth Officed Boxhall told me we had struck an iceberg. He added But I don't remember it. I got my re- volver, you never know when you may need it. Then | helped load beat No. and lowered it away. I wGg un- der First Officer MurdocR's orders. He was in charge of everything. About 10 men helped me. I ordered was on the starboard side. stew ard on the Carpathia asked me if knew what I'd said to Mir. Ismay. He said I used very strong language to him.
 .'Thc occasion was because Mfr. Is- ting a trifle excited. He kept saying. Lower away, lower away, lo8Tep' awayr
 T said -" Here the wifi ness broke off abruptly. He turned to look at Ismay, who sat nervously chewing his fingernails, his eyes low. cred Shall I say what I said?'' de. manded Lowe mere are ladies present here II have no objection" said Ismay quietly, but suppose yoa put it on a piece pf paper and hand it over to the comfni1tes." Lowe did 
 You may put that note in the rec. ord.' announced Smith, after a brief look. The language was:
 You get to Hell out of that very excited but after he had been sworn at left and went to another boat.
 Senator Smith and Lowe constantly quibbled over their questions and an swers. Both often became sarcastdo and almost angry.
 You could say Go to h-f to Mr. Ismay. why can't you answer my questions?" asked Smith. 'I do an- swer them in my own best why when can understand them," Lowe re- torted.
 Lowe said the scarcity of sailors on
 deck when the boats were lowered was because they had been sent be- low to clear away the gangway dOork-
 We had and we. put 1s boats over," said Lowe Our coIIapstble boat got caught in the Iashings and fell overheard bottom up.' The men whose duty it was to lower the boats then did not appear to do that duty, is that correct?" ask ed Smith. We did the best we could with the men we had," said Lowe.
 ''Do you wish us to understand" began Smith, again, that there were not enough capable men present to handle the boats properly" There | were the same men that they have on
 all steamers-American ships the
 same as British Lowe replied Smith lectured the witness for not answering questions directly and de-
 manded that Lowe stop arguing with him. The witness then admitted there were not enough sailors on the erly. He said he had seen wives sep | arated from their husbands when the boats were cast adrift. We put the women in the boat ac- cording to the order in which they stood alongside the boat. First come ! first served was our motto. We ask ed no questions of the women and children but ordered the men to stand back. When the boat was pretty well filled MT. Murdock said, l That will do, and we lowered the l boat. Then we went up to No. 3.
 
 l ing by me when the first signal rocket went off. The rockets were going off l necessarily. I helped fill No. but I do not know the names of any of i the passengers. I knew the passen- gers that were in the boat I helped man. I went around to see them | often when we were on the Carpa- tIia to find how they were getting along. After we got all the women l possible in No. 5 we let male passen- gers in. I think there were 40 or 50. | in her when she loaded" The witness said he saw no crowd 1 of stokers or crew on deck trying to board the boats
 How many men were in No. | lifeboat? ?' Lowe was asked. About 25 I think he said. There were TO women available at that time. They did not respond to the call.''
 Next I went to the emergency boat" said Lowe, resumfng his story. '.f put 27 in that, including about five women. Then we filled boats No. If and Is an the port side. We put 5S in No. IA. They were all women and children except an Italian. He sneak ed in dressed like a woman. He had a shawl over his head. 1 didn't see him until the last minute (Continued on Page 2.) Spokane, Aprdl A-An unidentified man, shortly before noon, today, en- tered the editorial rooms of the Spo-