Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-03
HEEDS NO Warming
Evidence OF the Titanic's
Speed in Danger Zone.
WAS TWENTY-0NE KNOTS
Testimony Taken Before British
Commission in London.
FEATURES OF THE INQUIRY
Stress Upon Developments Regard
Ing Events just Preceding
the Disaster.
FEATURES OF THE INQUIRY

LONDON, May 3.-The attorney gen.
eral. Sir Rufus Isaacs, addressed the
wreck commission which is investigating
the loss of the White Star liner Titanic
today, setting forth the facts as under
stood by the government and laying
special emphasis upon the evidence that
after the warnings Of ice ahead had been
received a speed Of twenty-one knots
was maintained right up to the moment
of collision
The whole Of the forenoon session was
taken up with this statement, which
brought out little that had not been
known and already developed at the SEN
atorial inquiry at Washington
The attendance Of spectators was
small A group Of sailors, survivors of
the sea tragedy. who arrived here on the
Lapland from New York. and had been
subpoenaed to testify, were objects Of
interest.
When the court opened Lord Mersey.
who heads the commission. granted per-
mission to President Lewis of the Sea-
mems Union and to an attorney for the
Imperial Mercantile Guild to participate
IN the proceedings. The union is a new
| organization composed of 1900 Southamp-
ton sailors. Two hundred and twenty
eight Of it's members were employed on
the Titanic, and of these only SEVENTY
seven survived. The officers of the tt
tanic are members Of the guild.
Likely to Last Several Weeks.
The inquiry is likely to extend over
ly to technical details. The court today
displayed the greatest interest in the ice
berg warnings which the Cunard liner
nd
tic sent to the Titanic on the day of the
disaster, April Ia.
Lord Mersey inquired particularly on
this point, finally asking:
Am | right in supposing that she ran
| right into the region where the ice was
after a warning that ice was there had
been received?"
Yes" replied the attorney general.
Sir Rufus said the Titanic's capacity
was 3,J47 persons, and that she carried
lifeboats, accommodating a total Of 1,167
persons. and 3, $50 lifebelts On her first
and last voyage the vessel carried 1915
passengers and S02 persons In her crew
She was fitted with Is bulkheads and a
number Of watertight doors, being de-
signed to still float In the event Of any
two adjoining compartments being flood
ed, under which condition the top OF the
bulkheads would be 21a or feet above
the water.
Speed of 81 Knots Maintained.
The Titanic's speed, the attorney gen.
eral said. April IA was q knots an hour.
which speed was not lessened up to the
time OF the collision. During that day
the Caronia and the Baltic had sent wire
less messages to the Titanic stating that
icebergs. GROWERS and ''felders," were
on her track. Nevertheless" continued
Sir Rufus, ''after dark the Titanic ran
right ahead at u knots. the night being
clear, but with no moon."
he said he had served notice upon
Sir Robert Finlay. chief counsel for the
White Star Steamship Company who
Is representing the line at the present
inquiry. that the government consider
ed this fact of extreme Importance. SO
that Sir Robert might bring evidence
to the contrary If he had It,
Sir Rufus announced that particular
attention would be given to these three
points: The Titanic's speed after the
warnings of ice had been received; the
insufficient number of lifeboats for the
persons carried by the steamer. and the
partments. He gave detailed
analysis of the numbers saved and
lost by classes and sexes, and indicat ted
that he considered that the dispropor-
tionate number of frst-class passen-
gers rescued should be a matter of in
quiry.
Cites Striking Features.
"One striking feature" he said, "is
that all except five women of the first
class were saved or had an opportunity
of being saved, some refusing to leave
their husbands. One fact that stands
out Is that a very large number of
men of the first class were saved. 1t
may be necessary later to analyze these
figures more closely"
1t was extremely difficult, the attorney
general said, to ascertain exactly what oc-
CURED between the moment OF collision
and the sinking of the liner. 1t appeared
that there was no panic. The men took
their boat stations according to the list
collapsbles. concerning all OF which
there was no accurate evidence, but most
of the boats did not have complement
Of persons. But for the wireless equip
ment of the vessel it was doubtful if any
body or many would have been saved.
Warnings Communicated.
Lord Mersey wished to know to how
many officers warnings of the ice had
been communicated. Sir Rufus could
not answer more definitely than probably
the chief and first officers.
Lord Mersey also wished to know
whether the vessels Of other nationali-
ties were compelled to carry more life
boats than British ships carry. Sir Rufus
could not say positively as to this, but
said that evidence on the point would be
offered.
The court arranged to adjourn the in
quiry until Tuesday.