The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-06-01
hoRp OF CALIFORNIAN sHAREa
BLAME EQUALLY WITH COM.
WANDER SMITH.
WARNINGS D1sREGARDED
800 Lives Needlessly Sacrificed, says
Report-Amerlca VIII Leave to
England the Punishment Of
Guilty.

theme of speech, report and propos.
led legislation in the enate.
I Senator William Alden Smith of |
Michigan, submitted the report of the
Investigation by the senate commerce
committee, feature of which was the
condemnation of the captain of the
steamer Californian for not going to
the aid of the sinking vessel. He also
delivered speech in which he took
much stronger ground in reviewing
the disaster and introduced measures
designed to safeguard life in ocean
traffic.
J Senator Smith proposed in two bills
D thorough regulation of navigation
[by steam vessels, proposed enacting
pinto law variety of rules and regula.
lations and embodied in the measures
the numerous recommendations for
safety made in the official report OF
The committee.
One of the most important regula
fions was for stricter inspection of
vessels by the federal steamboat in.
spection service and the meeting OF
all requirements of American naviga.
tion laws by every vessel clearing
from an American port. A commits.
sion was proposed to determine upon
measures regarding lifesaving equip.
ment and for governing the future
construction Of vessels.
It was one of the notable days OF
the present session of congress. AL.
most all of the senators were in
their seats and gave close attention.
Fhe galleries were crowded.
Senator Rayner of Maryland follow.
I'd Senator Smith with speech ar.
raigning American navigation laws
and drawing lessons from the acct.
dent.
Diane for the Titanic disaster is
chargeable directly to the failure Of
the dead Captain Smith to heed re.
peated warnings Of icebergs ahead,
but responsibility for unnecessary loss
of life must be shared by Captain
Lord of the steamship Californian,
through his disregard of distress
, signals. This is the finding of the
senate committee which investigated
the sinking of the Titanic, as pre-.
pared in the speech delivered by Sena.
tor Smith.
Senator Smith declared that respon.
sibility also rests upon the British
board of trade, Ito whose laxity OF
regulation and hasty inspection the
world is largely indebted for the awful
fatality In denouncing Captain Lord
of the Californian, the senator said
the Titanic's distress signals were
plainly seen from the deck of his yes.
Gel short distance away.
America will leave to England the
chastisement of those guilty, asserted
the senator, and he quoted British law
to show that Captain Lord might be
prosecuted for a misdemeanor.
Other conclusions, presented in
briet were as follows:
Before the Titanic departed on her
maiden voyage there were not suf.
ficient tests of boilers, bulkheads,
equipment or signal devices.
Officers and crew were strangers to
each other and not familiar with the
ships implements or tools, and no
drill or station practice took place
and no helpful discipline prevailed.
The speed of the Titanic was PAN
miles an hour at time of the acct.
dent, although officers of the Titanic
had been advised of the presence of
icebergs by the steamship Baltic.
Amerika and Californian.
Passengers were not advised of dan.
ger, although President Ismay of the
White Star line, who was taking the
vessels maiden voyage, was informed.
NO general alarm was given nor any
organized system Of safety undertak.
on.
OF the 1924 passengers and 500
members of crew on board, there
was room in lifeboats for only 1,176
persons and because Of lack of or.
derby discipline the lifeboats took of
only 704 persons, twelve being rescued
from the water.
Officers of the White Star line
"battled with the truth" after receiv.
ing information from their Montreal
office Monday morning following the
accident
Captain Rostron Praised.
Captain Rostron of the rescue ship
Carpathia was praised by Senator
Smith and he urged that congress
recognize his valor.
Senator Smith condemned "anti,
quated shipping laws and overripe ad
ministrative boards" and asked that
all nations act together in shipping
reforms. New laws" he said, will
best testify our affection for the
dead" 4
Winnipeg, Man., May 29.-The Win
nipeg Rowing club announced datel
for the Northwestern international
Rowing association regatta to be hell