The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-08-08
RESULT OF TITANIC
PROBE MADE PUBLIC

of the commission which inVcsti-
gated the Titanic disaster was
made Tuesday.
One feature of the finding of
the commission was a declaration
that had the Leyland liner Cali
fOrnian gone to the rescue when
the distress signals of the Titanic
were seen that many, il not all,
of the lives that were lost, might
have been saved.
Lord McrScy presided when the
commission was called to order
this afternoon, and personally
read the conclusions of the body.
The loss of the Titanic was due
to n collision with an iceberg,
brought about by the excessive
speed at which the ship was navi-
eating" the report says. but the
ship was efficiently oficcred and
was supplied with the proper
charts"
The commission found that
there had been no boat drills
aboard the Titanic and recon-
mcnded that the Board of Trade
formulate rules requiring boat
drills and boat mustcringS. The
commission found that all of the
officers did their work well. The
wireless installation was effective.
Discipline OF both passengers and
crew during the lowering of boats
was found TO he good, but had the
organization of the crew been bet
ter possibly more lives might have
been saved.
while the naviSators' instruc-
tons were adequate" the report
goes on, ''they would have been
better III reference had been made
TO the course to be adopted i'm the
event ice was encountered"
OF the conduct of j. Bruce Is
may the commission states that
il cannot agree with those critics
who held that his position as man
aging director imposed on him the
moral duty to remain aboard I'M
til the vessel sank.
eff he had not jumped into n
boat his life would have been
lost" the commission declared.
Captain Smith should have not
given Ismay the ice telegram"
the report states. after getting
il. Ismay should not have kept IL.
However. this did not influence
the navigation of the ship.
THE lookout for ice was bad.
An extra man should have been
placed at the stem head of the
vessel and sharp loOkOuts kept
from both sides of the bridge.
The fact that no directions were
given To reduce speed il evidence
tain full speed throughout the
night, even in an ice region, and
therefore the commission is I'M
able TO fix blame upon Captain
Smith. Captain Smith made
gricvOus mistake, but he was not
negligent
The commission finds that the
third class passengers were fair
~ treated. and e commcndS Cap
tain ROStron and the crew of the
Cunard liner Carpathia for their
rescue work.
Lord Mersey declared the COM
mission was convinced that the
liner California saw the Titanic'S
distress signals and that she
should have pushed through the
ice as fast as she could without
undue risk TO the Titanic's assist
ance.
Had she done so she might
have saved many, If not all, of the
lives that were lost" the report
adds.
The charge that Sir CosmO Duff
Gordon had bribed the men man
ming the lifebOat in which he and
Lady Duff-GOrdOn were rescued
to row away from the wreck is
held TO be unfounded.
The report states that the III
tanic had complied with all the
regulations for the safety OF pas
Sengers before leaving Queens
town.
The crew was divided into the
usual and proper crews, but the
methods of launching and man
ming the boats in an emergency
were improper and insufficient.
The commission recommended
that ships proceed during the
night at moderate speed, when
ice has been reported i'm their
track.
IL considered that the Titanic's
course i'm starbOarding the helm
and stopping the engines was the
proper measure TO have been
taken.
THE outstanding feature of the
disaster" the report states, ''was
the neglect OF the Board of Trade
to alter its rules since 1894"
This the commission held to be
bIameabIe.
The question of the number and
arrangement of bulkheaIs i'm pas
Scnger ships was referred to
bullIhead committee which, the
report says, should have great
latitude.
Lord Mersey stated his regret
that some of the IifebOats of the
Titanic had not been rOWed to the
rescue of the hundreds who were
fighting for their lives i'm the icy
waters. This applied particularly,
he said, to Boat No. 4.