Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1912-05-31
ARRAIGNS ]. BRUCE
THE WHITE
REPORT OF SPECIAL SUB COM
MlTTEE ON TITANIC DlsAs-
TER is NOW READY.
TO Be GIVEN TO SENATE SOON
Denounces Many Members of "Pick
Up" Crew of Titanic and Makes
Sweeping Charges Against
the Management.

h'S "d''oSS''S'N'
Washington, d. CA scathing ar
raignment of ]. Bruce Ismay and
the White Star line officials in New
York, a stern denunciation of many
members of the pick up" crew of the
Titanic and sweeping charges of in
competency in the management of
the line will be made in the report of
the special subcommittee appointed to
investigate into the Titanic disaster
by the United States, which will be
given to the senate in short time.
The report will be submitted by Chair
man William Alden Smith of Michi-
gan, who has labored necessarily since
the afternoon he was despatched to
New York to meet the Carpathia and
begin gathering facts first-hand.
From the instant of his arrival at
the dock up to the completion of the
report and the speech he is to make
on it, Senator Smith has worked un-
intermittingly and effectively
The report spares neither j. Bruce
Ismay nor his subordinates in New
York, whose juggling with the truth
after receiving from Montreal infor-
nation that the Titanic had sunk is
savagely criticised. Emphasis is laid
on the cruelty of sending out such
dispatch as that received by Represen-
tative Hughes of West Virginia, whose
daughter was on the Titanic with her
husband, and who was told in tele-
gram signed white Star Line" that
the Titanic was being towed into Mon
treal.
Direct responsibility for the acci-
dent is laid on Captain Smith and it
is pointed out that had he needed the
warnings of ice sent him by the Amer
ika and other vessels the lives of the
1851 victims would have been saved
Pointing out that the speed Of the
Titanic, just before she struck the
iceberg, was 241A miles an hour and
that it had been steadily increased
after receiving ice warning by tele-
graph, the report asserts that the pres
ence on board of Ismay, the managing
director of the line, and Andrews, the
constructor for Harlan & Wolfe, the
constructors, were undoubtedly an in
centive to making this great speed.
1t is stated that President Ismay, who
got away safely, was advised immedi-
ately of the danger, while many of the
passengers were not-the impact, al
though equal in momentum to the i'm
pact of the combined broadsides of
20 great battleships being scarcely felt
on the vessel such was her giant size
and tremendous stability.
The report recites that the pick
up" crew with which the White Star
line manned the vessel were unac.
quainted with each other and their
duties. There was the utmost confu'
sion when the vessel struck.
Much space is devoted to a brief
and effective recital of the incidents
on the vessel after the iceberg had
slid along her side leaving a great
gaping hole in the starboard bilge
through which water was pouring al
such rate that she sank 20 feet with
in few hours.
1t is noted that the weather was
clear and perfect, the sea being calm
with no swell-conditions that woul6
have been ideal for the saving of al
hands ON board had there been but ad
equate life saving apparatus and ade
quate sailors to man them. But, al
though there was room in the life
boats for 1,076 persons, the repor
says but 704 persons were put int
them, owing to the disorganized anC
disorderly condition of the crew
Twelve persons were afterwarC
taken out of the water.
Special stress is laid on the ute
failure of the junior officers, who wer
among the first to leave the ship t.
make any effort whatever to rescu
many of those in the water, for whom
room might easily have been found i
the lifeboats.
The report riddles the assertion @
many of the members of the crew tha
the sudden drop in the temperatur
which was noted and testified to b
almost every witness placed under e!
animation was no warning to the al
proach of ice.
Officer Lightoller sneered whe
asked if the sudden cold was not a
indication, but he refused to say whi
such indications consisted Of
Concerning the lifeboats, it is +
ported that none of them had con
passes, only three had lights, that a
were insuficiently manned, and nor
of them by sailors. The Indifferent
of such officers and warrant Officer
as did get into the boats to the erie
of distress is caustically commente
on.
In the general criticism of the co
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