davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
LINES LIABILITY ON
ACCOUNT OF WRECK
Of DOUBTFUL STATUS
Capital Lawyers Not Fami-
liar With Legal Ques-
tions Involved.

Washington lawyers are divided in
opinion as to the liability of the White
Star line for damages In the deaths
of its Titanic passengers. 1t is agreed
that II actions can lie, the company
will be made defendent In suits aggre-
eating hundreds Of thousands CT dol
lars.
Attorneys are inclined to speak eau
tiously. first because admiralty practice
is almost unknown here except IN small
cases involving coastwise trade and
United States law; secondly. because
the details of the cause of the Tltanic's s
loss are yet uncertain. and men are
loath to say to what extent the COM
pany is responsible legally. as we'll as
morally. for the catastrophe. Until II
shall be settled at what speed the tt
tanic was running such a question as
negligence cannot be discussed.
But besides this. the White Star com
pany may be totally exempt through
the form of its individual contracts with
ory. dean of the college of law OF
George Washington University, said
this morning:
Steamship companies generally sell
tickets. In the form Of q contract which
through periis nf the sea- have nc
doubt that the Titanic passengers buy.
Ing their tickets In London mads con.
tracts Of this sort which may very
likely prove binding and cxe,nptive oi
the company.
Until We know for certain whether
the stoamshiD company was guilty Of
neglIPence-whether, Cor instance. II
ran through an ice-fiooded sea at a
high rat" of speed-one cunDot say
whether failure on the conIrany's part
TO exercise proper precautions would
prevent It :roIn setting I'D, It's ticket
contract in defense OF suit
although the wreck took place or
the high seas. English admiralty Law
will apply in the event of quits belna
| brought in TIE United states. accordinI
| to the custom. No one can speak with
any degree of authority on the question
until nll the circumstances are known
the form Of the contract which the pas
s"nrcrs made, and the causes of the
wreck 50 Ear as the company's officers
| were concerned"
Following the Burgosne disaster sew
eral Americans recovered damages fo'
the loss Of lives Of relatives. The be
| havior OF the Srew hRured In this
however. tie sailors beating bacl
women and children. according to tn,
! charge generally made. and taking
places themselves in the lifeboats.
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
.SEAMENS LEADER
BLAMES LAX LAW
FOR Loss OF LIVES
Limited Liability and Insur-
ance Privilege Factors,
Says Furoseth.

THE public Is told about vessels
that won't sink or burn. seamen al
ways have known that this Is ro-
nance, but seamen do not determine
either the equipment or the manning
Of a vessel" said Andrew Furoseth.
president Of the International Sea-
mems Union, discussing the Titanic
catastrophe.
companies to have a. sufficient num-
Der of boats and sufficient number Of
skilled seamen to furnish each boat
would do much to prevent SO fire.
quenuy recurring disasters. In the
case Of the Titanic such measures
would have saved the lives Of all on
board. - o.
Mr.. Furoseth was not voicing these
views today for the first time. -Testi-
iylng before the House Committee
On Merchant Marine and Fisheries
last December, he declared then that
the great ocean liners did not have
poats enough to save passengers, nor
skilled seamen enough to man them.
That the Titanic had enough soa-
men for what boats were availahle
Is fairly evident, says the head of the
seamen's union.
Not a man, woman, or child would
have been lost IL sufficient boats and
men had been provided" he said. They
had four hours in which to clear away
the boats and put the passengers in
them. 1t could easily have been done
In two hours. The trouble was that the
Titanic followed the custom OF Atlantic
liners Of having boats only sufficient
| to carry one-fourth OF the total number
| OF passengers allowed by law.
| Much has been said about the diff
I fculty of keeping a sufficient number
| Of boats on the big liners. There is
nothing in that excuse. The real cause
| back of the law Is the limited liability
takes from the shipowner the old-time
responsibility to the passengers and his
| relatives. Another reason lies in the
present insurance laws. which permit
| a vessel to be insured to its full value,
thus taking from a shipowner the real
incentive to give close attention to
| safety at sea-"
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
CARGO Of COFF|NS
IS SENT TO SCENE
OF GREAT DISASTER
Ship Will Search Ocean for
Ten Days for Bodies
of Victims.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, April H.
There was no relief in the feverish
suspense OF the great throng OF watch
ers for news from the scene of the
wreck of the Titanic today, though the
marine observers strained their eyes
into the dense fog Of the harbor for
sight of some vessel bearing udings
OF the catastrophe.
The Commercial Cable Company's ship
Mackay Bennett, Captain Larnbner has
been chartered by the White Star Com
pany to explore the scene of the wreck
in search of bodies. She will sail late
this afternoon. carrying a crew OF eighty
men and a gruesome cargo OF coffins
and ice for embalming purposes.
The Mackay Bennett will remain al
sea ten days or more, an undertaken
and his stan being on board to care
for any bodies that may be picked up
Vincent Astor was expected here to.
day to make arrangements with some
wrecking concern to make a search fol
the body OF his father. Colonel John
Jacob Astor, II he was lost. The youna
man did not appear here. however, and
It is believed he will remain in New
York to meet his mother, who is known
to be aboard the Carpathia.
1t was reported that Vincent Astol
had chartered the sealing ship Seal tc
search the seas for Colonel Astor'I
body, but this was denied today.
It is known that half a dozen fishing
ships were within 200 miles of the wreck
of the Titanic. It Is believed here thai
someone of these may have later passed
the scene. Anyone of these ships may
arrive IN this port late today with news
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
Senator Shively
Giving Attention
To Titanic Disaster

Senator Shively Of Indiana is giving
attention to the question OF how to
prevent recurrence Of such a horrible
marine disaster as the one at which
the world is now shuddering. Senator
Shivelv will look into the question OF
adenuate life craft, and also into the
matter Of taking stsps tc Irevent yes
sells frorn using the northern route
across the Atlantic in The season when
there Is danger from ioebergs.
Senator Shively Is convinced that re-
strictions should he imposed on vessels
through international arrangements OF
otherwise. to prevent use of the north
.Grn route by passenger steamers In
the danger season.
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
T|TAN|C'S CAPTAIN
HAD KNOWLEDGE OF
DANGEROUS BERGS
A IN erican photographic
Charts on Board Show
ed Location Of Ice.

Captain Smith, of the Titanic, had
aboard his ship, In the pilot house, the
American navy photographic chart,
which showed him clearly the presence
Of bergs and fields Of floating ice in the
vicinity in which his ship struck and
foundered. He knew that the bergs
were there, according to Capt. Harry 8.
Knapp, chief Of the photographic office.
The Titanic was not only on the south
course, but Captain Smith, probably by
way Of precaution, had her considerably
south of the south course lane, accord
Ing to Captain Knapp. Criticism of
him and Of the company for taking
the northerly course Is misplaced. The
Titanic was many, many miles south of
the north course when she struck the
berg that caused her destruction. State
ments to the effect that an efrort to
make a showing of record time on the
maiden trip are not believed. A mari
ner of Captain Smiths experience would
never do such a thing.
There Is no possible doubt that the
captain knew Of the presence Of ice. II
is not my place to criticise, but let me
ask you, II you are crossing the street
and an automobile comes along and hits
you, is 1t your fault. The automobilist
sees you and knows you are crossing
the street, his machine strikes you. II
is not your fault. unless he is guilty II
is an accident The same theory applies
here. Daily warnings of ice have beer
sent out. Until the responsibility of the
navigator, pilot, or driver of a fast
moving body, striking a slower moving
or stationary one, Is clearly established
there will always be accidents.
The ice had no pilot, but its course
was fairly certain and we'll fixed"
According to Captain Knapp the Off.
GERS OF the Titanic not only had the
photographic chart, but they received
daily reports Of ice by wireless by relay
from shore and from other vessels thai
passed II and reported IL
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
Heartfelt Sympathy
Of Friends Here Goes
To Mrs. L. p. Smith

or the many soul-wringing and pa
thetic partings that took place as the
Titanic, with its precious burden, await
ed the thrush of the waters that were
to lower 1t to a grave two miles be-
meath the surface of the Atlantic, that
between Mrs. Lucien p. Smith, daugh-
ter OF Congressman ]. Anthony Hughes,
OF West Virginia, who made her debut
to society here In January. and her
young husband of a few months, must
have been as heartrending as any.
That Mrs. Smith Is one of the sur
vivors. while her husband Is to this
time numbered among the victims of the
appalling tragedy. makes 1t evident that
the romance of the young couple, which
ended in their marriage in West Vir-
ginia on February s, last, has been
climaxed with an awful separation-the
death of the young husband, probably
within sight of his girl bride.
All lists received so far from the res
cue ship which is speeding to port with
the grief-stricken survivors list Lucien
p. Smith, the bridegroom, who, with his
young wife, was on his honeymoon,
among those taken as toll by the ca
tastrophe. Young Smith and his pretty
wife were en- route home from a trip
In Europe, where they spent the first
days Of their married life. They had
started to go around the world. but
had changed their minds, as the bride
was anxious to be back with her par
ents. The couple intended to resume
their trip in their own land.
The young people had written before
leaving Southampton of incidents that
had marked their honeymoon. Congress-
man Hughes and his wife. who arc
IN Huntington. w. Va. had cabled
them continued happiness" and
anxiouslv awaited their return.
How Eloise Hughes parted with her
husband is the question friends of tho
young gill, whose bow to society Is an
event az we'll remembered here as II
It happened yesterday, are asking to-
day. No one rs yet knows. bu, among
the passengers Of the Carpathia there
IS one girl in whose mind the picture
Of the trrrl5ls happening has as its
most painful contrast the memory OF a
loved on" who stood beside her at the
altar several weeks ago waving fare
we'll for the last time as he passed from
her 10 eternity.
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
GREATEST OF DERGS
THOUGHT TO HAVE
STRUCK BIG SHIP
Revenue Cutter Service Re-
ceives Report of Mountain
of Floating Ice.

Two theories on the wreck OF the
steamship Titanic have been advanced
by the experts of the Revenue Gutter
Service. 1t became known at the Rev
enue Cutter Service office today that in
the vicinity of the wreck of the Titanic
the largest iceberg ever known to sea-
men was floating. One theory is that,
according to wireless reports, the ship
struck this mountain of ice. The other
theory is that a steel derelict was float
ing about. and that the ocean liner
struck this.
A report reached the office today that
on April II the British steamship Car
menia sighted ut latitude Al degrees,
IS minutes. longitude 90 degrees, 20
min"tes, what Is believed to be tho
largest berg ever known. The report
of the captain OF the British boat was
that this berg was 400 feet high, and
was from one-fourth to one-half a mile
long. 1t is known that but about one
eighth of at iceberg sticks above the
water, and at the hight of 400 feet
above. fully 2.$o1 feet of ico must have
been hidden under the level April
tile British ship, Victorian. reported at
latitude ~ degrees. 30 minutes, longi-
tuda so degrees, . minutes. a foe OF
as could be seen. In this foe we're
bergs of immense size. March 20 the
British steamship Lord Cromer reported
at latitude A. degrees, SO minutes, longi-
itune 40 deg:ets, 4 great pack OF Ice
with, with large icsbcrEs The ship also re-
desrses' II minutes, longituae 4 de:
tremendous proportions. The same
@ eFress @ Ap minutes SuNf 1ongtude a 'o0 SO de-! e.
grees, 30 minutes, Il heavy pack of Ice
and icebergs extending for twenty
miles.
All of these icebergs were within the
vicinity of the wreck OF the Titanic, but
the report of their presence did not
reach the Revenue Cutter Service until
generally, known 1t is believed the cap
tain of the Titanic could have been on
the watch for them and probably have
prevented the disaster.
backed up by the knowledge that on N
February 5, this year, the British steel
hulled vessel Erne was abandoned in
the same vicinity. The revenue cutter
tow the ship into New York harbor.
but after eight days of search gave UP
the hunt and returned. This ship was
loaded with lumber. It is believed this
waters, and possibly the Titanic came
in contact with it. 1t was explained
today, that while the Erne's cargo was
heavy enough to carry 1t to the bot
tom provided 1t was badly injured, that
ships thus injured sometimes hoat
about the top OF the water for months
before sinking. --.,
Either the awash. better known as a
derelict, or the great iceberg were suf.
ificient to smash the great Titanic II Il
came in touch with 1t.
The revenue cutters. Gresham, sta
toned near Boston, and the Seneca and
Mohawk at New York, have been or.
dered to hold themselves in readiness
to proceed to the scene of the wreck
and make an inspection.
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
NOTHING IS HEARD
OF v. f. CARTER
!. WHO WAS ABOARD
Mrs. Stilson Hutchins Re-
ceives Report of Safety of
Cousin and Children.

while all the lists of the survivors
OF the Titanic indicate that Mrs. Will
liam E. Carter, my cousin, and her two
children have been saved, the last two
lists have not contained the name Of
Mr.. Carter. and we fear he has been
lost. said Mrs. Stilson Hutchins this
mroniEg.
information came yesterday regarding
the safety of Mrs. Hutchins' cousin and
children from Mrs. Walter 7. Carter.
of Philadelphia. who receive wireless
message from the White Star line re-
layed from the Carpathia. At the same
time Mr.. and Mrs. William 8. Polk, of
Baltimore. the parents of Mrs. Carter,
who had suffered extreme anxiety re-
garding the safety of their daughter.
phia
my brother, Robert Keeling, went to
Baltimore last night" said Mrs. Hut
chins, in order to learn whatever news
he had heard nothing definite about
MIR. Carter's safety, and no word has
come to me this morning"
Mrs. Carter's brother left Baltimore
Sunday for New York; where he ex-
arrived on the Titanic. He sought early
information at the White Star offices,
but, like hundreds of others who be-
sieged the headquarters of the steam
ship company, could learn nothing at
in-law, Mrs. w. T. Dickerson, of New
Mrs. w. T. Carter, of Philadelphia,
from whom Indirectly the news' came
to Mrs. HutcAins of the safety Of the
is prostrated as a result of her failure
to obtain definite news Of her sor
and her belief that he must be lost
as his name does not appear in the later
and presumably more authentic lists OF
passengers saved.
Mr.. Keeling will probably remain In
Baltimore as long as there Is uncer'
tainty about Mr.. Carter's fate, as Mr.
and Mrs. Polk will probably be the
81 ~ ,tu 20 fn
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
WIRELESS EXPERTS
UNABLE TO EXPLAIN
MESSAGES ARRIVAL
Cannot Understand How
Other Stations Missed Re-
port From Ship.

How was II possible for the officers
OF the White Star Line to receive an
official and accurate wireless message
to the effect that the Titanic had sunk
at 10 o'clock Monday morning without
any other station except the White Star
station being able to pick 1t up2 Wash
ington experts are greatly puzzled over
this question. With one accord they
say that there are possibilities OF such
thing happening, but just how no
one win ever know without having in
timate knowledge of the conditions un-
der which the message was sent and re-
ceived.
That the White Star officials did re-
ceive this message is admitted today.
1t was picked up by a small station
in Canada, but was denied, and was
not believed to be authentic. None OF
the great stations along the coast got
the message,
Wireless experts agree there are only
two possibilities. 1t was a cipher mes
cage and no one could read 1t, and the
message was flashed to the White Star
officials before any station hut the two
concerned could get attuned to the
proper wave length. This latter posai-
tenant olmStead, expert Of the Signal
Corps, says any OF the big stations. OF
stations with equal facilities, as high an
antenna. and as much power should be
what the wave length a station close
at hand could get 1t. The theory OF
cipher is to some extent dispelled by
the fact that a Canadian station sent
out the message, and was promptly ac-
cused OF taking.
There is no Invention of the present
day whereby a wireless message can b.
directed to any one point. or in any one
direction. 1t Is projected in an equal
radius In every direction, any one with.
in the radius can get II. In view of this
fact, how did the steamer officials gel
a message that no one else recelyed7
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
Miss Oracle Goes
To New York to
Get Information

Worn to q point of desperation by the
suspense she has undergone since re-
ceiving news that her father, Col. Archi-
bald Oracle, was among those saved
from the sea tragedy, Miss Edith
Oracle, Of 1927 Sixteenth street north
west, gave way to her anxiety today,
and decided to go to New York and wait
for the arrival of the Carpathia, bear
ing the survivors of the disaster. Miss
Oracle will leave Washington shortly
after noon.
IT am hoping what they told me is
true, and that father Is safe" said Miss
Oracle, this morning. But ! am not
sure yet whether II Is true. The mes
safety said he was probably one Of the
survivors. 1t did not state decidedly
that he was saved. Therefore, j ara
hoping for the best, but have been In
constant fear that something has hap
pened to him. and VIII be until l see
Miss Oracle has been practically alone
in the Sixteenth street house since she
heard the news of the disaster. A maid
Is the only person that has been with
broken to her. Mrs. Oracle, her mother
left the city about a week ago, and ID
visiting relatives In New York. She
too, Is on the verge OF nervous break
down from the suspense sunered since
learning that her husband was in dan
ger. Mrs. Oracle has consoled heI
daughter as much as possible by long
distance telephone messages and tele-
grams, but has not been we'll enough
to come to Washington. Miss Oracle
will probably spend the time waiting ir
New York for the arrival OF the Car
pathia with her mother and other rela'
tives. The family will return to Wash
ington as soon as Colonel Oracle arrives
in New York, "If he ever does come
back TO U.S." Miss Oracle said today.
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
Ships Will Pass Over
Titanic's Resting Place

Probably for ages to come newer and
greater ships than the leviathan that
toundered Monday morning will pass
daily over the sunken Titanic. The
Titanic is sunk under the course of all
traffic between the great ports of the
United States and Europe. She is al
most midway between the lanes OF the
eastbound and the westbound ships,
having been about $50 miles south Of
the regular westbound course when she
struck.
According to arguments of some
theorists she is not resting hard and
the wavering tides fathoms deep.
Following a charted lane, that is
as we'll marked as a country pike, all
.raffio will pass to and fro above her.
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
Augusta Merchants
Wire Taft They Share
Anxiety for Major Butt

President Taft today received a tele-
gram from Joseph S. Reynolds. presl-
dent of the chamber of commerce Of
Augusta, concerning Major Archibald
w. Butt. The message reads as fol-
lows:
THE chamber of commerce Of Au-
gusta shares your anxiety concerning
your aide in our fellow-townsman. Ar
chibald w Butt. May your hope and
the countrys President be realized"
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
BOW OF LINER IS
SHATTERED BY BERG
Captain Of Steamer Beaches in
Prussia in Time to Save
Passengers.

FLENsBURG, Prussia. April 1.-THE
steamer Occident collided with an ice
berg in the Baltic sea on Riga. Her
entire bow was shattered. but her cap
tain managed to run her into shoal
water before she began to sink, and
her passengers and crew were safely
taken on.
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
CRUISERS NEARING
LINER CARPATEIIA
The Salem and Chester Expected to Relay List of Sur
vivors to the Navy Department in
Few Hours
Continued from First Page.)

sion Operations through automatic wireless
authentic
atmospheric messages
probably
nng Carpatha.
Capathia following the outhery
probably Carpaha
evening.
The Washington times., 1912-04-17
CABLE STEAMER DID
NOT CATCH CALLS
Minia Was $50 Miles Away at
Time of Disaster to
Titanic.

HALIFAX. Nova Scotia, April H.
The cable steamer Nina arrived here
today and was boarded by a score OF
newspaper men. Her captain reported
that on the night OF the Titanic disas-
ter, the Nina was ESQ miles to the
north of the White Star Liner and did
not catch the calls for help.
She did not pass near the scene OF
the catastrophe.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-01-04
THE GREATEST WOMEN.


''roh' the new ork Americana
The twenty rreatee, women in the
world II is interesting. ia r.a1 tho diff |
ferent THINKS different ,,eonle think abo,t
them. isn't ito
Now. the uroatest ,vo,,tpp I oyer know
never got INFO tina. lst ~ all And ,o.
# has heen my o,,1 c,,,rno =, Lrou.
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""'N' """ often ana o4''h nave see"
her 'eaN' Her cIaS- IN Latin and run in;"
'"e h''cheh 10 see II the 'tAhH Wer" "rylnG
out OF IL IN" Srdham bread was ready /"
set
Ana she taught Greek - such Of Us tS
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-01-04
THE SOUP.

With roast pork homes and waste 'ne'e
can be made good SOUP, but the manner
of cooking as above should have slNeh
me the full soup value had not omitted
to instruct my assistant to pare '"e
potatoes before cooking them IN inc
water which was used to steam the
meat This lost the juices represented IN
the shitnkages stated, ana that was al
important error. which - mere ehrAA-
sized that others may avoid H. IN"
knuckle. and the bones crackcd Were ustu
for the soup as follows
Cold steamed fresh pork
Scraps of roast chicken.
Salt. Celery leaves.
Cayenne.
Cold potato
Scraps of chicken dressing.
Dash of nutmeg.
Cold boiled potato
The fresh pork, celery leaves and
scraps OF chicken with the lit'le scraps
OF dressing which adhered to the skele-
ton. thus giving the dash OF sage effect
and water were allowed to simmer for
three hours and when nearly ready to
take up the cold potato and nutmeg
with the salt and cayenne We're added
This was especially pleasing, for the nut
meg and slight suspicion Of sage gave Il
novel as we'll as very agreeable effect,
This used these scraps and, as the water
used was that in which peeled potatoes
and onions had been boiled these added
navors were present in very delicate and
desirable form. The rind of the pork was
slso very rpUch appreciated being so per
fectly boilHo cd simmered to almost the
stage Of gslasinous tenderness and naN or.