The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-07-30
British Board Of Inquiry Makes Pub
lie It's Report on tho Sink
ing Of the II
tanle.
1sMAY NOT BLAMED
Experimentation That Extra Look
outs Be Used ard Fire Drills
and Police Pro-
vided.

limited Press Leased Wire Service-l
LONDON, July 80. Excessive speed
caused the loss Of the Titanic, in the
opinion Of Lord Merry. who as chair
man OF the English commission Of In
quiry into the disaster, made his re-
port public today.
Arrangements for launching and
manning the great liners lifeboats
werc improper, insufficient and made
quate. his lordship said, and though
the boat drfll itself was good as was
discipline at the time of the wreck
more lives would have been saved
had the Organization been better. The
charge that Sir Cosmo Duff Isordon
brfbed the crew Of his boat to row
away from the liner was held to be
unfounded.
Managing Director Bruce Ismay OF
the White Star company was under
no moral obligation to remain aboard
the Titanic until the vessel sank. &C
cording to the commissions findings,
and had he done so, the only result
would have been the needless loss OF
another life. The handling Of the
Battles ice message by Captain Smith
to Ismay fs held to have been irregu-
lar and Ismay's retention of 1t I'M
proper but under the circumstances
tho commission thinks the incident
had nothing to do with the subsequent
navigation OF the ship.
The lookout for Ice was inadequate
the report says. Extra lookouts
should have been stationed at the
mast head and at both ends OF the
bridge. The evidence shows, the re
port continues, that the practice of
steaming at full speed ahead through
an ice field at night was bad, but UNI
der the circumstances the commission
feels unable to blame Captain Smith,
who though he made grevious mis-
take cannot be held guilty of neglect.
In the commissioners judgment, the
third class passengers of the Titanic
were fairly treated. The conduct OF
Captain Rostron and the crew Of the
Carpathia in rescuing the Titanic's
survivors, is commended as admit
: able.
Investigators are convinced that
the lights sighted by the Californian
were the Titanic's and the opinion Is
expressed that the Californian could
have pushed through the ice withou.
serious risk and saved many If not all
of those on board the sinking vessel.
Regret Is expressed that life boat
No. /, from the Titanic, failed to at
tempt rescue Of the drowning when It
could. The commission recommends
the basing of life saving accommoda-
tons on steamships on the number of
passengers rather than upon the yes
sells tonnage.
Fire and water-tight door drills, the
recommendations continue should be
held Immediately after departure
from port and whenever ice has been
reported, speed should be reduced at
night or the imperilled vessels course
altered to take it out OF the path Of
danger.
Recommendations were also made
for an international conference to
agree on regulations for life saving
appliances and wireless equipment,
sight tests for outlooks, police systems
aboard ship to enforce order and
obedience and day and night reIiefs Of
wireless operators.
The board of trades failure to re-
wise life boat regulations since 1894
was declared most culpable. despite
Sir Alfred Chalmers excuses and
explanations.