The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-03
perhaps in quite as strong and extreme
degree.
THE TITANIC REPORT.

some questions asked by Senator Will
liam Alden Smith chairman Of the
!. Senate investigating committee, in the
, beginning of his Investigations of the
Titanic disaster. But there can be no
doubt of the vigor. of the practical
force and helpful suggestions made in
{ the report of that Investigation sub.
mitted to the Senate by Mr.. Smith on
/ Tuesday last. AS foreshadowed in The
Tribune s dispatches week ago. and
as reported in them on Wednesday
morning last, Chairman Smith made his
report on Tuesday At the time of
making the report Mr.. Smith also
made speech, in which be set forth
uhe main facts Of the disaster, the
prompt action of the Senate in setting
on foot the investigation, concise
summary OF the leading points Of the
testimony obtained by that committee
and the conclusions of the committee
| thereon
In the main facts as reported, there
was nothing new; the investigation
was public. and the testimony taken
was reported day by day. The Titanic
was shown TO have had full notice of
the dangerous ice ahead, but no at
tentlon was paid to the warning, and
the ship drove ahead at practically full
speed into the dangerous ice. The fncts
or the losses and of the rescue BY the
Carpathla are set forth, and in gem
eral, the report confirms what the pub,
lie already understood.
But II is where the committee de-
llvers criticism and blame that the re-
port has new features. tt is especially
Illuminating on the conduct of the
Californian, a vessel which is con.
trolIed by the same company as the Ii
tanlc. 1t is shown in the report, abso
lutely, that the Californian was within
but few miles of the Titanic at the |
time of the disaster. it is shown that |
the captain of the Californian, in place |
Of rousing his wireless operator to as
certain what the signals that he saw
meant, and to identify the vessel that
was sending up those signals, went to
bed himself without paying any atten-
tion TO the rockets, the mast head
lights. or any other signal that was evil
iently in plain view. The committee
that the Californian, if she
lad turned toward the Titanic "mipht
laVe saved all the lost passengers and
rev of the ship that went down"
Furthermore, eight ships all equipped
With wireless, were in the vicinity of
he Titanic, and her sister ship, the
olympic, was within the range Of her
wireless calls, being 5l2 miles away.
he committee concludes that "the
Mysterious lights on ship seen by the
passengers on the Titanic and testified
o explicitly by rescued officer of the
titanic, were undoubtedly those of the
californian, less than nineteen miles
way
The committee finds further that the
ull capacity of the Titanic s lifeboats $
vas not utilized, because while only
Oo persons were saved, the ship g
oats could have carried l176. This in
hectlve use of the boats was because !
here had been no preparation, no boat
rlll, no systematic warning, and no
upervision of the embarkation of per- ,
ons on the lifeboats. The dead Cap ,
ain Smith is censured because he ap.
ears to have had no effective control ,
+ the ship or the crew. There is no
vidence that he took charge Of any =
mng' or that he appreciated the peril !
which his ship and passengers were
laced The committee finds that he
as over-eonhdent and wrong headed J.
refusing TO heed the oft-repeated
arnlngs received; but when he real. i
ed the full extent of the disaster "
In his horrible dismay when mis- brain 0
as ahre with honest reprobation, we n
In still see In his manly bearing and h
IS tender solicltude for the safety of N
omen and little children some traces o.
his lofty spirit - m
Inc committee paid tribute to the =,
ireless operators especially to Phil. a
ps and Bride on the Titanic. and il 10
includes that "when the world weeps fo
gether over a common loss, all ma p'
ons should take steps wisely to reg.
ate wireless telegraphy and SEE that b.
'erators are fairly paid. F" II
Senator Smith, in his review of the IN
stimony of Captain Lord of the Cali w
rnian, showed that the Californian
me within four miles of the doomed
'ssel, and that Lord went to his
ON to lie down while signal rockets
ere being fred, y And Ae does not al
n to draw striking contrast be- "
'een the indifferent. calous conduct fo
Captain Lord and the energetic. sc
lpful conduct of Captain Rostron Of be
c Carpatha. The announcement that OF
iptain Lord has been deprived of his or
mmand comes as n Just retribution
'on HIM for his callous heartedness. OF
The report also is fruitful of sup. 10
stions for better insurance Of the th
fety OF passengers at sea. the chief Sc
questions in this direction being as
llows: to
raat all ships carrying more than 100 OF
aSchSrrs nave two searchlights ha