The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-05-30
ON OFFICERS OF
LINER IS BLAME
Committee Chairman Severe on
Report of Titanic Disaster.
PASSENGERS LEFT TO FATE
No Systematic Attempt to Warn Them
Of Imminent Disaster-WorkIngs
Of English Board of Trade Sub
ject of Severe Criticism.

Washington, May 2S.-With the ad-
mission that Captain Smith of the tt.
tanic, lost with the great majority of
his passengers and crew when his ship
went down, was not under the influ.
ence of intoxicants at the time of the
disaster, the report of the senate com.
mittee says: Sc
The senate committee of investiga.
ton into the Titanic disaster makes its
report. Senator William Alden Smith
of Michigan, the chairman of the com.
mittee, also made a speech on the sub.
ject of the committees report and on
the disaster as he viewed 1t.
The committee declares that infor.
nation that there was ice ahead of the
destroyed steamship was transmitted
to its captain. In its report 1t says
that no conference of officers was held
on the subject of possible ice danger
ahead, that speed was not reduced,
and that the only thing done was to
tell the lookout to report IL the wealth.
er should become hazy and that, in
this contingency only, speed was to
be reduced.
The committee finds that when the
steamship struck no general alarm
was sounded and that there was no
systematic attempt to warn passen.
gers of their danger.
The committee Is convinced that
there was an insufficient drilling OF
the crew prior to the departure of the
Titanic from its home port, that the
ship was taken out for trial, but not
at full speed, that few circles only
were made and that it's crew was
taken on virtually only at the last
hour. There is more than an implied
criticism of the English board OF trade
for granting sailing papers under such
conditions.
In the opinion Of the members of
the committee there was a lack Of
preparation for the proper loading of
the lifeboats with passengers and an
other failure to utilize the boats to
their full capacity. II Is the commit.
tees further belief that If the wealth.
er had been in the least heavy and the
water had been rough that under the
conditions existing on the Titanic
many Of the lifeboats would have been
smashed or overturned before their
lowering had been completed, "
Many Lives Sacrificed.
The committee seems to have had
no doubt that many more lives could
have been saved If the duty Of the
men in charge of the lifeboats had
been well done, and they had returned
aged to keep af1oat after the ship went
down. In the committees report there
is no criticism of the conduct of ].
Bruce Ismay. the managing director Of
the steamship company. but Senator
Smith in his speech gave a fairly di.
rect criticism of Mr.. Ismay, when he
said in connection with speeding:
THE very presence of the owner
and builder unconsciousiy stimulates
eudeavor, and the restraint of organ.
lied society Is absolutely necessary to
safety"
In It's findings the committee pays a
high tribute to Captain Rostron of the
Carpathia, and this tribute was &C
centuated and enlarged upon in the
speech Of the committees chairman.
Senator Smith, who in contrasting the
conduct of the Carpathia's' captain
with that of the captain Of the Cali.
fornian said this Of the former:
by his utter self-effacement and his
own Indifference to peril, by his
promptness and his knightly sympa.
manity. He should be made to realize
the debt of gratitude this nation owes
to him, while the book of good deeds,
which had so often been familiar with
his unaffected valor, should henceforth
carry the name of Captain Rostron to
the remotest period Of time. With
most touching detail he ordered the
ships officers to their stations. dis.
tributed the doctors into positions OF
greatest usefulness, prepared com.
forts for man and mother and babe;
with foresight and tenderness he lift.
Gu llODl luCil
ment and, whom the rescue had been
completed, summoned all of the res
cued together and ordered the ships
bell tolled for the lost, and asked that
prayers Of thankfulness be offered by
those who had been spared. 1t falls
to the lot of few men to perform a
service so unselfish, and the American
congress can honor itself no more
by any single act than by writing into
its laws the gratitude We feel toward
this modest and kindly man."
The committee believes that the
steamship Californian was nearer to
the Titanic at the time OF the disas.
ter than was admitted and ithe con.
duct of the officers Of that ship is con.
demned.
In these words Senator Smith
voiced his and hts colleagues
opinion were In this matter.
1T is not a pleasant duty to criticize
the conduct or comment upon the
shortcomings of others, but the plain
truth should be told.
Many OF the witnesses of the III
fated vessel before the committee saw
plainly the light which Captain Lord
a Il