The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-18
FEW CALLS FOR HELP
REMAIN A MYSTERY
Not Understood Why Operator Phillips Did Not
Keep On Sending When Plight Of Vessel
Was Realized

New York, April l1.-While the dis
tress call OF the Titanic. sent out
broadcast by Operator Phillips after
the gigantic vessel had hurled herself
TO destruction against the icebergs
did not bring assistance in time to
save the majorlty OF her passeng ers.
The events Of Sunday night have in
creased the general feeling OF reliance
upon the wireless when II is necessary
20 communicate often and at length
over great spaces OF water. The facts a
nand show that the reassuring mes
cages of Monday which led 10 the
belief that all the Titanics passengers
FAD been transhipped and the vessel
aerself was being towcd to Halifax,
originated iii the minds of persons on
iand who sought TO deceive deliberate
~. for profit or some other reason. or
with amateur wireless operators who
thought they were interpreting their
messages correctly.
The fact now standing out is that
when Operator Phillips dashed out the
distress call from the wireless room
OF the Titanic late Sunday night 1t
was picked up by the Firginian and
sent shoreward TO Halifax. and thence
to the Virginian's owners at Montreal
whence the first word came The
olympic. Californian, Baltic and the
CarpathiR We're out of use with the
Marconi stations at Cape Race Sable
Island and Halifax at the time, and
the ! plain duty was TO go TO the aid
OF the Titanic. They did So and when
the Olympic. turning westward TO rem
der any aid in her power, found that
the Carpathia had done al that could
be done. she remained at hand 10 put
her powerful wireless apparatus at tht
task of sending the news TO the civil.
liHed world.
With I'VE kilowatts OF power be-
hind them the messages from the
Olympic have been the worlds only
source of knowledge Of The survivors
The task OF sending hundreds OF
names through the air which have
tors before they are reduced from dots
and dashes, with but few error~ in
comparison with the magnitude Of the
undertaking, has been performed with
remarkable success.
Wireless Mystery.
One OF the mysteries that wireless
men will never have explained is why
Operator Phillips did not send out
more hurry calls for aid when 1t was
apparent that the Titanic could not
keep afloat. The Titanic wireless out
III Ndo nv GiiIiteiS uepeiQCIit upou tie
machinery of the vessel for power. Not
only was there a gasolene engine on
the wireless for transmitting power
II the entire hull OF the vessel was I'M
der water, but there was also an
auxiliary lighting system. and II would
have been possible to keep on sending
messages until the water was within
a foot or SO OF tho wireless apparatus.
Operator Phillips, known to all his
associates as one of the most capable
men of the business, went down with
the Titanic, while the second opera tor,
II. 5. Bride, new man, coming here
from England on the Titanic for his
first trip, is reported saved. This con-
vInces the friends of Phillips that he
remained at his key. and that he must
have sent many appeals that never
were heard. Tho presence OF icebergs
should have made messages sent more
distinct. since low temperature al
ways has this effect A fog never af-
.ects wireless communication, the ex-
perts say.
Tremendous rnsk.
Although the wireless tasks of the
pas few, days have been great. the sit
uation presented to-day was beyond
all previous undertakings, AS tho Car
pathia has been pounding nearer to
port the friends or relatives of men
and women who sailed on the Titanic
have been i,oodng the Marconi offices
with MESA Scs.. When il was fgurec
to-day that the Camperdown land sta
ton. at Halifax. would be in easy