Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-06-16
SPEED NO AID
TO LUS|TAN|A
Cunard Line Official Says
Maximum Would Not
Have Saved Ship.
ALFRED BOOTH IS
CALLED TO TESTIFY
VesssI Travelling at More Than Four
teen Knots Never Before Known to
Have Been Hit by Torpedo-Mem
Of Crew, Who Saw Projectile Dis
charged, Declares Lusitania Could
Not Have Escaped at 1oo- Knot Speed.


the sinking of the steamship Lusitania
was resumed today with the examina-
tion of Alfred Booth chairman Of the
board of the Cunard Steamship Com
pany. The attorney general, Sir Ed
ward Carson, asked Mr.. Booth why the
Lusitania was economizing by using
only nineteen of her twenty-five boilers
at the time she was torpedoed.
so far as submarines are concerned,
there is no difference between 81 and
24.75 knots" Mr.. Booth replied Mr..
Carson then asked whether there was
any difference between Is knots, the
speed of the Lusitania when attacked,
and Fl knots. Mr.. Mooth replied that
while making more than IA knots no
vessel had been known to have been
struck by torpedo from submarine
until the Lusitania was hit.
Communicated Thru Admiralty.
The witness said the Cunard COM
pany was unable to communicate with
the vessel except thru the admiralty
and therefore had given no wireless in
structions to Captain Turner. General
instructions given previously covered
the closing Of the water-tight apart
ments and swinging out Of the boats
ON entering the danger zone. and
orders not to slow down to take on a
pilot or to lie too far off Liverpool for
the tide.
1t was left to Captain Turner's dis
cretion to arrange the time Of the ves-
sells arrival. He said tina: ali he knew
relative to warning to passengers was
what he had read IN English news
papers.
Captain Given Entire Discretion.
Mr. Booth was cross examined by an
attorney representing survivors, as to
whether the company took any steps
70 prevent the Lusitania from doing
what she did do-namely, entering the
war zone on schedule. The witness re-
piled that he did not know what sched-
ule meant but Captain Turner had
been given entire discretion. On the
morning Of the day the Lusitania was
torpedoed the Cunard company asked
the admiralty to communicate with the
ship concerning threats against it.
The attorney for the survivors asked
Mr. Booth why he had stated the Lusi-
tania was being run for reasons Of
economy, merely to pay expenses. The
witness said the bookings of first and
second class passengers were nearly
normal but the number of steerage
passengers was only one third the nor
NAL.
Increased Speed Not Directed.
Donald MacMaster, representing the
Canadian government. asked Mr.. Booth
whether there had been installed on
~, n Fov ho dc.
lection of submarines. The witness
responded he had no knowledge OF any
workable device Of this sort.
Mr.. MacMaster then asked whether
by calling out both watches all Of the
was admitted the Lusitania had suf-
fcient supply Of coal. Mr.. Booth said
no instructions had been sent the Lusi-
tania to run at full speed thru the
danger zone.
The attorney for the stewards union
asked whether there were Germans
| working on the Cunard dock in New
York. Mr.. Booth replied that German
Americans or Americans Of German
descent were employed there. The at
torney then asked whether 1t would
have been possible for spy to board
t'bsS
submarines Mr.. Booth said he was
not prepared to say this would have
been impossible but the company took
all necessary steps to prevent such an
action.
T, Could Not Escape Torpedo.
Baron Mersey, president of the court,
elected from Mr.. Booth that the Lusi-
tania had neither sufficient coal nor
nremen aboard to make the trip across
under full power. The baron desired
to know whez1er It would have been
possible for the ship to traverse the
| danger zone In the dark. The attorney
| general said he would endeavor to sup
ply this information.
Able Seaman Quinn. who was In the
crowsnest Of the Lusitania when she
! was struck, took the stand. He said
that he saw the torpedo coming and
said the Lusitania could not have es-
capped even II she had "been going 100
knots an hour"