Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-06-16
No Steamer Going Over IA
Knots Ever Before Struck
by a Torpedo.
MOVING I8 WHEN SUNK
Chairman of Cunard Board
Says Only Communication
Through Admiralty.

London. June is.-The inquiry into
the sinking of the steamship Lusitania
was resumed today. with the examina-
tion % Alfred Booth. chairman OF the
board of Cunard Steamship company.
The attorney general. Sir Edward Car
son. asked Mr. Booth why il was tha;
the LgsitaniR was economizinE by US
iuE only 10 of her 25 boilers az the
time she vas torPedoed.
so far as submarines are concern
81. there b. no difference between 81
and efs knots. Mr.. Booth replied.
Mr.. Carson then asked whether there
was any difference between IS knots.
the speed al which the Lusitania was
proceeding when attacked. and q
knots Mr.. Booth replied that no
steamer making more than - knots
Eas known 20 have been struck BY
torpedo from a submarine until the
Lusitauia was hit
The witness said the Cunard COM
pauy could not communicate with the
vessel by wireless. except through the
admiralty. and therefore had given no
wireless Instructions 20 Captain Tur-
ucr. General Instructions given pres
iousiy covered the closing OF the water
light compartments. the swinging out
% boafs on entering the war zone. and
AZ order not 10 slow down 20 take on a
pilot OF 20 lie 20 of Liverpool for TIE
tide II was left 10 Captain Turner's
discretion 10 arraure the time OF the
vessels arrival. Tie said that all ne
kncw relative 90 warnings issued 20 in
tending passengers vas what he had
read IN the English newspapers. hav-
ing received no dispatch on this sub
iect from the New York ONCE OF the
company.
Entire Discretion 90 Turner.
AR Booth was cross-examined by
an attorney representing survivors as
TO whether the company took any
steps TO prevent the Lusitania from do
inE what she did do; namely. entering
the war zone on schedule" The wit
ness replied he did not know what
schedule time meant. but Captain Tur-
uer had been given entire discretion
Mr. Booth said he received no word
from Captain Turner during the voy-
age. on the morning Of the day the
Lusitania was torpedoed. the Cunard
company asked the admiralty 20 com
muuicatc with the ship concerning
threats against t.
Mr. Booth said the bookings OF first
and second class passengers were
nearly normal. but that the number OF
stecrnEe passengers was only one
third the normal. which occasioned n |
loss.
Crew Poorly Trained.
Donald Marsiastcr. representing the /
Canadian government. asked Mr.. Booth /
" whether there had been installed on /
the Lusitania apparatus Tor the detec- .
iion % submarines. The witness re-
spondcd he had no knowledge OF any /
workable device of this sort Mr.. Mac
Master then asked whether by calling I,
out both watches all the boilers could \
have been worked Baron Mersey. !
president of the court OF inquiry. in
.erruptcd. What difference would the
speed make pointing out that the 4
testimony thus far indicated that a
speed of IS knots might have been re-
<Aracd az ample 20 escape n subraa-
rins. Mr.. Booth said no instructions
had been sent 20 the LusitAnia 20 run
st full speed through the danger zone.
He also said that there we're many
poorly trained men In the crew.
The attorney for the stewards union
asked whether there were Germans
<orkiuE on the Cunard dock IN New
York. Mr. Booth replied that per
saps German-Amerteanso or Americans
u German descent were employed
here. The attorney then asked wheth-
y u would have been possible for a
,py TO board the Lusitania for the pur-
pose of signalling submarines Mr..
Booth answered that he vas not pre-
pared TO say this would have been i'm
possible but the company took all nee
-ssAry steps 20 prevent such action