New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-24
LOOKOUT'S TALE
OF THE TITANIC
HEARD In COURT
Man Who Warned of Fatal
Berg Opposes in Compa-
ny's Liability Suit.
SAYS CAPTAIN KNEW
LINER WAS DOOMED
Progress of Lifeboat Through
Corpse.Sprinkled Sea De.
scribed by Officer.

A ship racing through the seas; a
lcokout's voice calling, Iceberg dead
q cad sir" and the sing-song repeti-
tsa OF the bridge officer, Iceberg dead
ahead Thank you; a ships boat
half empty, IN waters peopled with
stifening forms which thumped its
SIDES, a life raft awash and swarming
with half-clad refugees; TINS was the
answer made yesterday 70 the suit
broaght by the Oceanic Steam Naviga.
ton Company, Ltd. the White Star
/ ne, which owned the Titanic.
The company seeks to limit its il
al.atIes arising from the losses on the
Titanic TO S97,922l2 Although many
relatives Of the 800 who lost their
rcs when the Titanic went down have
Def their CLAIMS go by default, the
amount of the claims against the COM
Iany IS approximately SlS,000,000. 1t
was before Judge julius NJ. Mayer in
the Federal Court Annex in the Wool
worth Building that the testimony con-
corning the disaster of April IA, 1912
was read into the record.
Originally the stories were told by
officers and seamen before Lord Mersey
in London and the High Court of
Judicature, in the Kings Bench Divi-
sion. The testimony was read by
George W. Belts, of counsel for the
claimants.
George Simmons, able seaman, was
the lookout whose grewSome story was
read Yesterday. He was in the crow, 5
nest-without marine glasses, although
he had asked for pair-and sang out
on catching a glimpse of the berg. lie
told of the crisp, automatic answer
that came from the bridge and of
navigating a boat through the sea
where 1900 corpses rode the waves.
A sail had been raised on the boat
and Simmons was at the steering oar.
He saw a loCy life raft through the
mist and made for it. The dead, still
buoyed up by their llfebelts, knocked
and scraped alongside OF his boat as
he held his course for the raft. Two
women and twenty-five men were taken
from the raft. As he was sheering off,
Simmons saw that the raft was leak
ing and water swashed across 1t with
every heave Of the waves.
Charles Herbert Lightoller, second
officer. il appeared from the testimony,
had consulted with Chief Officer Muir
dock when the proximity of ice was ap-
parent. Mr.. Murdoch relieved him an
hour before the crash. The air was
bitter and he told the chief officer TO
keep a sharp lookout. Ten degrees the
thermometer had dropped during his
watch until it marked but one point
above freezing.
"Oh, yes, we knew we were near
ice" was one of his answers.
Twenty-three sea miles an hour was
the speed at which the liner raced
through the ice field, Mr.. Lightoller
testified, although her contract speed
was only twenty-one knots.
Snug in his berth, the second officer
felt the big ship falter, sensed a grind
ing and a humping, and ran on deck,
thinking something had fouled the pro-
peller. The sight of the broad decks.
steady lights and the officers on the
bridge treasured him, and he went be-
low again shivering.
According to the testimony Of Jo-
seph G.. Boxhall, fourth officer, Captain
Smith knew the ship would founder.
Did Captain Smith really tell you
that the ship was doomed?' he was
asked.
Captain Smith did say something
about being doomed" was the response.
81 asked Captain Smith if it were really
serious, and he said he had heard from
Mr.. Andrews, engineer, that they could
keep afoat only an hour or an hour
and a half"
Mr.. Boxhall saw mail sorters putting
away bags Of mail while the water rose
above their knees in the mail room. 1t
was then, he said, tina: Captain smith