Evening star., 1934-09-12
RADIO ASSISTANT
TERMED AG|TAT0R
Chief Operator Rogers Tes-
titles Capt. WiIImott Did
Not Trust Alagna.

CONTINUED From First Page)
of the ruined vessel soon for the body
of her late captain.
The Department of Commerce car
ried on with its inquiry, painting a
stark picture of panic aboard the
ship Saturday morning as she was
devastated by fire at sea.
Thought He Heard Shot.
To add to the testimony that men,
bers of the crew fed the liner early
In lifeboats holding few passengers-
came the story of 16-year pas
senger, Lewis Perrine.
He told newSmen that as he strug-
gled to safety through the smoke. he
thought he heard shot, thought he
saw an officer standing nearby and
sailor lying on the deck.
Capt Warns denied that there was
any lnsubordination, asserting: i
never fired a shot"
Alagna, who testified for two hours
yesterday before the grand jurors, was
considered one of the Governments
most important witnesses in determin-
criminal prosecution for the disaster.
He has said in published story
that he intercepted wireless query
from a nearby liner asking if there
was a fire almost half an hour before
a call to stand by" was sent, followed
by the S o S.
Chief Radio Operator Rogers was
the only other witness heard yester-
day by the grand jury and the other
members of the crew had their sub
poenas adjourned until today.
Slid Down Rope.
The Federal inquiry continued to-
day with the testimony of Miss Kath-
crime Liebler, passenger, of Melrose,
N. Y.
Miss Liebler, brunette and pretty,
testified she occupied Room SOB, C
deck, on the liner.
Asked how and when she first be-
came aware of the fire, Miss Liebler
said steward awakened her at about
4:10 eastern daylight time), Satur-
day, led her into the corridor, up on
deck and assisted her in donning
life preserver.
How did you get off the boat" she
was asked.
81 slid down a rope" Miss Liebler
replied.
Dickerson N. Hoover, head Of the
board of inquiry, asked her from
what part of the liner she slid into
the sea. Miss Liebler answered that it
was the stern. She said about $50
persons were gathered on the deck in
the stern.
There were some members of the
crew there, she said.
She could not estimate the ratio of
crew members and passengers in the
group.
Walters Were Drunk.
Hoover then questioned her con-
cerning what she knew Of intoxlca-
ton among Moro Castle employees.
when we left Havana quite few
of the walters were drunk" the wit
ness said.
did you see any crew members
drunk the night of the disaster?"
Hoover asked.
Miss Liebler said she had not.
Asked If she had eyer seen any
NaLCuLldu LAG NOSA "a SAN~
Moro Castle, the witness said:
"Just once. One morning I woke
up early and saw man standing out
side my state room"
Miss Liebler testified that she had
retired the morning of the fire at about
1:30 eastern daylight-saving time).
There was no smoke, no fire at that
time, she said.
did you hear any fire alarm at any
time?" the witness was asked.
"I did not" she answered.
Sent Alagna to Bridge.
The next witness was George W.
Rogers, chief radio operator of the
MORO Castle.
After telling of long experience as
o radio operator at sea, he testified he
was awakened by the second assistant
operator after the fire broke out. The
time, he said, was 2:55 am. eastern
standard time).
"I dressed Immediately and went
into the radio ROOM" he related.
"I told the first assistant operator,
George Alagna, to go to the bridge
to act as my messenger to receive any
orders"
He explained that in an emer-
gency the chief operator takes the
watch.
did you have any lack of con-
fidence in the bridge?" asked Hoover.
mo, we were following routine
practice"
Smoke began to pour into the radio
room shortly, he said.
"At 3:13 Mr.. Alagna returned to
the radio room and told me:
You'd better get out of here if
you don't want to die like a rat
Il asked him what about the dis
tress messages.
Then we received a radio message
from another ship asking about a
burning ship off the Jersey coast"
Sent Out Standby Message.
1--WE sent out a standby message
so that when I did get orders to
send out an S o we would have
a clear channel.
"At approximately 3l8 or 3:19 I
sent another standby message.
Then all the lights went out.
Smoke was getting thick and you
couldn't see"
the radio room. required by law, was
not on.
II took a large f1ashlght and
started the auxiliary transmitter so
that we could send out the distress
signal when it came from the bridge.
Il sent an assistant back to the
bridge and told him to get explicit
instructions.
"The radio room was getting warm.
Then curtain caught on fire
The air was silent. There WASH t
a signal on it.
cat about 3:25 or 3:30-I had a
wet towel on my face, could hardly
breathe-Mr. Alagna came back from
the radio room and said, 30. K,
chief, send out an S o S."
Was Almost Unconscious.
@T WAS almost 1lncnncnioue put 7