New-York tribune. [volume], April 20, 1912, Page 4, Image 4

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BRUCE "ISMAY QUESTIONED
BY SENATE COMMITTEE
< ont In iied from t-.r.t page.
boats were rather poor affairs, and not to be depended on. Regarding,
the conduct of the people on the boat deck, of the port side of which
he was in charge, Lighttoller testified that 'they could not have been
quieter had they b:?.n in church."
The investigation is proceeding slowly, which is largely due to
the evident lack of familiarity of the chairman. Senator Smith, of
Michigan, with things nautical. To forestall this very contingency, the
President placed at the disposal of the committee General Uhler, chief
of the Steamboat Inspection Service, but thus far the committee has
not availed itself of his services to any considerable extent. Were he
permitted to interrogate the witnesses under the supervision of the
committee the investigation would move much more rapidly, and the
interrogator and the witness would be much less frequently at cross
purposes.
In the course of his testimony Mr. Ismay said that the engines of
the Titanic were making only seventy-five revolutions, while the full
speed would have been eighty. This statement was partially contra?
dicted by the second officer, who expressed the belief that the Titanic
was making 22 i/? to 23 knots when she struck the iceberg and that
she could hardly have made a greater speed until she had been shaken .
down, meaning until use had so smoothed her bearings as to reduce
the friction.
HAD SIGHTED NO ICE TWO HOURS BEFORE IMPACT.
Lighttoller testified that he nad learned from the captain of the
proximity of ice, although none had been seen. This was from the
wireless relayed from the Amerika by the Titanic. Lighttoller went
on watch at 6 p. m. Sunday, About 9 p. m. Captain Smith came on the
bridge, discussed the possibility of meeting ice, remarked that it was
exceptionally clear, but that should it become hazy it would be neces- j
sary to reduce speed.
The captain expressed the belief that they might sight ice about j
11 p. m., although the latitude of the berg sighted by the Amerika was |
not given, according to the witness. He believed the ship continued
it full speed, although the captain might have ordered the chief engineer
to reduce the number of revolutions without advising the second officer.
In this relation it is noteworthy that Captain Rostron of the Car?
pathia. although reluctant to say anything which might be construed
as a criticism of Captain Smith, was compelled to admit on examination
that while he ran at full speed to the rescue of the Titanic, he doubled
his lookout, and. further, that he would not, having been advised of the
proximity of the ice, have taken that risk had it not been for his realiza
_ tion of the peril of the human complement of the Titanic, his last ad
I vices fi om that ship having been that her engine room was fast filling.
The second officer of the Titanic admitted that the precaution of
doubling the lookout on his ship had not been taken. He said that
Captain Smith thought his ship would be in the vicinity of the ice about
] 1 p. m. At 10 p. m. Lighttollcr completed his watch and turned the
bridge over to First Officer Murdock, who went down with the ship.
The testimony of Lighttoller also served to emphasize the utter
inadequacy of the lifeboat provision. There were, in all. twenty of I
these?sixteen regulation wooden boats, two collapsible part-canvas'
boats and two smaller boats, which he termed "emergencies." One of
the collapsibles became entangled in the tackle and was not launched
at all. and another, which had been stowed on top of the officers'
quarters, proved so inaccessible and required so much effort to launch
that it had not been put over the side when the ship went down. It
then capsized, but about thirty, mostly of the crew, including Light
toller, managed to scramble on its bottom, and were subsequently taken
aboard one of the lifeboats.
It was a thrilling story that was told by Captain Rostron of the
Carpathia, despite the fact that he had not seen the Titanic go down,
and the committee room seemed to take on the very air of the sea.
"I love a man like that," remarked one elderly spectator. "I could
lick the salt off the face of such a hero."
And when, his voice faltering, the captain explained that he had
not taken from one of the boats the corpse of a sailor who had perished
of exposure because of the already agonized frame of mind of the sur?
vivors, and related other details of the sufferings of those who, illy clad,
had been four hours exposed to a temperature of 31 degrees, it would
have been possible to hear a pin drop in the committee room.
Hardly less dramatic was the testimony of Lighttoller, although
at no time was he permited to tell his story in narrative form, being
subjected to constant questioning. He is a slight, determined looking
young man, with clean cut features and evident simplicity, actuated by
an almost painful desire to tell the exact truth, answering every ques?
tion concisely and with never a suggestion of a smile, even when the
chairman showed that he had supposed the "bulkheads' which were to
have made the Titanic unsinkable consisted of air and watertight cham?
bers, in which, he suggested, many of the passengers might have taken
refuge on the assumption that they, at least, would float.
DIDN'T LEAVE SHIP TILL IT LEFT HIM, HE SAYS
"What time did you leave the ship?" asked Senator Smith, soon
after Lighttoller took the stand.
"I didn't leave it," replied Lighttoller.
"Did it leave you?"
"Yes, sir."
"Was the suction a deterrent in making progress from the scene?"
"It was hardly noticeable.
"Where were you when the Titanic sank?"
"In the officers' quarters."
"Were all the lifeboats gone then?"
"All but one," said Lighttoller. "I was about fifteen feet from it.
It was hanging in the tackle, and they were trying to get it over the
bulwarks the last time I saw it. The first officer, Mr. Murdock. who
lost his life, was managing the tackle."
"Did you see Mr. Ismay then?"
"No."
"When did you see him?"
''When we started to uncover the boats. He was standing on
the boat deck."
"What was he doing?"
"Standing still."
"Talking with any one?"
"No."
"Was he fully dressed?"
"I couldn't say for sure; it was dark."
"How long did you see Ismay there above?"
"Just as I passed."
"When you saw Mr. Ismay twenty minutes suiter the collision
were there any other passengers near him?"
"I did not see any one in particular," said Lighttoller, "but there
might have been some."
A* few minutes niter the impact, Lighttoller said, he went back to
his berth.
"Why?" asked Senator Smith, in astonishment.
"Because there seemed no call for me on deck."
"Call or cause?"
'Neither call nor cause."
DESCRIBES IMPACT AS "A SLIGHT JAR."
The witness described the impact as a "slight jar. followed by a
grinding sound."
"You say that Sunday you were advised by the captain, by word of
mouth, of icebergs in near proximity, and when you were relieved at
10 p. m., as officer of the ship, by First Officer Murdock. you passed the '.
information to him, and he said, 'AH right'?"
"Yet-, sir."
N _ftie ship, was making about 21 to 21^ knots, Lighttollcr testified.
According to the second officer, one hundred or more persons
thrown into the water or jumped before the Titanic went down.
a few minutes they struggled, then most of them disappeared.
"The forward funnel went by the board and struck a great
of those in the water," said Lighttoller.
"Were any killed?"
I don't know."
A moment before the funnel broke the collapsible lifebo,
the officers' quarters floated off, and twenty or more pe:
including Colonel Gracie. J. B. Thayer, Phillips and McBridt
wireless operators, and Lighttoller, clung to the collapsed life
The funnel hit a number of those clinging to this boat. They rel
their hold and sank back into the sea. The force of the funnel's
forced the frail lifeboat fifty feet away from the Titanic, and left
clinging to it again struggling in the sea. Some managed to sw
the lifeboat again, but many of the unfortunates went down ii
attempt, completely exhausted. Ultimately thirty persons climb?
the capsized boat.
"The lifeboats could carry sixty-five persons at risk to all.
plained Lighttoller, "but for safety twenty-four women and two
men only were sent in the first boat."
"How did you choose seamen?"
"Those standing nearest."
I "Did they want to go?"
PASSENGERS AIDED IN GETTING BOAT CLEAR.
"I didn't ask them. When we cleared the second boat I rea
the situation was getting serious and put all the women near by
it?about thirty-five. It took fifteen to twenty minutes to clear
boats and lower them with people. The boats were safe for i
persons, provided the tackle worked right. In the third boat 1
was only one seaman to man it. I could not spare either of the
two seamen who were assisting me. A fiist class passenger nea
interposed and said: 'I'll go, if you like.'
" 'Are you a sailor?' I asked him. He answered: 'I'm a yachtsn
" 'Prove that you are a sailor by getting that fall clear. Y
have to be a sailor to do it,' I warned him.
"He proved a good sailor, went in the boat and did brave v
in protecting the women and children."
"Who was he?"
"Major Peuchen, of Toronto."
The second officer said all the women and children he could
into each boat were sent away rapidly thereafter. He didn't have 1
to count each boatload, but gathered a load for each boat.
"Were the passengers, particularly the women and children, <
to manage and quiet?"
"Yes; they couldn't have stood more quiet had they been i
church."
"Where did you last see Captain Smith?" the Senator asked.
Lighttoller said he saw him several times on the boat deck, but that
last recollection of Captain Smith wa? walking across the bridge of the Tit?
"I was busy at my own work, about fifty feet away, and I recollect se
the captain walking across the bridge. I did not then hear him giving any ore
I was too far away.'
"When the Titanic sank were her decks intact?"
"Absolutely intact," said Lighttoller.
Senator Smith asked what wan the last order he heard Captain Smith g
"When I asked if I should put the women and children in boats," rep
Lighttoller, "he responded, 'Yes, and lower away.' "
"What did you do?"
"Obeyed orders."
Captain A. H. Rostron of the Carpathia read to the committee the re|
he sent to the home office of the company under date of yesterday, in wl
I gave the details of his arrangements to cope with the situation when
came up to the Titanic. This report is in full as follows:
"R. M. S. Carpathia. April 19. 1912.
"To General Manager. Cunard Steamship Company, Ltd., Liverpool.
"Sir: The following may be of interest to you. Monday, 15th inst., inforr
o: urgent distress message from Titanic. Had struck ice. Required mimed
assistance. Position of Titanic, 41:16 North, 50:14 West. I immediately orde
ship turned and set course, we then being South 52 E. (true), fifty-eight (
miles from Titanic. Sent for chief engineer and ordered out another watch
stokers and to make all possible speed. Gave orders to get all lifeboats r.
pared, spare gear taken out and boats swung out ready for lowering. Tl
sent for English doctor, purser and chief steward, and gave following instr
tions:
"English doctor?With assistants, to remain in first dais dining room.
"Italian doctor?With assistants, to remain in second class dining room.
"Hungarian doctor?With assistants, to remain in third class dining root
"Each doctor to have supplies of restoratives, stimulants and everythi
to hand for immediate need of probable wounded or sick.
"Purser?With assistant purser and chief steward, to receive passengt
etc., at different gangways, controlling our own stewards and assisting passe
gers to dining rooms, etc. Also to get Christian names and surnames of
survivors as soon as possible to send by wireless. Inspector, stewards a
master-at-arms to control our own steerage passengers and keep them out
third class dining hall, and also keep them out of the way and off the deck
prevent confusion.
INSTRUCTIONS TO CARE FOR SURVIVORS.
"Chief stewards?That all hands wouid be called, and to have coffee, el
ready to serve out to all our crew. Have coffee, tea, soup, etc.. in each saloc
blankets in the saloons, at the gangways, and some of the boats. To see
rescued cared for and immediate wants attended to.
"My cabin, and all official cabins, to be given up. Smoke room, librat
dining rooms would be utilized to accemmodate the survivors. All spare bert
in steerage to be utilized for Titanic's passengers. All our own steerage pa
sengers grouped together.
"Stewards should be placed in gggli alleyway, to reassure our own passe
gers, should they inquire about noise in getting our own boats out, etc., or tl
working of the engines.
"To all I strictly enjoined the necessity for order, discipline and quietne
and to avoid all confusion.
"Chief and first officers?All the hands to be called. Get coffee, etc. Pr
pare and swing out all boats. All gangway doors to be opened, electric spraj
in each gangway and over each side. A block with line rove in each gangwa
A chair slung at each gangway for getting up sick and wounded. Bo'sun
chairs, pilot ladders and canvas ash bags for children. Cargo falls, with bol
ende clear; bow lines in the ends and bights secured along ship's side for boa
ropes or to help the people up. Heaving lines distributed along the ship's sid
and gaskets handy near gangways for lashing people in chairs, etc. Forwar
derricks topped and rigged, and steam on winches; also told off officers fc
different stations and for certain eventualities.
"Ordered company's rockets to be fired at 2:45 a. m. and every quarte
hour thereafter to reassure Titanic.
"I may state that canvas ash bagr, were of great assistance in getting th
infants and children aboard.
"I am proud and happy to state that the utmost loyalty, obedience an
attention were shown to me by all the officials and the men working unde
them also, all working with perfect willingness and without the slightest con
fusion or unnecessary noises.
"As each official saw everything in readiness he reported to me personall'
on the bridge that all my orders were carried out, enumerating the same, am
that everything was in readiness.
"The details I left to the several officials, and must say they were mos
efficiently carried out.
"I think you will hear from other sources that we had made every prepara
tion possible. A. H. ROSTRON, Captain, Carpathia."
The night session of the Senate committee began at 9 o'clock. J. Bruc?
Ismay and P. A. S. Franklin, vice-president of the White Star Line, came earlj
and took seats together in the corner behind the witness chair, where they could
hear the testimony.
CARFATHIA'S OPERATOR HEARS CALL FOR HELP.
The first witness was Thomas Cottan. a pink cheeked Englishman of twenty
one, who was the Marconi operator on the Carpathia. The Carpathian wireless
range, he said, was about 250 miles. Conditions Sunday night were good. He
had been receiving news from Cape Cod and w._g trying to get in touch with
the Parisian to confirm a message previously received from her.
"I was getting ready to turn in: it was about 11," he said, "but I still had
the receiver on my head. I had had a message from the Titanic about 5:30.
It was a message for Mrs. Marshall, one of our passengers.
"I called the Titanic, saying I had received messages from Cape Cod for her.
The reply was, 'Come at once; it is a distress message; C Q D.' I confirmed
it. asking them if I was to report to the captain. They answered 'Yes.'
"Have you been misled by messages without confirmation?" asked Senator
Smith.
'No sir."
"Suppose this had not been confirmed?"
I would have reported it to the captain."
"Then." said Cottan. resuming his story. "I asked the Titanic for her posi?
tion and reported it to the captain. About four minutes later I called again
?onhrmiog the position, and got the answer, Ail right' X beard a message from
another ship calling the Titanic. It was the Frankfort, a German boat. Th
I heard the Olympic calling the Titanic. The Olympic was offering her 'serv
message.'
"I asked the Titanic if they knew the Olympic was calling. They answer
no; they could not read it because of the rush of air and the escape of stea
Then the Titanic called the Olympic, saying to come at once as they were he
down. The Olympic acknowledged the receipt of the massage.
"Then I caught a message from the Baltic and told the Titanic to call h?
I was in regular communication with the Titanic until I got the last messag
"Come quick; our engine room is filling up to the boilers.' I acknowledged
with the signal 'R E.' and reported to the captain.
"Then I told the Titanic we were coming as hard as we could con
with c double watch in the engine room and our boats all ready, and to be rea?
with the lifeboats when we came. I got no acknowledgment from the Titan:
I never heard from her again."
Senator Smith then began to question Cottan about conditions aboard tl
Carpathia after picking up the Titanic's survivors. He said he was on duty ;
day Monday, all Monday night, all day Tuesday and finally fell asleep for tv
or three hours Tuesday night. He said he awoke about dawn on Wednesd?
and was at his post all day Wednesday. On Wednesday night the junior mi
on the Titanic came up to give him a hand.
"I was rather tired, sir," said Cottan.
"Were there many attempts to communicate with your ship on Mondaj
Did you take any messages on Monday?"
"I can't remember what I did. The record of messages received is on file o
the ship. We were in communication with some ship all the way."
"Do you recall receiving any message from the President of the Unite
States?"
"No, ?ir. The Chester called about 9:30 Tuesday morning for a list of th
first and second class passengers. The list had been sent to the Olympic an
! a list ot the crew and steerage had been sent to the Minnewaska. so we did no
! duplicate them."
Cottan was excused with the direction to be on hand at 10 o'clock this morr
ir?f- with the junior operator from the Titanic.
SAW MRS. STRAUS PUSH MAID INTO BOAT.
Alired Crawford came next. He was a bedroom steward on the Titanic
He ?tood at the boat in which Mrs. Isidor Straus refused to embark.
"She put her foot on the gunwale," said Crawford; "then she changed he
mind and went back to her husband, saying, 'We've been living together for ?
good many years, and where you go I go.' Then she pushed her maid into th?
boat and stood by Mr. Straus. That was boat No. 8. The captain was person
ally superintending the loading of that boat. He told us to pull for a ligb
that w<* saw?the light of a ship in the distance?to land the women and return
' We pulled and pulled, but we couldn't reach the light."
"Did you hear an explosion?" asked Senator Smith.
"I heard a sharp explosion while we were lying-to in the lifeboat. We wer?
| some distance off when she went down bow first. The lights in the bow went
j out first. She was clear of the water from amidships aft."
"Did you know Mr. Ismay?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you see him?"
"Yes: he and Mr. Murdock (the first officer) were lowering No. 5, on the
starboard side, under the bridge. I think it was the third boat in the water.
Then I went to the other side and didn't see him get into a boat"
"They had a drill at quarters at Belfast before they sailed," Crawford said.
Crawford, too, was told to return this morning. The hearing will continue
at 10 o'clock. It was adjourned about 10:30.
Senator Smith said that he adjourned somewhat earlier than he had in?
tended because he was tired. Mr. Burlingham, secretary of the White Star Line,
called his attention to the fact that many of the 210 survivors of the crew ex?
pected to sail to-day on the Lapland.
"I have no intention of holding them," said Senator Smith, "though I can?
not say that I may not want some of them. I wish only to be sure that the fif?
teen I have subprrnaed and those who have already testified will be here."
P. A. S. Franklin joined Mr. Burlingham in assuring Senator Smith that
they would be on hand.
BLOWN FROM SHIP'S DECK
jTitanic's Barber Tells of Falling
on Chairs and Floating.
PICKED UP BY LIFE RAFT
Others Clinging to Its Edges
Soon Became Exhausted, Said
"Goodby!" and Sank.
I Hy Te>grap!i to Th? Tribun?. 1
?Philadelphia, April l?.-August H. Weik
tiian. of l'almyra, V. .1., ship's barber on
th* Titanic, who was among thou?? rescued,
graphically told to-day his exp-. ri??necs when
the Titanic was lost.
Welkman. who declare* he has irossed
the geaast ~x>:, time?, i? fifty-, ix rear? old,
and for the last thirty-four years he hau
been employed ?i. -,, ship*! barber by the
Whit? Star Line.
According to Welkman, he was the last
man of thou?? rescued who ?.poke to <'ol?>n??l
(.lohn Jacob Astor.
I Welkman bays h<? K|| a witness ?if the
(scene when J. Bruce lamay left the Titanic,
and d?clar?e Mr ismay literally arma
thrown Into the lifeboat by a seaman, who
i did not recognise hltn, and thought he was
(interfering with tiie work. Me asserts that
Mr. lamay was striving t.. help In the _oik
uf luunchltiK the boats, and went overboard
[only under physical compuMen.
"1 was ?n my barb-r shop reading, Mid
: W'lkman, "When I felt a slight Jar. and
? r?*allzed w>- had Struck something. 1 went
J to the gymnasium to see whether otberi
had li?>ll?ed It I fontal some of tile men
punching the bag. with < olonl Aator, Mi
Wldenei .<nd .? number ?>f others wat? hing
them
"I had known Mr Wi?lener for some
time, ariel I advlse.t him to put on a life
: l>elt. lie laughed at me.
? What ?-ense is |her.? in that: This
* boat Isn't going t?> sink,' he said to me.
' There is plenty of time. We're eater here
j than In a small boat, anyway.'
"Then came the order to man th?* boats.
. and I went on deck to help The rule was
observed of sending over four women an?l
then a man to look after them. When
four women had been put over a seaman
turned to Mi. Ismay and ordered him over
the side. Mr. Ismay refused to go, when
the v.aman seized him, rushed him to the
rail and hurled him over.
"While | was still helping at the boat?
' liiere ?-am* an explosion from below decks
and the ship took an awful lunge, throw
Ing everybod\ Into a heap. I was hurled
'?lear of the vessel's ?Id? an?t landed on top
?of a bundle of deck ?hairs which was float
,lng on the water 1 was badly brul.ed and
Imy back was sprain*?!. My Watch stopped
at 1:_0 a m. and I believe It was ut that
time I was thrown Into the water
j "While I lay Boating on the bundle of
? hairs there came another terrific explo?
sion and the ship seemed to ?split In two.
?There was a rain of wreckage and a big
'piece of timber fell on me, striking my life?
belt. I believe If It had not been for the
belt I would have been killed. I floated for
what I believe wan about two lvour?. Then
arm reached down and drew me aboard a
?life raft. The man who did this wan a
ueaman named Brown, whose Ufe I prob?
'?bly ha?l .saved two years ag?> l?y hurrying
?dm to a hospital In Kngland when he was
taken 111 suddenly.
[ "There were six person** on the raft and
others were In the water up to their necks,
? hanging on to the edge? of the raft. The
raft wan already awash, and we could not
?take them aboard. One by one. as they
i became chlUM through, they bade us good?
by and sank. Tn the bottom of the raft
was a man whom I had shaved that morn?
ing, and whom I had been told was worth
13.000.000. I did not know his name. He
was dead.
"And no we floated on the ratt. bereft of
hope and stupefied by the calamity, until
picked up by the farpathla I was so badly
injured they ha/I to take me on board In
a boatswain's chair."
?
SUNDAY'S NEW-YORK TRIBUNE
Mailed ar.ywl.er? m the United State?
(for 9250 a year,
MING FOR SURVIVORS
St. Vincent's Hospital Alone Has
One Hundred Sufferers.
MRS. A. BELMONT, VISITOR
The Financier's Wife Providing
Clothes and Money for Those
Left Destitute.
The hospitals of this rlty ar?* raring fur
mure than Itt survivors of the Whit?*? Star
liner TttaatC, mor?? than one hundred "f
then* being at St. Vincent's Hospital. O hile
others are (liMriouted throughout the city.
Hundred?? of person? ??all?**-* at the <llfrer?*nt
institutions asking for relatives, seekln?**
tae friend.*? f??im whom they had not heard,
and listening t.? n?*?*?untK of th? sea trag?
edy from those who ha?l beta on the Ti?
tanio when she stru??k the Iceberg.
Th?; house surgeon at Ht. Ylnc??nt's said
that nearly ?.in- hundred patient*? are being
?arc! tuf (lier.*, only three or" whom are
n?>t in favorable condition. Thirty-live of
theM patients are men, three of whom
were of the Titanic's crew. Tholr name?
ar?- Johi? Thompson, stoker, with a fiaci
ure?l light arm. William Mi-Intyr?*. conl
trlnuneTi both feet frostbitten, and Th?->mas
Whltley, imiter, burn*? ;in.l fractured right
leg
ai Bellevuc Hoepltal there more taran
survivors^ thre.? Byrlun numen and four
children, Thei were removed to the hos
i'itai ?ariy yeatorday morning. Two of the
children a??* suffering ?fron meaelee, and
were later taken to the Wlllard Parker
Hospital for treatment. Th? women are
ull sufTerliiK from .?bock und exposure.
There are twelve ?omen ?un Ivors at the
Junior Leu.?,'?"* Home, 7Mh street and K?st
Etirer, but none of them waa in a serious
condition, It was said. tH. Luke's Hospital
shelters eight survivors, four women and
lour children. All are suffering from ex
poeure. Two of th?? women lost their hus?
bands in the disaster.
In the Clara !?<? Hire? b Home for Immi?
grant (?iris. No. M Hast l.-.th street, sU
survlvors are being treated. One of them,
Mr.? Agnes Davis, a widow, was ?*oming
from her home in Cornwall, Kngland, to
Join her son In Mkhlgan. When the Ti?
tan) ? went down Mrs. Davis was foned to
leave one son. twenty years old, behind
on the upper deck, while she took a
younger son, only eight year? old, In the
lifeboat with her.
The Sydenham H?pital, in I'a*t l!6th
street, had two women patients, who were
taken there last night from the Carpathia.
but left yesterday morning after beim; |
heated by the surgeons. They were Mrs.
.lawan. ?if No. 2,7 West 145th street. an?l
Mrs. Alda Bailas, of Ix?ndon, and both
went to Mrs. Jawan's house.
Although the Mount Hinai Hospital
homed two women patients, all Informa?
tion except their ??ames was refused by
those In charge. Neither Is In serious con?
dition.
Mrs. August Hilmont and ?win?? women
friends went to St. Vincent's yesterday
and talked with many of the Tltajilc ?ur
vlvoi?. It waa announced after her de?
parture that Mrs. Belmont had arrange*"
to malio the patienta comfortable with
aupplles of clothing und money, and would
see that they were well cared for when
they leave the Institution.
Mrs. Katherine Vouaaaf, who. with her
children. Mary, one year old. and Michael.
four years old, was at Bellevue Hospital,
gave an account of the sinking of the
Titanic yesterday. She said that after she
had been placed In a lifeboat with her
children, she dropped her boy Into the
?water accidentally and thought he was
drowned. Several hour? lator, when the
Carpathia began picking up the Titanic's
lifeboats, Mra. Youssaf found that Michael
had been rescued by a steward In another
lifeboat.
?
NEW UNION DIME PRESIDENT.
Alexander P. W. Klnnan. who haa been !
Bret vice-president of the Union Dime Sav?
ing- Bank foi the last titeen years, has
been elected president to succeed ?""haile*
B. SpiviKiie. ??Tho died March ?I Mr. Kln?
nan Is s member <?t the 11 r m of J. Romaine
Brown A- Co. and a direct??? of the Man?
hattan Life Insulaner Compan>. the M**
tual Bank and other Inititutlom ana cor
foreUoofc I
I
Survivors Tell Thrilling Stories
of the Fearful Sea
Tragedy.
SAWOFFICERSHOOTHIMSELF
Mrs. Widener Says Captaiu
Jumped Into Ocean?Survivor
States Passengers Thought
Ship Safer than Lifeboats.
IHv Telegraph to The Tribun?.1
Philadelphia, April 19.?All ex?ept thre?
of the Philadelphia survivors apparently
are in good physical condition. The excep.
Uons are Mis. George D. Widener, v.hon
husband and son were drowned; Mrs Jolin
B. Thaycr, who mourns the death of her
husband, and Augustus \% Welkman, who
was severely Injured whefc he was blown
Into the ocean by the explosion of the Ti
tanic's boilers.
The survivors tsll thrilling stories of th?
(HghtfUl disaster.
In describing her esperten? ea, Mrs. George
D. Widener said that she had seen captain
Smith of the liner jump from the bri?lge
into the sea, and that a moment previous
| she had seen another officer turn a revolver
upon himsi'lf and send a bullet into ???
brain.
Saw Officer Shoot Himself.
"Mr. Widener and I had retired to our
cabin for the night,' she said, "when th?
shock of crashing Into the iceberg occurred.
We thought little of It and did not leave our
cabin. We must have remained there an
hour before becoming fearful. Then Mr.
Widener went to our son Harry's room and
brought him to our cabin. A short ttms
later Harry went to the deck and hurried
back and told us that we must go on de??k.
Mr. Widener and Harry, a few minut?e
later, went on deck an<l aided the officers,
who were then having trouble with those In
the steerage. That was the last I saw of
my husband or son.
"I went on deck and was put Into a life?
boat. As the boat pull??d away from the
Titanic I saw one of the officers shoot him?
self In the head and a few minutes later
saw ('aptaln Smith Jump from the bridge
Into the eea."
Mrs. Widener 11 at her home at Klkins
Park, near here. The entire Widener fam?
ily, which Is among the most prominent in
Philadelphia's financial and social circles,
is overcome by the disaster. The family
has received messages of sympathy from
all parts of xl\g world.
Wh*?n Mrs. William K. Carter stepped
Into a lifeboat, -lie .aw there were ri??t
enough men to man the oars. "There was
nothing else to do," she said, "so I took an
oar." And as long as the boat bobbed
about Iti the sea ?he bent over the oar with
the strength borne of unusual ? ourage.
Mrs. J. B. Thayer also bent her back to
the oar In the lifeboat In which she 11?
placed, and worked for hours battling with
the waves, until picked up by the Car?
pathia
Boats Only Partly Filled.
Mrs. Thomas Potter. Jr . declared that th??
passengers on the Titani?* had no idea the
steamer was badly damaged, and had confi?
dence in the statement that she wa* non
sinkable. "As a result, the first boats to
leave the vessels side were hardly filled."
she said. '"There wen? only about ten
others in the boat in which I was, wh"h
was the first to be lowered away.
"I saw Colonel and Mrs?. Astor ?t the
rail as we mwe<i away, an?i they declined
to be taken oft, claiming that It was safe?
on the big liner than in the cockle-shell,
amid the floating ice. Tney simply would
not believe that flier?' was any danger. \t
least forty more pereone could have been
accommodated in our boat, if they had only
llsteneel to th? sblp'l offlcTv"
Richard M. Mil.lams, from Germana
tOWli, was the last to be saved from
aboard the Titanic. He was In the stern <?f
the liner when she went down, ami said that
the big liner ju.-i parte?! In the middle,
liuffeted about in the ice. he was finally
able to get aboard one of the rafts and
was picked up by one of the boats about
tWO hours lat'-r.
Ha saw John B. Thayer. jr., who jumped
overboard from the Titanic with his
father, and both managed to reach *
raft. The laft was upset, however, both
men being dumped into the water. The
elder Thaycr was never seen again, bat
young Thayer was picked up by one Of the
boats and was with Williams on the CSmt*
pathla.
James McGaugh, a buyer, told cne of t..e
most complete stories of the end of the Ti?
tanic Owing to his tremendous ?trengtu
he had been forced Into the Second !> .11
to leave UM Titanic as one of the (?rev
Mi. MoQoUgh disagrees with most of tl.?
survivors as to the time of the accident.
He pla?es t)i.' e ulllslon as oo-urrlng at 11:*<.
lie said:
The collision occurred .?t twenty minutes
to II I was In my cabin Batet* when I
ft 11 th?* wrench, not MVere or terrlij. tig,
It s?'. Died to dm nothing more senoue than
the racing of the screw, which otten ? ? -
curs when a ship sticks her nose into a
neavy swell, raising the stern out of water.
There was little noise or tumult.
We were warned to dress and don \it-x
precerveti By this time the engine had
been reversed and the ship was I a< k:i _,
officers and crew ran through Ihn ?Mp
counselling calmness. 1 dreeeel and stuff'?J
my money in my pockd and went on de? k
As 1 passed tiic gvumaslum I saw ? go
nel Aator ami his wife together, ?.h?? was
clinging to him and pleading that they
should not be Mparated .slu tri<?. 1 ?e
make him promis?? to get Into the am*
llfeboat with her. lie t.twtoS. aSawoffnf
her'almost griun?. He attempted to ?aim
her, declaring the accident she ff?rd
would prove to b?? ? f..r<?.
None Knew Titanic Wa? Sinking.
None. I believe, knew the *hip wa? sink?
ing. I did not realize It then, but when I
got on deck I saw tons of ice toward th?
?Sow, where we hail come into collision
with the iceberg Officers st??o?l ?With
drawn guns ordering the women into th?
boats. All feaicl t.? leave the comparativo
safety of the solid deck for the small I ?
Women clung to me. refusing to leave, gag
thev had to be torn ?forcibly away. On ?ji.?
point all th? women were firm. 1 ?
would not enter the boats until they UVA
?orne men at least in them to man UM
oars. It required courage to step Into tn.*?
frail looking things. They looked as If the
seas would swamp them. . t .
An officer rushed up to me and shout.''i
In mv ear that I was big enough to pull
an oar. He ordered me to get Into the boat,
and 1 did. I feared to go as I did. ?HM
ship looked safer to me. 1 dldn t wan,
I was in the second boat that left the
Titanic. Including myself and the rest ?>t
the crew, there were forty-one person? 111
the bout. As we pulled away we could se?-? %
boat after boat filled and lowered. Despite
the fact that they were new and the ??qu'P
ment wa? ?opposed to be first class, tne
blocks Jammed In many Instances, throw?
ing the boats at a dangerous angle.
As the lifeboats pulled away we couia
hear an officer ordering the band to pi***
The Titanic was all aglow with lights, we
pulled three-quarters of a mile away a"'?
could see her settling slowly. Klrst ?a?
saw the lights of the lower deck snufie-i
out, a little later the second ?leek ?H-in]ln1i*1!
tlon darkened, and this v. ;is followed oy
darkening of thr third and upper deck.
People were crowded on the decks looking
for more lifeboats. Some of th.? 'If'00*'
were caught In the merciless swirl as tn?
Titanic went to her grave und went under
with her. '. , mrV
Tne night of the accident was not fogsr
or cloudy. There was Just the beginn n^
of the new moon, but .ftety star In ti*?
skv was shining birghtly unmarred V)
clouds. The boats were lowered from 001?
eldes of the Titanic In time to escape, mu
there were n?>t enough for all.
m
SUNDAY'S NEW-YORK TRIBUNE
Mailed anywhere in the United State?
for |2 50 a year.