Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1777-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Newspaper Page Text
--t r entered Shorter Tfiis Afternoon , and Tonight Friday Fair, Last Edition NTTMBEK 7428. Yesterday's Circulation, $2,196 WASHING! T02?, THURSDAY EYEING, APKIL 18, 1912 Eighteen Pages PBIOE ONE CENT, WktnMmi WIRELESS MESSAGE FROM RESCUE SHIP SAYS SOME OF TITANICS LIFEBOATS, FILLED WITH i PASSENGERS WERE SUCKED UNDER BY LINER iSiafc; CUNARD OFFICIALS 4 s.rrjr.'if ; " lSf:IS Wncr'l' CTTDnAnC ? tr vy rrj&.jojM jama a "' - OTa,gr6gii.wtegfttOB WKeVj1 jUKV1VUKj . . . : SENATE WILL HOLD ISMAY TO SECURE TRUTH ON TITANIC Committee Takes Sergeant-at-Arms to New York to Make Arrests, If Necessary, to Obtain Testimony. Armed with subpoenas which practically enable the United States Government to place every officer of of the Titanic, of the White Star Steamship Company, on the steamship Carpathla under arrest, a sub committee of tho Commerce Committee of the Senate will leave "Wash ington for New York city this afternoon. 3. Bruco Ismay and the officers whom the Government means to interrogate will be held by force, If necessary, and they will be com pelled to tell everything they know about tho Blnklng of tho giant steam ship Titanic. In order that the subcommittee may be in a position to enforce its demands, It Is taking tho Sergeant-at-armB of the Senate along with the party. Police officers will also bo on hand to see to It that the au thority of the committee and of the United States is recognized. CAUSE FOR SENATE'S ACTION. This extraordinary action by the Pres ident and the subcommittee of the Sen ate was taken us the result of a re- Passes toPier Issued to Relatives of Those on Board Rescue Ship, and Ward in Hos pital Made Ready for Sufferers. NEW YORK, April 18 With every wireless station along the coast trying frantically to get Information from the rescue ship Carpathla, radio-communication conditions were at their worst and messages were sent and received with the utmost difficulty. In addition to the enor mous pressure of business, weather conditions were bad. After hours of unavailing efforts by the scout cruisers Salem and Chester to obtain information from the Carpathla, they were prepared to give up in despair. At 11:30 o'clock an arrangement was made to eliminate the many land stations that were interfering with communica tion. The Government ordered all land stations not to attempt to talk to the Carpathla or the Salem, but to relay messages from the Chester. At the same time the Marconi and United Wireless Companies or dered all distant stations to keep out of the field of communication. The stations at Wellfleet, Saugaponcck, Slasconset, and Sea Gate were given orders to pick up the Carpathla as she came within easy communica tion radius. All othor stations were ordered to keep out. MESSAGES PICKED UP. ' port that the Whit eStar officials of tho Titanic who were saved, which Includes Mr. Ismay, had planned to return at once to England, fearing the wrath of the people and tho probe of tho Sen r( einvestlgators. The President was informed that a steamship In the Whlto Star service Is belnj; held In readiness to sail the mo ment the Carpathla arrives with the of ficers of the Titanic. In addition to taking alonr the sub prnas for Mr. Ismay and the officers of the Titanic, the subcommittee haa snt a notice to the headquarters of the White Star Company that the United States expects the company to hold these men for the investigators. Will Use Revenoe Cutter. The President ordered the Secretary of the Treasury to aid the investigating committee In reaching and boarding the Carpathla. A revenue cutter will be used for transporting tho Senators and customs officers will accompany them to see they aer permitted to board tho vessel. The President and the subcommittee of the Senate evldentlv have very llttlo hope that the White Star officials Hill (Continued on Third Page.) The first direct communication be-, tween the Carpathla and New York was shortly aftor 11 o'clock, when the Mar coni offlco picked up messages ex changed between the George Washing ton and the Carpathla. Up to that time wireless operators had been calling the rescue ship repeatedly without getting an answer. The Washington ascer tained that the captain of the Carpathla expected to have her at her dock "some time tonight." Thomas J Stead, assistant to tho president of the Cunard lino, announced that the speedy Mauretanla would prob ably overtake the Carpathla in Now Vork bay. Chairman Uooth, of the Cu nard line, Is aboard the Mauretanla, and he has promised to get all the in formation from Captain Hostron possi ble and flash It ashore. There was a tremendous demand for parses from the Cunf.rd line today, but only a fraction of those seek'nvj ad mission to the Cunard pier could be accommodated Scores who sought passports wer out-of-town persona who had relatives or friends upon the Titanic In some cases the visitors had no further ground for hope than the forlorn assumption that their rela tives might have been picked up by tho Carpathla and their names misspelled In wireless messages. Passes Issued. Tho Cunard line had Issued passes to t.200 persons up to l o'clock this morn ing while Superintendent Henry, of the port, had Issued passes for the admis sion of 3,000 other persons. No pho tographers were allowed. Titanic Burvlvors today had placed at their disposal tho free and exclu sive use of a ward In St. Luke Hos pital, accommodating lxty. With this offer goes ambulance and medical serv ice at tho pier when thfe Carpathla lands This offer was made to- Vice President Franklin, of the Internation al Mercantile Marine Company, by Mrs W. A Bastldo. wife of Dr W A Bas tldo, of 67 West Fifty-eighth Street and was thankfully accepted by Mr Franklin. Report Says Roats Were Being Loaded When Great Steamer Went Down, and That Many Were Drawn Beneath the Surface. Carpathia Hampered By Heavy Winds and Fogs, and Is Proceeding Slowly to New York. BRANT ROCK, Mass., April 18. That some of the lifeboats being used to rescue passengers of the Titanic went down with the the liner was the thrilling story told by a wireless dispatch sent from the Carpathia today and intercepted at the station here. This message indicated that three officers of the White Star liner were communi cating to their office in New York city the details of the disaster. The message stated that the passengers were being taken off when the great boat went down. Some of the boats, trapped in the suction caused by the sinking of the liner, were overwhelmed and dragged to the bottom of the Atlantic, making it impossible to succor even all of those who might have been accommodated by the lifeboats on the vessel. The message read: . , "Passengers were beiqg removed when the Titanic sank. "Many lifeboats went down with the wrecked steamer. It was impossible to re move all of those on board in time. There was no other ship in sight." To this message, which was sent from the Carpathia shortly before noon, was added this additional information about that vessel: "Heavy wind and fogs. Proceeding slowly." NEW YORK, April 18. Vice President P. A. S. Franklin, of the White Star lino, announced this afternoon that the Carpathia, carrying the survivors of the ill-fated Ti tanic, would dock between 10 and 11 o'clock tonight. According to the latest informa tion received at the White Star offices, he figured the Carpathia should reach Sandy Hook about 8 o'clock. Asked whether he had received messages from President Ismay, who is aboard the Carpathia, he replied such as had come were all of a personal nature.