THE TITANIC DISASTER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 293, 7 June 1912, Page 5

THE TITANIC DISASTER

FURTHER EVIDENCE. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, June 5. Crawford, a steward in charge of a boat, gave evidence that the captain told him to row towards the vessel whose lights were visible, place the passengers aboard, and return to the Titanic. Mr. Ismay contended that it was quite outside his province to suggest what precautions the captain should take in the presence of ice. Mr. Stevenson, manager of the White Star Company, gave evidence that it was neither wise nor necessary to provide boats for all, owing to the impossibility of filling and launching all properly. It was better to build the ship so safe as to render it unnecessary to consider the possibility of lloating everybody.

MR. ISMAY'S POSITION OX BOARD. It is interesting to recall Mr. Ismay's statement made to the New York correspondent of the Times shortly after he landed' from the Carpathia. Mr. Ismay said:— '•When I went on board the Titanic at Southampton on April K) it was my intention to return by her. I had no intention of remaining in the United States at that time. I came merely to observe the new vessel, as I had done in the case of other vessels of our lines. During the voyage I was a passenger, and exercised no greater right or privileges than any other passenger. I was { not consulted by the commander about \ the ship, her course, speed, navigation,' or her conduct at sea. All these mat- j ters were under the exclusive control of I the captain. j "I saw Captain Smith casually, as' other passengers did. I was never in) his room; I was never on the bridge after the accident. I did hot sit at his table in the saloon. I had not visited the engine-room, nor gone through the ship, and did not go, or attempt to go, to any part of the ship to which any other first-class passenger did not have access. It is absolutely and unqualifiedly false that I wished that the Titanic should make a speed record or should increase her daily runs. I deny absolutely having said to any person that we would increase her daily runs. I deny absolutely having said to any person that we would increase our speed in order to get out of the ice zone, or any words to that effect. As I have already testified, at no time ,did the Titanic during the voyage attain her full speed. It was not expected that she would reach New York before Wednesday morning. If she had been pressed she could probably have arrived on Tuesday evening "I was never consulted by Captain Smith, nor by any other person. Nor, did I ever make any suggestion whatsoever to any human being about the course of the ship. . . . "The only information I ever received in the ship that other vessels had sighted ice was by a wireless message received from the Baltic, which I have already testified to. This was handed to me by Captain Smith, without any remarks, as he was passing me on the passenger deck on the afternoon of Sunday, April 14. I read the telegram casually, and put it in my pocket. At about ten minutes past seven, while I was sitting in the smokeroom, Captain Smith came in and asked me to give him the message received from the Baltic, in order to post it for the information of the officers. I handed to him, and nothing further was said by either of us. I did not speak to any of the other officers on the subject. "If the information I received had aroused any apprehension in my mind—which it did not—l should not have ventured to make any suggestion to a commander of Captain Smith's experience and responsibility, for the navigation of the ship rested solely with him."