MR. ISMAY'S STORY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1419, 22 April 1912, Page 5

MR. ISMAY'S STORY.

SENATE INQUIRY OPENS. SECOND OFFICER GIVES EVIDENCE. (Roc. April 21, 5.5 p.m.) New York, April 20. The Senate's inquiry into the wreck has opened. Mr. Ismay, managing director of the company, was the iirst witness called. Ho stated that ho was asleep at the time the Titanic struck. The Titanic was not pushed to her speed limit. She averaged about twenty-one knots. Ho had only once consulted tho captain about tho vessel's movements, nnd that was when they arranged not to attempt to rench New York before five o'clock on Wednesday morning.

He only entered tho t boat when there was no responso to the. call for women. He left the ship about an hour after the collision. He believed that phe struck tho ice between the bow and the bridge.

Mr. Lightoller, the second officer, was called. Ho maintained that tho boats wcro well filled. Preference was given to wouion. He accounted for the saving of so many of the crew by stating that five out of every six picked up in the water wero firemen and stewards. There was no demonstration aboard, not even a lamentation among those left behind. He dived as tho vessel sank, and was sucked under and held fast against a blower until a terrific gust through tho blowerdue probably to a boiler explosion—blow him clear, and he reached the surface near a boat.