THE TITANIC.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 1796, 17 May 1912, Page 4

THE TITANIC.

EVIDENCE THAT THRILLED THE COURT. SO NEAR, AND YET SO EAR I ANOTHER EPISODE OP THE CALIFORNIA!*. BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH —COPYRIGHT. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. London, May 16. Mr Groves, third officer of the s.s. Californian, at the Titanic enquiry, testified that at 11.10 he saw a steamer 12 miles distant. He told the captain. Judging by the deck lights she was a passenger steamer. The captain remarked: "The only passenger steamer in the vicinity is the Titanic." This was at 11.40 p.m. Witness still saw masthead lights when Stone relieved him, and he told him. Owing to her change of position the deck lights were shut out. Witness proceeded to the wireless room, woke up the operator, and asked what ship was in touch. The operator replied: "Only the Titanic." Witness put the 'instruments to his ears, but heard nothing. He was only listening, however, some 15 or 30 seconds. The Court was thrilled by the evidence that the Titanic's calls were missed by a few seconds by a liner only 12 miles distant. Lord Mersey, President of the Court, asked: "Do you think, from what you heard subsequently, that the steamer was the Titanic?

Groves: Yes, decidedly. Officers admitted that they had not recorded the distress signals in the log book. Durrant, wireless operator of the Mount Temple, produced a record of a message passing between the Titanic and a neighbouring vessel, which disposed of the statement thatthe Titanic snubbed the Frankurt's operator. They imihediately went to the Titanic's help. The Titanic's messages were clear till 1.33 a.m., when they ceased. The Oceanic picked up one of the Titanic's collapsible boats with three bodies. It is believed to be the boat from whence 20 bodies were secured, three dead being left.