THE TITANIC DISASTER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15466, 29 May 1912, Page 2

THE TITANIC DISASTER

FOUR DAYS OF IGNORANCr

PUBLIC INDIGNATION.

| ANCIENT BOAT REGULATIONS.

1 (Fi'.ou Our Own CauKKsm.snr.NT.)

i LONDON, April 18. ! The White Star Company has naturally i brought down upon itself a storm of : alm.se. This has been added to by tlxi )K>!icy of ecx-rwy which is being observed, liven to-day, lour days after tho event was known to them, no complete list of . tha survivors is available, and all sorts !of contradictory itcrics are being told regarding tho boat accommodation. Leading journals in America aro furious and I clamoroua; in London even they nre ! openly indignant and inclined to catiticiso j tho company with an unwonted freedom. J Tho life-saving accommodation has, howi ever, been wrung from other reliable I sources, and the ftdl measure of the "conj tributary eaua.'s" of tho loss of lifo i» , now no secret. j English papeis have put questions j calmly which the company and tho Hoard I of Trade will have to answer beforo the j public conscience is satisfied. In America j ths campaign against the regulations is ! led by Mr Herat's ueuvipapcirs, which (lis- | play umkr huge headlines a leading : urtiele entitled ''Needless Killing on the High Sea'.'." "Lifeboats," tho article eiys, " of Miflicicnt quantity could have i gawd every human being on board the j dawned ship. The victims of that dreadful disaster were victims of the shameful ' crime of negligence and indifference; they ' were the victims of homicide. Among tho : women and childieu saved is to ho seen ■ the name of Mr liruce Isniay, managing ■director of the line. He and his-fellow i oliicialu knew that if their liners sank, as ! this great liner sank, the loss of life I must be. enormous. They took the chances; they gambled in human life, ami the fearful death roll is the consequence. [ 1 n future the equipment of steamers with j lifesaving apparatus should not be left to ! the regulations of the English authorities. |as it has boon in the past. It is best for | the United States to protect its own citil zens at siM. This country has the power i to enforce < upon overy crteanishii) com--1 p;iny every la.'cesr.iry precaution.' < The steamship owners bitterly resent tho comments attributing to them the I blame for the loss of life. They refuse I to accept any guilty responsibility. "Don't blame us for this "disaster," exclaimed an officer of onp of tlie biggest Transatlantic compares. " .Blame yourselves and all these who demand fast voyages, tennis | courts, liotiKin baths, and 'folariums.' Wo should not hesitate to place lifeboats on the decks of our vessels, but they would emro.vh on the luxuries which aro apparently more desired than safety. Ship designers-, since the sinking of tbo Republic, have disregarded the importance of boats and raftfi, except as a means of transport from slowly sinking ships to those standing by. They argued that if a storm was sufficient to destroy a 45,000lon ship it would not permit her smalt beats to live."

DREAMS AND FOREBODINGS,

Mr Norman Craig. K.C.. M.P., is ono of these lucky people who for some reason or other cancelled their passages. Everything wan ready and packed on the evo of sailing, when suddenly Mr Craig decided not to j;o, and wired cancelling tho passage, lie went instead to tho quiet seaside resort of Broodstairs.

An American gentleman who booked his passago in March felt very depressed afterwards, and dreamed tn-iixs [hat he saw the Titanic go down in mid-ocean with hundreds of people- clinging to her. The idea ro took possession of him that ho cancelled his passage.

THE COMPANY'S LIABILITY. POSSIBLE COMPENSATION £830,000. Under tho Workmen's Compensation Act, in the case of those of tho crew who have been drowned, their dependents can claim either a sum equal to tho seamen's earnings during the three previous years or £150, whichever be tho larger amount, In nn case-, however, is moro than £300 to be paid, and tho rclativo making the claim must have been wholly dependent on the seaman's wages. This loss is understood to be covered by a mutual insurance club of which tho largo Liverpool and 1/mdon shipping companies are members. The higher ranks are not ! provided for by the act. The company's liabilities arc further limited by the provisions of the Merchant Shipping' Act of 1894, which restricts tho total Giini payable for compensation in respect of loss of life, damage to vessels, goods,, merchandise, and other things to an aggregate amount not exceeding £15 per ton of the ship's dimensions. In this caso tho extreme possible loss of the company would be £690.000—i.e.. 46,000 tons nt £15 per ton. For k*s of or damago to vessels, goixls, and merchandise there is a limit of £8 per ton, which in this case would be £368.000. Thus under the act. assuming that the While Star Company was held liable, it might conceivably be called upon to pay : For damage to baggage, etc. ... £368,000 For loss of life or personal injury to passengers 332,000 Assuming that 700 of the crew whose relatives tan claim have been lost, and that the. coni|xmsation reaches the amount of £200 a head on the average, that would involvo a further £140,000. THE VALUE OF THE TITANIC. An underwriting correspondent says:— " The value of the Titanic is, roughly, £1,500,000. She carried a cargo, consisting of diamonds, the latest fashions in Paris dresses, rubber, lea, and other commodities, which, though small in bulk, represented a value estimated at nearly a million Boat and cargo, therefore may lio said to represent two and a half million sterling, and the rate of insuraiuo is understood to have followed the usual rate of 18d per cent, on the round voyage to America and homo again. Notwithstanding, a wido distribution of the risk.?, the value of the Tilnnie in the pnliev is said to be not more than £1.000,000, and of that amount the underwriters are immune from all claims-under £150,000." NOT ENOUGH BOATS. The Right Hon. A. M. Carlisle (late general manager of ilarland and Wolff) says quite, candidly that he does not consider the Titanic had sufficient Iwds. Personally, he has always been in favour of increasing the lifeboat accommodation.

" Wheii (vorking out the deigns of tlio Olympic and the Titanic " he say.?, " i put my idea before the dilvit (.onslriictor.' and fiol. them to design we davits which would a I'ow mo to place, if necessary, four lifeboats on each pair of davits, which, would have infant a total of over 4C b.vits. Those davits were fitted in both ships. Rut though t.he Hoard of Trade did not require"more than the 16 lifeboats, 20 boats were supplied." Mr Carlisle, says the provision in cubic capacity was practically double what was required by the regulations, but was nothini; iike sufficient to lake off (lit majority of the pnssm.ners and crew. 'Die Board of Trade, hi says, is aware of his views, but naturally it require* consideration before it takes so serious a step as (hat of compelling all passenger ships afloat to carry bints with capacity for all their lipop'c. " If any ships ha<i been fitted with tha full number of boats J proposed it would no doubt have set up an invidious situation with respect to the steamers of all lines now tradim; in the North Atlantic. Jl would have drawi, attention."

" lias not attention heev drawn now, in my event ?"

" No H<;ulu at taction has been draun t-o it by tho deplorably calamity of this week."

OFMCIAL NEOLIOKXCE 01T-OK-DATE REGUT..VI'ON"!.

British pride in tho security of oar pas-seiiiic-Kirryini: q-rvirrs has received a had rebuff in the disclosures of the last few days. The Hoard of Trade regulations, it seems, ars 25 years' old. and have taken no eosnisance of tiic increaso in the size of ocean liners since 10,000 tons was regarded as the limit of imagination. In a copy of thisn obt.-iined .11 the Board of Trade yesterday, the highest lino in the table showing the " minimum number of boats to be placed under davits and their minimum cubic contents," was " 10,000 tons and upwards, minimum number of boats 16, minimnm cubic content,* 55COiV That meant provision for SSO persons. Tho Tit.-oiic was ramnnp 1293 passengers (316 saloon, 27S second class, and

698 Uiinl cksj) according to figures supplied at tho offices of tho White Star Company in London. Sho had a crow of 903. Embarkations at Cherbourg and Quoonstown mailo mi tho total to 2358 souls on hoard. Shn find life-boat accommodat'on (or 970 persons. It. would have been n.-> more had tho ship been full, and if full she would have carried 3030 persons, it is Mated that she had only 20 lifeboats, capable of carryim: 070 persons. Their total •apscily w.is 1)702 cubic fret, and by Board of Trade regulation 10 cubic foet of ca|>acity is required for each person. Even Franco is moro up-to-date than this. The French regulations an: eery stringent and rigorously insisted upon. Tho life-saving equipment is calculated on gross tonnage, not net, and if the boats aro not .sufficient for all the passengers carried, they must bo added to. Life-sav-ing drill is hold once a week, and after ot'icii refitting, and at lejst twice a year tho boats must ho lowered, 'Hie possibility of all the iwsscngors not being icconimodated in the lifebelts provides! is guarded against by article 87 of tho bill: " When on passenger steamers of the first. category--that is, "transatlantic liners, the lifeboats described by tho ti.bin annexed to articJo 97 do not accommodate everybody mi board, boats of any description or dimensions or rafts arc*-to be added, until tho total capacity of tho different boats and rafts exceeds by at least one-half the minimum opacity described ir. the tabic."' A PROPHETIC NOVEL, A curious little novel by Mr .Morgan Robrrteon. entitled "Futility," published in the United States 14 years ago. tells how a monster liner, the Titan, "was the largctif craft afloat and tho greatest of the works of man.' 1 She was liclioved to l>o " uusinkable, indestructible." She carried 2000 passengers, and she. started on Ict voyage across the Atlantic in April. She was running ot full speed when " a shout from the crow's nott split tho air. ' Ice,' yelled the look-out; ' ice ahead. lectwrg. Right under tho bows.' The first otltcer amidsluips and tho captain who had remained there, sprang to the engine, room telegraph. ... In five seconds Uie bow of tlic Titan began to lift, and ahead and on eather hand could bo a.vn through tho fog a field of ico which aro"-e in an incline to 100 ft high in her track." Thcro \va K a " deafening iioiso of steel scraping awl crashing over ice. . . . Forty-five thousand tons—

doad-wciglit—rushing through the fog at the rate of 50ft a second, had hurled itself at on iceberg. A low beach, possibly formed by the recent overturning of the Wir, rf«:eivcd the T'tan, ami «iUi he-r keel cutting the ice like the steel runner of an ice bait and her great weight retting on tho starboard bilge, she rose out of the sea higher aJid higher—then—she heeled, overbalanced, an<l crashed down on her side to starboard."

MR STEAD'S NARRATIVE,

A STORY OF 1893,

In the Christmas number of the Review of Reviews for 1893, under the tillo " From the Old World to the New," Mt \V. T. Stead dwelt at soroo Icngtli on the |Htrils of icebergs in the Atlantic. The scone of tho tale was laid on board the White Si-ar liner Mujeslic, which wan then commanded by tho same. Captain Smith who went down so gallantly in the Titanic, and a portrait of Captain Smith was given. The Majestic in the tale drives through fog into Hoe ice, when suddenly tho fog lifts and discloses near at hand a "dazzling array of icchorgs, over shifting and moving. Now ami again a great berg would capsizo with a reverberant roar." And on ono of tho bergs a litllo party of castaways aro discovered, who have inado their presence known to those- on board the ship by telepathy. There is a tragic note of prophecy in the words of Uio talc-; " Tho ocean bed beneath tho run of tho liners is strewn with tho whitening bones of thousands who have taken their passages as we have done, but who never saw their destination." WARNING AND "GOOD-BYE." It was tho French 6tc»mer Tpuraine which, two davs before tJio disaster, warned the Titanic that she had passed through a dangerous icefield in the very locality whero the Whit* Star liner afterwards met her fate. Tho Allan liner Tunisian, which has arrived from St. Jdin's and Halifax, reports running into a lar»c icefield when aliout 886 miles cast of tho New Brunswick port. For 36 hours on end Captain Faii'full never left the bridge. Tlie Tunisian was ono of tho last boats to speak the Titanic. On Saturday about midnight the Marconi operator on the Tunisian signalled "Good luck, and tho acknowledgment camo back, " Many thanks; good-bye." Some hours later tho Bhip's company was shocked to learn thai the Titanic had said Goodbye " in very truth.

AN AMERICAN STORY. It is stated in New York that Captain Smith thought the Titanic was not properly equipped with lifeboats and other life-saving apparatus. Mr Glenn Marstoii, a frieml of the captain, says that while returning from Europe on the Olympic in company with Captain Smith the latter spoke of tho life-preserving equipment ot the Titanic, then under construction. "1 noticed tho small number of boats and raftss aboard for the heavy passengercarrying capacity of the ship, and remarked on it to Captain Smith," said Mr Marston. "Yes," ho replied, "if tho ship should strike a submerged derelict or iceberg, that would cut through into several of tho watertight compartments, we have not enough boats or rafts aboard to take care of more than one-third of tho passengers. The Titanic, too, is no heller equipped. She onght to carry at least double, the number of boats and rafts that she does to afford any real protection to passengers." VALUABLE DIAMONDS. One lady before leaving insured her valuable pearl nccklaco for £80,000, " all risks voyage to New York by Titanic included."" The lady is among the saved, but as the company insisted Unit the necklace must be worn throughout tho voyage, there will probably bo no loss. Mrs Widener, the millionaire's wife, had pearls valued at £150,000, on which, altliouch she is saved, reinsurances were being effected by some underwriters at 30 guineas per cent., as it is stated not to lie a warranty of the policy that they should bo on 'her person during the voyage. A gentleman going to Cuba and Mexico covered himself with a policy of £25,000. He was drowned.

The losses of members of Lloyd's, apart from the ordinary insurance companies, are estimated at about £500.000. There was a rapid realising of securities to meet the- claims,and the preferred shares ol the International Mercantile .Marine Compiuiv (which owns nil Iho White Star shares) fell from 26J before the disaster to 21i THE FUNERAL SHIP. The cable ship Mackay Bennett, which has been chartered by the White Star Company to go to the scene of the Titanic disaster, has sailed from Halifax in the hope that some bodies may be picked up. Coflins arc beinc taken, and several undertakers ami emhalmers will lie on the ship. The Mackay Dennett is also taking over 100 tons of ice, and lone; lines of carts filed down with the ice to tho nior, where the coflins were piled 10ft high. The mission of this ship recalls the Burgoync disaster, when a similar vessel was fitted out to search the sea for dead. On that occasion mere than 30 bodies were found floating in the vicinity of the disaster. In addition to the undertakers, the Macfciy Bennett carries a Church of Ensland clenrymnn, who will rif-rform the last rites over any bodies that may be found. THE POUND OF FLESH. The suffragettes do themselves little justice in the opinions they are expressing on the re-nie of women and children. Some of tho papers taunted them on the fact that thought there are no votes for women there were " boats" for women and not lor men. This unite nettled Miss Sylvia Pankhurst, who declared warmly tliat the men of the Titanic did only what was their traditional duty. Miss Annie Kenny, too, says: "I have a great admiration ior the heroism shown by the men, but it is possible to exalt" this heroism on too high a piano of chivalry. In the first place, it is so naturaj as to be accounted almost a naturai law that women and children should bo saved first —children because childhood is sacred, and women because they are so necessary

to Iho rncc that they cannot ho spared." '

Miss Nina Koylo, of tho Women's Freedom League: " I do not want to be ungracious, but J think this is the- very least, men could do. I do not mean to minimise tho Riicrilicn of tho men on tho Titanic, but I do not think that one can argue from this instance that the ape of chivalry, in the highest sense, is not dead, as I bolieve it is."

Mrs Cecil Chaiiinau: " I think the feeliiijjj of the suffragists is that they would have preferred to meet their fate alongside their husbands."

Miss Winifred Mayo: "There is no need to brag about it. Hut I think men misunderstood what chivalry means. They regard chivalry as a kind of reward to women for doing what the men like. It is splendid to think there were such deeds of heroism, hut it is very unlikely that they were- all on the part of men."

Tho following is a list of names of the survivors of tlie wreck who were on the Carpathian supplied by tbo White Star Lino in London: —

W. Wright (plate washer), (J. Whiteman (barber), w. Fitzpatrick (steward), Miss R. ttowker (restaurant), Miss M. Martin (restaurant), Paul Mange (kitchen clerk). Stewardesses: Miss S. Stan, Mrs K. Gold, Mrs X. Leather, Mrs A. Martin, Miss M. Sloan. Miss V. Jcssop, Miss M. Cragson, Miss K. Smirk (! Smith). Mrs K. Hcnnott. Mrs M'Lnrcn, Miss E. Mavsden, Mrs A. Pritchard, Mrs Roberts, Mrs N\ Robinson, Miss H. Lavington. Mrs life, Mrs M. Slocumlw (Turkish bath attendant), Miss A. Caton (Turkish hath attendant). J. Foley (storekeeper). S. Hennings (limps), W Wimie. (A.8.), J. Perkes. R. Bright, G. lkwo, .1. Poingdcrsoo (!), C. Jl'liough, W. Mclles, W. lVtm, R. Hogg, T. Jonos, E. Archer, K. Klcttj ('<. Synions, A. Jowell, V. Church, R. Hitchins, S. Hunipiircys, J. Lee, J. Hoisoweil, J. Viegctt, L! Moore, F. Orman, J. Rowley, T: M'Carthy, V. 0. Kvans, )i. Hopkins, J. Forward, S. Evans, W. Bricc, W. Lucas, ,1, Anderson, J, Srarrolt, W. llordor, F. Oliver, G. Ilazoos, Avery (fireman), Doel (fireman), V. A. R. Mason, .Street, Dore, Spark man, Fryer, Crummins, Karrish, Oliver, Dymond, Perry, Sheath, S. Tavlor, W. 11. 'Tavlor, Shears, Fredericks, Givcll, Priest, "lllako, W, While, Linrlsey, I'ca.roe, Noss, Hunt, tiodlcy, Thrasher, Deacha, Combes, Clark. Mniisca, IJinslwl, Polhonn, Casper, Nullcarn, Pnilcsta, Rarratt, Hcndricksen, Pucii, Threllfall, Collins, Monro, Triggs, Cooper, Harty, Harris, Rue, Dilly, Draper, Knowles, .Panger, A. White, Scott, Jndd, Thompson, Self, Hogan.

Tbo folbwmg is a further list chiefly of third-class passengers am! crow:— Second Officer C. H. LigliihoUer, Third Officer If. Pitnr.w, Fourth Officer J. Boxhall, Fifth Officer CI. Lowe, Boatswain's Mate J. Haines, Master at-Arms 11. Bailey, Xf'lntyro, Pregnall, M'Gann, Hearps (Harts), O'Connor, Hcbb, Graham, Murdoch, Allan, Senior, Snow, Dilkm, Assistant Second Steward G. F. Wliatt, Secondclass Steward J. Hardy, Assistant Storekeeper E. I'renticc, Steward S. Rcelcs, F. Morris, W. Burke, F. Harknell, P. Kpt-no, A. C. Thomas. l<\ Grafter, H. Yearsley. G. Knight, A. Baggot, E. Wheat-lev, A.' Littlcjohn, J. Stewart, It. (I!. ?) Th'nmas, W. Lucas, C. D. Xl'Kay, A. Harrison, G. Grow, A. M'Mickcn. 15. Brown, F. Ray, V. Louis, H. A. Etches, A. Tossinger, H. Crawford, C. Cnllen, A. Cunningham, .f. Johnstone, W. Ward, E. J. Gay, R. P. Froppcr. W. E. Ryerwn, J. W. Gibbons, W. .T. Williams, W. Seward, J. Chapman, L. Andrews, A. Burrage, S. 11. Nichols, H. Phillamoro. V. Tinrell (Pirrcll!), J. C Willgcry, J. Whitten, J. Haii, A. Peirccv, H. J. Prior, L. Hyland, F. Pirt (Court ?'), W. S. Halford, A. E. 11, Lewis, P. J. Savage, C. Foley, A. Pugh, J. Maynard, J. Ellis, A. Windebank, A. Simmoiids, K Xlarton, 11. Ross, J. Colgan, R. Hardrhk. J, Jouirlilin (chief b;iker). H. Noai (baker), C. Burgess (bakor), C. Mills (baker), £. Mills (butcher), P. .Bull (butcher), Hannah O'Brien, Monlhcra, Bolos, Edward Dorking, Nellie Odwycr, Eugene Daly, .Mary Davidson, Charles Dahl, Elizabeth Darnell, Elizabeth Dyker, Hanrcn Barawich, George Barawich, Xlaiion Barawich, Ethel Emanuel, Mary Glynn, Emily Goldsmith. Frank Goldsmith, Kat3 Gallenagh, Gunnar Teuglin. Abraham Hyman, Mary Howard, Ellen Hokkaronen, Hilda Hokkaronen, Jenny Haneoii, Edward Ryan, Hannah Reardon, Victor Sunderland, Elkn Shino, Severin Sv<ais<m, Annie Sjoblom, Agnes Sandstrom, Margaret Siuidstrom, Beatrice Sandstrom, Anna Sal. kjelsock, Famine Scunda, Atxved Scunda, Julo Strander, Florcnco Tliornecroft, Berk Trcnobisky, Anna Turgen, Adele J. Vagal, Amy E. VYiminoivlrom. Salamy Yazlick, Fabin Zuni, Luigi Ferolc, Hah (Ali) Lam, Fang Lang, Hoe Lang, Foo Chang. A Renter Now York telegram to London gives the following further list of survivors issued by Iho Cunard Company. It is pointed out that in some cases the names do not conform with the passenger lift:—Mrs G. Thome. Mrs and Mis C'ompton (previously reported as Xlr and Mrs Collision, Xlr Compton lias not lwen saved), Peter D. Daly. Caroline Dey- | (itrom, Mary Jorwan, .'Vnna Hamlin and child (probably Arena Hamatincn and her infant son), Marian Kan ton (probably XI r« Konlar), Bertha Heft, Daisv Bright (probably Mws Dagmar Bright), Mildred Brown. Oscaa* Hodman, Maria Hamann, Hilda Hillsfrom, Line Hakaon Ifakaoncn, Elina Iliinkoncn, Inac Jerrorac. Annie Jermyn, Oscar Johawison, Kalherinc Jrevph, Nigel Joseph, Mary Joseph, Carl Jensen, Va.rendl Johanson, Oscar L, Johunanson, Alice .lohnnanson, Elenora Johnnanson. Harold Johriscn. Thaminc Jonsef, John Boras, Carl Jansen, Eric Johnsila, Annie Kelly, Mary Kelly, John Kennedy, Patrick O'Kecfo, Anton Louisa, Louisa Kink, Frans Kuraiu. Anna Kunun. Olga Lnndon. Imrio Lnndstrom, Aurora Luixlsgrecn, Eih.ir Lindqnist, Newla Lulu, Elen .Mocklairo, Margaret Marrion (Xlannion), Kate Muvphv, Neciman Moore, Roile Xlooro. Bctha" Mnlvohill, Bernard Xl'Coy, Carl Midtago. Anna Nystcui, Said Neckartl, YirmaOliiw, Mara'Osnvm,