THE TITANIC DISASTER. THE HELLIGOLAO.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 98, 25 April 1912, Page 5

THE TITANIC DISASTER.

THE HELLIGOLAO.

E VI4)EN C I'. AT Til E SEXAT()Ri AL INQUIRY. HARROWING DETAILS. 'By Electric Telegraph.—-Copyright,) (.United Press Association.} Xew York, April 21. 11 the freight steamer Lena li;u! I,'oen t'cjnijjjjcci with wireless telegraphy .she could have reaclied tiic ’I itauic; in time to save those on hoard. She passed within twenty miles oi the sinking liner. \V asl)i ngt on, April 2i. At the Senate enquiry into the Titanic wreck, Frederick Fleet gave evidence that he was in the crow’s nest at the time of the collision. He had been instructed to look out sharply for ice. He saw a large berg and two small tables of ice. He sounded three bells and telephoned to the bridge. The vessel immediately went to port. The ice got larger as she went along. When she struck it was about hfty feat high. He was not alarmed at the collision, and simply thought it n narrow' shave. Fleet stated that the lookouts asked Mr Lightoller, the second officer, for glasses on the Atlantic voyage. Glasses had been provided at Belfast and Southampton. Mr Lightoller said that there were none. Fleet was of opinion that if the look-outs had glasses they would have been able to give sufficient warning. Fleet took charge of a lifeboat containing throe men and twenty-five women. Ho had orders to pull towards a light off the Titanic’s how, hut failed to find it. The vessel at one time was abreast of the boat, but slipped by. Major Penchcn, of Toronto, gave evidence that ho inspected the iceberg, but thought it was not serious. Later, on showing Hays the iceberg, he noticed the ship’s list. Hays replied: “The Titanic can’t sink, whatever wo have struck. She’s good for eight or ten hours.” Penchcn then went to the liftboats, and was surprised that the sailors were not at their posts. There was a shortage ot competent seamen. Thirty-six women went in the first lifeboat. A crowd of stokers came on deck, and an officer plnckily drove them off the deck like sheep. Ho called the women to fill the second boat. Penchcn continued that some women refused to leave their husbands. Ho thought the failure to sound a general alarm accounted for many women not coining on deck in time to go into the boats. He wondered why more men were taken when the boats were lowered. Mr Lightoller said, “They can’t manage the boat.” One seaman asked Penchcn, who is a yachtsman, to slip down a rope, take an oar of the lifeboat, and row as fast as possible to cscano the suction. Shortly afterwards he hoard the Titanic’s signal to return. Those on the lifeboat did not wish, to return, because the quartermaster said,' “It is our lives against those on the ship.” A number of married women’s protests were ignored. Two explosions followed. Pittman, the third officer, gave evidence that a special lookout was kept for ice on Sunday. At first ho did not think the collision was serious. He met Mr Ismay, who was in his dressing gown and said, Hun y ■ There's no time for fooling.” The told me to get the women ana cnildreu into the boats. Mr Ismay helped to launch one of the boats, and remained on the Titanic when witness’s boat left. Pittman expected to be able to bring the passengers aboard again in a few hours. Ine boat was not filled because no more women were about when sbo was lowered. The Titanic settled by the head, then suddenly stood on end and dived straight down. hour explosions, like big guns, followed. lie believed that* these were the bulkheads going. Many cries of distress followed. Ho ordered the men to get out the oars and pull towards the wreck and save a few more, as thoie were only forty aboard the boat, which would bold sixty passengers. The men demurred, saying that it was a mad idea. Even the women did not urge him to return. He yielded to the passengers’ importunities. Pressed by Senator Smith, Pittman gave harrowing details. He heard screams and one long continuous moan as if of death agony. The cries continued for an hour. He had no personal knowledge of the ship mentioned by lioxhall. Smith suggested that it might have been the Helligolav, which was docked at New York on the 17th and reported that she had encountered an iceberg near where the Titanic sank. i i The public were excluded from the enquiry in consequence of interruptions. IN SUPPORT OF MR ISMAY. London, April 24. The opinion is expressed by Lloyds that it is possible that the officers ol the Titanic mistook the reflection of their own lights from a distant iceberg for an approaching vessel. _ A conference of leading shipping companies, including those in the Australian trade, informed Mr Enxtnn that it has decided to provide boats and rafts for all on hoard vessels at the earliest possible date. New York, April 21. Seven hundred and ten third-clas.-passengers were aboard the Titanic, of whom 277 were women. One hundred a n d thirty-eight third-class passengers were saved, including 100 women. Twenty stewardesses wore also sav- ; ed. . i Mrs Meyer indignantly denies the i newspaper statement that she said she I would a thousand times rather ho dead | than he Mr Ismay. She states that j .she telegraphed to Mi- Ismay, regretting the horrible post mortem tc which lie is being subjected, and advising him to have courage.

(Received 25, 10.5 a.m.) April 21. The owners of the Hdligolao state that the vessel was 050 miles westward when the Titanic struck. PERTHER EVIHENCE. (Received 25, 10.5 a.m.) Washington, April 21. ’The Senate Committee refused Messrs Ismay and Franklin permission to return to New York. At the inquiry Penchcn did not excuse Captain Smith, but blamed the company’s policy and methods. Lie felt convinced that caution would have averted the terrible calamity. The captain of the California disclaims that the California was the steamer seen five miles away from the 'Titanic, as on Sunday evening she was twenty miles away. At 10.30 she entered an immense icefield, so they stopped the engines and waited till daylight. Her wireless was not working or they might have saved all. He did not learn of the disaster till Monday morning. Mrs Astor states that her husband on awakening her told her something was wrong and urged her to dress, assuring her that the Titanic was nnr.iukahle. Ho loft, hut returned, looking grave. He declared that she had struck a submerged iceberg. She hurriedly dressed, wearing some jewellery, and accompanied her husband to the boat deck. They donned lifebelts. Colonel Astor, noticing his wife lightly clad, sent for a heavier dress and wrapped her in a fur coat. As she was entering the boat her husband said: “The sea is calm; you are all right, and in good hands. I will meet you in the morning.” Ho stood smiling as the lifeboat was lowered. She soon noticed the Titanic settling, and saw her terrier running on the deck. She saw the Titanic sink. It was very cold. Icy water entered the bottom of the boat and rose up to the knees. She rowed, knowing how to handle an oar, and so did Mrs Widencr. Eight or ten drowning men wore picked up during the night. She saw at daybreak icebergs surrounding them. The Carpathia rescued them. She found in the pockets of the fur coat two hundred dollars which she distributed among the destitute aboard the Carpathia.