THE TITANIC INQUIRY.

West Coast Times, 19 June 1912, Page 3

THE TITANIC INQUIRY.

OUR CABLED ITEMS

RECOMMENDATIONS UNHEEDED. I?EB FKESS ASSOCIATION. —COUVEIGItT.] LONDIN, June 17. Mr. Archer, principal ship surveyor, testified at the Titanic enquiry that his recommendations in 1911, if adopted, would have given tho Titanic boat accommodation for nearly 3000 people. The rule exempting vessels with watertight bulkheads ought to be abandoned. The boat accommodation should be regulated according to the passengers aboard, instead of tho tonnage. A Committee should be appointed to consider the method of lowering boats.

UNUSUAL COMBINATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES.

SYDNET, Juno 18,

Mr. Lightoller, the second mate of the Titanic, in a letter to his mother-in-law, a Sydney resident, says the accident was caused by a combination of circumstances which might not occur again, perhaps for a century. It was a perfectly calm night, there was an absolutely smooth sea and no moon. The blue side of tho berg was towards them. If there had been the slightest breeze, tho ripples, breaking a phosphorescent glow and a swell would have done likewise, while a moon would have given a reflected light of white on tho side, and they would have discovered the berg in sufficient time to clear it, and so on.