Senator SMITH.
Mr. Marconi, will you give the reporter your full name?
Mr. MARCONI.
Guglielmo Marconi.
Senator SMITH.
State your place of residence, please.
Mr. MARCONI.
London, England.
Senator SMITH.
Your vocation?
Mr. MARCONI.
Electrical engineer and chairman of the British Marconi Co.
Senator SMITH.
As chairman of the British Marconi Co., have you men employed in wireless telegraphy?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes; a great number.
Senator SMITH.
Did you have one of your employees on the Carpathia?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
When she went to the rescue of the survivors of the Titanic?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
What was his name?
Mr. MARCONI.
I believe it is Cottam. I only met this man last night. I do not know how his name is spelled exactly. Cottam, I think. He is here.
Senator SMITH.
In the establishment of the wireless service on boats of that character, is it done under the direction of your company?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Is the operator responsible to your company?
Mr. MARCONI.
He is responsible in so far as the commercial work goes - as to accounting for messages and the general conduction of a commercial telegraphic service.
Senator SMITH.
From whom does he receive instructions as to his hours of labor and his general work in that capacity aboard ship?
Mr. MARCONI.
From the captain, according to the exigencies of the service.
Senator SMITH.
Have you any specific instructions that he is called upon to observe in the performance of his duty?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes, there are numerous instructions which are general rules and regulations for expediting the traffic and for preventing interference with other ships.
Senator SMITH.
Can you state briefly what those instructions are?
Mr. MARCONI.
They are, in the main, the same rules and regulations as are enacted by the International Convention on Wireless Telegraphy.
Senator SMITH.
Known as the Berlin treaty?
Mr. MARCONI.
Known as the Berlin treaty, to which Great Britain is a party.
Senator SMITH.
The United States is not yet a party?
Mr. MARCONI.
It is not yet effectively a party, I understand.
Senator SMITH.
The regulations of the international convention are the basis of your regulations and instructions to your men?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes, absolutely.
Senator SMITH.
On shipboard must the operator take his instructions as to the hours of labor from the captain of the ship?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
Under these instructions are you required to have more than one operator on a ship making a voyage of this character?
Mr. MARCONI.
No - it depends. If the ship is a large one, usually two operators are supplied.
Senator SMITH.
Do you mean the supplying of two operators depends upon the size of the ship or upon the character of the apparatus?
Mr. MARCONI.
I mean if it is a large ship like the Titanic, the Olympic, the Mauretania, or the Lusitania they always carry two operators, but the smaller ships of the class or size of the Carpathia carry one.
Senator SMITH.
When you refer to large or small ships, do you refer to the matter of tonnage or to the matter of passenger room?
Mr. MARCONI.
I refer to the average number of passengers carried. The number carried or the number for whom accommodation is provided. We generally presume that a ship with large passenger accommodations will carry a greater number of passengers.
Senator SMITH.
Was any effort made, to your knowledge, to increase the number of operators on the Carpathia.
Mr. MARCONI.
It was not considered necessary, and the shipowners did not consider it necessary either so far as I am aware.
Senator SMITH.
With what kind of wireless service or equipment is the Carpathia provided?
Mr. MARCONI.
The Carpathia is provided with an equipment which I should call a short-distance equipment; it is an apparatus which can transmit messages, under favorable circumstances, up to about 180 or 200 miles. On the average I should say the distance is about 100 miles.
Senator SMITH.
Does this depend upon the weather or the sea?
Mr. MARCONI.
It depends on numerous circumstances. It depends on the state of space; not necessarily the apparent weather. It may be a very bad day and still the messages may go all right. It also depends to a large extent on the skill of the operator.
Senator SMITH.
As to the distance within which communication may be effected?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes. If he can adjust his transmitter to its best condition, approaching its greatest efficiency, he will effect communication at the greatest distance.
Senator SMITH.
Referring to the equipment on the Carpathia, its maximum efficiency would be about 180 miles?
Mr. MARCONI.
I should say perhaps 200.
Senator SMITH.
Two hundred miles?
Mr. MARCONI.
Sometimes perhaps more, but on very rare occasions.
Senator SMITH.
Do you know about the equipment of the Titanic?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
Was the Titanic equipped by your company?
Mr. MARCONI.
The Titanic was equipped by my company.
Senator SMITH.
I wish you would describe the wireless equipment of the Titanic, stating the character of the apparatus and how modern and powerful it was.
Mr. MARCONI.
The wireless equipment on the Titanic was a fairly powerful set, capable, I should say, of communicating four or five hundred miles during the daytime and much further during the nighttime.
Senator SMITH.
How much further at nighttime?
Mr. MARCONI.
Very often a thousand miles. I should say almost every night 1,000 miles.
Senator SMITH.
With accuracy?
Mr. MARCONI.
With accuracy.
Senator SMITH.
Would you say that the Titanic was equipped with the latest and best wireless apparatus?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes. I should say it was the latest apparatus for that purpose.
Senator SMITH.
Did the company, of which you are the president, designate the operators for the Titanic?
Mr. MARCONI.
Do you mean did it choose the operators for the Titanic?
Senator SMITH.
Yes; or assign them?
Mr. MARCONI.
They assign them generally in consultation with the shipping companies. They consult the shipping companies in regard to them.
Senator SMITH.
What is the ordinary pay for a wireless telegrapher?
Mr. MARCONI.
In England, on British ships, I think they commence about 30 shillings a week, and they go up to over £2 per week. In addition to that, they get their board and lodging. I am speaking now subject to some error, because it is some time since I have been directly connected with those matters. I have a managing director who attend the question of salaries.
Senator SMITH.
Your statement is correct, as far as you have made it?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
In America what is the wage?
Mr. MARCONI.
I am not aware of the exact wage paid in America. An official of the American company is present, and he would be able give you an accurate reply.
Senator SMITH.
How many operators were on the Titanic?
Mr. MARCONI.
I believe there were two.
Senator SMITH.
Did they both survive, do you know?
Mr. MARCONI.
No, sir. One was drowned; died. He was the chief operator, I am informed.
Senator SMITH.
And the other?
Mr. MARCONI.
And the other was picked up, I believe. He got on a raft, on a collapsible boat, and he was rescued by the Carpathia, having been wounded in his ankles or his legs.
Senator SMITH.
At any time during Sunday last, were your offices here in communication with the Titanic?
Mr. MARCONI.
I can not answer that, but I can produce a person who can.
Senator SMITH.
Have you been in communication with the Carpathia since the disaster to the Titanic?
Mr. MARCONI.
I believe so, at least a great number of messages have come through from the Carpathia to my knowledge. I sent no message to the Carpathia, nor did I receive any.
Senator SMITH.
Did your company?
Mr. MARCONI.
My company has.
Senator SMITH.
Your company has received no messages?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes; my company I believe has.
Senator SMITH.
It has both sent and received messages?
Mr. MARCONI.
I believe so; I have no personal knowledge, but I think they have.
Senator SMITH.
Would you say from what you know about the receipt of messages sent from and to the ship that the wireless was working fairly well?
Mr. MARCONI.
I believe it was working fairly well.
Senator SMITH.
You believe it was in good order?
Mr. MARCONI.
In good order; yes.
Senator SMITH.
Where is the operator of the Titanic who survived?
Mr. MARCONI.
The operator of the Titanic is on another Cunard boat; I believe at the dock; I think the Saxonia. He has been removed there, but he is unable to walk in consequence of the injury to his ankles.
Senator SMITH.
He has not been in the hospital?
Mr. MARCONI.
No; I do not think he has.
Senator SMITH.
What boat did you say he was on?
Mr. MARCONI.
I think the Saxonia.
Senator SMITH.
Do you know why he is on the Saxonia?
Mr. MARCONI.
Because the Carpathia was to have sailed.
Senator SMITH.
Today?
Mr. MARCONI.
Today; and of course he did not belong to the Carpathia. He was just on board.
Senator SMITH.
When does the Saxonia sail?
Mr. MARCONI.
I do not know.
Senator SMITH.
It is not the intention of this operator to return to England immediately, is it?
Mr. MARCONI.
No; I do not think it is, and it is not my intention either, that he should leave.
Senator SMITH.
Have you any authority over him?
Mr. MARCONI.
I have the authority that the president of a company has over one of the employees.
Senator SMITH.
May I request you to have him remain and present himself to the committee as soon as agreeable?
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes sir; I shall be very glad to instruct him to that effect.
Senator SMITH.
Where is the operator of the Carpathia?
Mr. MARCONI.
The operator of the Carpathia was instructed to be here at 3 o'clock.
Senator SMITH.
Is he here?
Mr. MARCONI.
I do not see him. We might have him called. Cottam is his name.
Mr. JOHN W. GRIGGS.
He is not here.
Mr. MARCONI.
He went on board ship to take his clothes off.
Senator SMITH.
And will be back here?
Mr. MARCONI.
He should be back here now.
Senator SMITH.
I wish you would also ask him to remain.
Mr. MARCONI.
Yes, sir.
Mr. GRIGGS.
Mr. Chairman, if you would allow me, I wish to say that the operator of the Carpathia as well as the assistant operator of the Titanic have been detained at the instruction of the officers of the company for the purpose of being at the service of this committee.
Senator SMITH.
I understand that, Governor.
Mr. GRIGGS.
They will be detained as long as is necessary for this committee to hear them. With reference to the one from the Titanic, I doubt very much whether he can be removed from his present quarters without great inconvenience.