The subcommittee met at 10.50 o'clock a.m., at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City.
Present: Senator William Alden Smith (chairman), and Senator Newlands.
Present also: Mr. George Uhler, Supervising Inspector-General, Steamboat Inspection Service, Department of Commerce and Labor; Mr. J. Bruce Ismay, General Manager of the International Mercantile Marine Co.; Charles C. Burlingham, Esq., and J. Parker Kirlin, Esq., representing the White Star Line; Emerson E. Parvin, Esq., secretary, International Mercantile Marine Co.; Guglielmo Marconi, President of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co., and others.
Senator SMITH.
Gentlemen, I am very sorry to have delayed beginning the hearing beyond the hour set this morning, but a conference between my colleagues and myself made it necessary. I am going to proceed this morning by asking Mr. Cottam, the Marconi operator on the Carpathia to take the witness chair again.
Harold Thomas Cottam –
Marconi Operator, SS Carpathia
Testimony - Biography
Harold Sydney Bride –
Marconi Operator, SS Titanic
Testimony - Biography
Harold Thomas Cottam –
Recalled.
Testimony
Harold Sydney Bride –
Resumed.
Testimony
Senator SMITH.
We will take a recess until 3 o'clock.
(At 1.45 o'clock p. m., the committee took a recess until 3 p. m.)
AFTERNOON SESSION.
At the expiration of the recess the hearing was resumed.
Senator SMITH.
Is Mr. Bride, the Marconi operator of the Titanic present?
Mr. MARCONI.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Where has he gone?
Mr. MARCONI.
He has gone to some house uptown, where he is going to be looked after, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Has he gone to some hospital?
Mr. SAMMIS.
No, Senator, he has gone to the house of some relative of his. I heard you tell him that you were not going to question him anymore today, so I sent him along.
Senator SMITH.
I should like to ask him a few additional questions this afternoon, but it will be impossible if he is not here.
Mr. SAMMIS.
I am sorry Senator. We understood, from what you said, that you had finished with him for today.
Senator SMITH.
In view of his physical condition, I think his further examination may not be postponed.
Mr. SAMMIS.
You remember saying, Senator, that you would not question him anymore today.
Senator SMITH.
Yes, I do. I do not hold you responsible at all for his not coming here now.
Mr. MARCONI.
We thought you had finished with him for today.
Senator SMITH.
That is all right. There is no responsibility on you at all. I merely thought that if he was here I should like to ask him a question. The other operator is here?
Mr. SAMMIS.
Yes, sir; and he will remain here if you wish him.
Senator SMITH.
Is the second officer of the Titanic here?
Mr. BUCKINGHAM.
He is not in the room, Senator. He is out around the hotel, somewhere, sir. You mean Lightoller?
Senator SMITH.
Yes.
Mr. BUCKINGHAM.
Mr. Lightoller is not present, we find, but he will be back soon.
Senator SMITH.
I wanted to ask Mr. Lightoller if the ship's log was saved.
Mr. BUCKINGHAM.
Any of the other officers can tell you just as well about that. Mr. Pitman is here, for instance.
Senator SMITH.
Very well.
Mr. Pitman, I will swear you as a witness, for a moment, just for the sake of completing our record.
Herbert John Pitman –
Third Officer, SS Titanic
Testimony - Biography
Senator SMITH.
I will make a brief announcement for the
official reporter and for the press:
Senator William A. Smith
Statement - Biography
(Whereupon, at 3.30 o'clock p. m., the subcommittee adjourned, to meet in Washington at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Monday, April 22, 1912.)