SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, UNITED STATES SENATE, New York, N.Y.
The subcommittee met at 10:30 o'clock a.m.
Present: Senator William Alden Smith, chairman, and Senator Francis G. Newlands.
Present also: Mr. George Uhler, Supervising Inspector General, Steamboat­Inspection 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.; Hon. John W. Griggs representing the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co., and others.
Senator Smith: For the purpose of executing the command and direction of the Senate of the United States, the inquiry which we contemplate will now begin. The resolution is as follows:
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES,
April 17, 1912.
Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce, or a subcommittee thereof, is hereby authorized and directed to investigate the causes leading to the wreck of the White Star liner Titanic, with its attendant loss of life so shocking to the civilized world.
Resolved further, That said committee or a subcommittee thereof is hereby empowered to summon witnesses, send for persons and papers, to administer oaths, and to take such testimony as may be necessary to determine the responsibility therefore, with a view to such legislation as may be necessary to prevent, as far as possible, any repetition of such a disaster.
Resolved further, That the committee shall inquire particularly into the number of life boats, life rafts, and life preservers, and other equipment for the protection of the passengers and crew; the number of persons aboard the Titanic, whether passenger or crew, and whether adequate inspections were made of such vessel, in view of the large number of American passengers traveling over a route commonly regarded as dangerous from icebergs; and whether it is feasible for Congress to take steps looking to an international agreement to secure the protection of sea traffic, including regulation of the size of ships and designation of routes.
Resolved further, That in the report of said committee it shall recommend such legislation as it shall deem expedient; and the expenses incurred by this investigation shall be paid from the contingent fund of the Senate upon vouchers to be approved of by the chairman of said committee.
Attest: Charles G. Bennett, Secretary
By H. M. Rose, Assistant Secretary
I will ask Mr. J. Bruce Ismay to come forward and take the stand.
TESTIMONY OF MR. J. BRUCE ISMAY
Mr. J. Bruce Ismay, being duly sworn by the chairman, testified as follows:
SENATOR SMITH: Mr. Ismay, for the purposes of simplifying this hearing, I will ask you a few preliminary questions. First, state your full name, please.
MR. ISMAY: Joseph Bruce Ismay.
SENATOR SMITH: And your place of residence?
MR. ISMAY: Liverpool.
SENATOR SMITH: And your age?
MR. ISMAY: I shall be 50 on the 12th of December.
SENATOR SMITH: And your occupation?
MR. ISMAY: Ship owner.
SENATOR SMITH: Are you an officer of the White Star Line?
MR. ISMAY: I am.
SENATOR SMITH: In what capacity?
MR. ISMAY: Managing director.
SENATOR SMITH: As such officer were you officially designated to make the trial trip of the Titanic?
MR. ISMAY: No.
SENATOR SMITH: Were you a voluntary passenger?
MR. ISMAY: A voluntary passenger; yes.
SENATOR SMITH: Where did you board the ship?
MR. ISMAY: Southampton.
SENATOR SMITH: At what time?
MR. ISMAY: I think it was at 9:30 in the morning.
SENATOR SMITH: Of what day?
MR. ISMAY: The 10th of April.
SENATOR SMITH: The port of destination was New York?
MR. ISMAY: New York.
SENATOR SMITH: Will you kindly tell the committee the circumstances surrounding your voyage, and, as succinctly as possible, beginning with your going aboard the vessel at Liverpool, your place on the ship on the voyage, together with any circumstances you feel would be helpful to us in this inquiry?
MR. ISMAY: In the first place, I would like to express my sincere grief at this deplorable catastrophe.
I understand that you gentlemen have been appointed as a committee of the Senate to inquire into the circumstances. So far as we are concerned, we welcome it. We court the fullest inquiry. We have nothing to conceal; nothing to hide. The ship was built in Belfast. She was the latest thing in the art of shipbuilding; absolutely no money was spared in her construction. She was not built by contract. She was simply built on a commission.
She left Belfast, as far as I remember ­ I am not absolutely clear about these dates ­ I think it was on the lst of April.
She underwent her trials, which were entirely satisfactory. She then proceeded to Southampton, arriving there on Wednesday.
SENATOR SMITH: Will you describe the trials she went through?
MR. ISMAY: I was not present.
She arrived at Southampton on Wednesday, the 3d, I think, and sailed on Wednesday, the 10th. She left Southampton at 12 o'clock. She arrived at Cherbourg that evening, having run over at 68 revolutions.
We left Cherbourg and proceeded to Queenstown. We arrived there, I think, about midday on Thursday.
We ran from Cherbourg to Queenstown at 70 revolutions.
After embarking the mails and passengers, we proceeded at 70 revolutions. I am not absolutely clear what the first day's run was, whether it was 464 miles or 484 miles.
The second day the number of revolutions was increased. I think the number of revolutions on the second day was about 72. I think we ran on the second day 519 miles.
The third day the revolutions were increased to 75, and I think we ran 546 or 549 miles.
The weather during this time was absolutely fine, with the exception, I think, of about 10 minutes' fog one evening.
The accident took place on Sunday night. What the exact time was I do not know. I was in bed myself, asleep, when the accident happened.
The ship sank, I am told, at 2:20.
That, sir, I think is all I can tell you.
I understand it has been stated that the ship was going at full speed. The ship never had been at full speed. The full speed of the ship is 78 revolutions. She works up to 80. So far as I am aware, she never exceeded 75 revolutions. She had not all her boilers on. None of the single­engine boilers were on.
It was our intention, if we had fine weather on Monday afternoon or Tuesday, to drive the ship at full speed. That, owing to the unfortunate catastrophe, never eventuated.
SENATOR SMITH: Will you describe what you did after the impact or collision?
MR. ISMAY: I presume the impact awakened me. I lay in bed for a moment or two afterwards, not realizing probably what had happened. Eventually I got up and walked along the passageway and met one of the stewards, and said, "What has happened?" He said, "I do not know, sir."
I then went back into my room, put my coat on, and went up on the bridge, where I found Capt. Smith. I asked him what had happened, and he said, "We have struck ice." I said, "Do you think the ship is seriously damaged?" He said, "I am afraid she is."
I then went down below, I think it was, where I met Mr. Bell, the chief engineer, who was in the main companionway. I asked if he thought the ship was seriously damaged, and he said he thought she was, but was quite satisfied the pumps would keep her afloat.
I think I went back onto the bridge. I heard the order given to get the boats out. I walked along to the starboard side of the ship, where I met one of the officers. I told him to get the boats out­­­
SENATOR SMITH: What officer?
MR. ISMAY: That I could not remember, sir.
I assisted as best I could, getting the boats out and putting the women and children into the boats.
I stood upon the deck practically until I left the ship in the starboard collapsible boat, which is the last boat to leave the ship, so far as I know. More than that I do not know.
SENATOR SMITH: Did the captain remain on the bridge?
MR. ISMAY: That I could not tell you, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you leave him on the bridge?
MR. ISMAY: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: His first statement to you was that he felt she was seriously damaged?
MR. ISMAY: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: And the next statement of the chief engineer was what?
MR. ISMAY: To the same effect.
SENATOR SMITH: To the same effect?
MR. ISMAY: Yes.
SENATOR SMITH: But that he hoped the pumps might keep her afloat?
MR. ISMAY: Yes.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you have any talk with any officer other than the captain or the chief engineer and the steward that you met?
MR. ISMAY: Not that I remember.
SENATOR SMITH: Did the officers seem to know the serious character of this collision?
MR. ISMAY: That I could not tell, sir, because I had no conversation with them.
SENATOR SMITH: Did any officer say to you that it evidently was not serious?
MR. ISMAY: No, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: All the officers with whom you talked expressed the same fear, saying that it was serious?
MR. ISMAY: I did not speak to any of them, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Except the captain?
MR. ISMAY: Except the captain and the chief engineer. I have already stated that I had spoken to them; but to no other officer that I remember.
SENATOR SMITH: You went to the bridge immediately after you had returned to your room?
MR. ISMAY: After I put on my coat I went up to the bridge.
SENATOR SMITH: And you found the captain there?
MR. ISMAY: The captain was there.
SENATOR SMITH: In what part of the ship were your quarters?
MR. ISMAY: My quarters were on B deck just aft of the main companionway.
SENATOR SMITH: I wish you would describe just where that was.
MR. ISMAY: The sun deck is the upper deck of all. Then we have what we call the A deck, which is the next deck, and then the B deck.
MR. UHLER: The second passenger deck?
MR. ISMAY: We carry very few passengers on the A deck. I think we have a diagram here that will show you these decks. Here it is, and there is the room I was occupying [indicating on diagram].
SENATOR SMITH: What is the number of that room?
MR. ISMAY: B­52 is the room I had.
SENATOR SMITH: You had the suite?
MR. ISMAY: I had the suite; I was sleeping in that room [indicating on diagram], as a matter of fact.
SENATOR SMITH: Do you know whether there were any passengers on that deck?
MR. ISMAY: I have no idea, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: You say that the trip was a voluntary trip on your part?
MR. ISMAY: Absolutely.
SENATOR SMITH: For the purpose of viewing this ship in action, or did you have some business in New York?
MR. ISMAY: I had no business to bring me to New York at all. I simply came in the natural course of events, as one is apt to, in the case of a new ship, to see how she works, and with the idea of seeing how we could improve on her for the next ship which we are building.
SENATOR SMITH: Were there any other executive officers of the company aboard?
MR. ISMAY: None.
SENATOR SMITH: Was the inspector or builder on board?
MR. ISMAY: There was a representative of the builders on board.
SENATOR SMITH: Who was he?
MR. ISMAY: Mr. Thomas Andrews.
SENATOR SMITH: In what capacity was he?
MR. ISMAY: I do not quite follow you.
SENATOR SMITH: What was the occasion for his coming to make this trial trip?
MR. ISMAY: As a representative of the builders, to see that everything was working satisfactorily, and also to see how he could improve the next ship.
SENATOR SMITH: Was he a man of large experience?
MR. ISMAY: Yes.
SENATOR SMITH: Had he part in the construction of this ship himself?
MR. ISMAY: Yes.
SENATOR SMITH: Was he among the survivors?
MR. ISMAY: Unfortunately, no.
SENATOR SMITH: How old a man was he?
MR. ISMAY: It is difficult to judge a man's age, as you know, but I should think he was perhaps 42 or 43 years of age. He may have been less. I really could not say.
SENATOR SMITH: Then, you were the only executive officer aboard representing your company, aside from the ship's customary complement of officers?
MR. ISMAY: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you have occasion to consult with the captain about the movement of the ship?
MR. ISMAY: Never.
SENATOR SMITH: Did he consult you about it?
MR. ISMAY: Never. Perhaps I am wrong in saying that. I should like to say this: I do not know that it was quite a matter of consulting him about it, or of his consulting me about it, but what we had arranged to do was that we would not attempt to arrive in new York at the lightship before 5 o'clock on Wednesday morning.
SENATOR SMITH: That was the understanding?
MR. ISMAY: Yes. But that was arranged before we left Queenstown.
SENATOR SMITH: Was it supposed that you could reach New York at that time without putting the ship to its full running capacity?
MR. ISMAY: Oh, yes sir. There was nothing to be gained by arriving at New York any earlier than that.
SENATOR SMITH: You spoke of the revolutions on the early part of the voyage.
MR. ISMAY: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Those were increased as the distance was increased?
MR. ISMAY: The Titanic being a new ship, we were gradually working her up. When you bring out a new ship you naturally do not start her running at full speed until you get everything working smoothly and satisfactorily down below.
SENATOR SMITH: Did I understand you to say that she exceeded 70 revolutions?
MR. ISMAY: Yes, sir; she was going 75 revolutions on Tuesday.
SENATOR SMITH: On Tuesday?
MR. ISMAY: No; I am wrong ­ on Saturday. I am mixed up as to the days.
SENATOR SMITH: The day before the accident?
MR. ISMAY: The day before the accident. That, of course, is nothing near her full speed.
SENATOR SMITH: During the voyage, do you know, of your own knowledge, of your proximity to icebergs?
MR. ISMAY: Did I know that we were near icebergs?
SENATOR SMITH: Yes.
MR. ISMAY: No, sir; I did not. I know ice had been reported.
SENATOR SMITH: Ice had been reported?
MR. ISMAY: Yes.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you personally see any icebergs, or any large volume of ice?
MR. ISMAY: No; not until after accident.
SENATOR SMITH: Not until after the wreck?
MR. ISMAY: I had never seen an iceberg in my life before.
SENATOR SMITH: You never saw one before.
MR. ISMAY: No, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Had you ever been on this so­called northern route before?
MR. ISMAY: We were on the southern route, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: On this Newfoundland route?
MR. ISMAY: We were on the long southern route; not on the northern route.
SENATOR SMITH: You were not on the extreme northern route?
