MR. MOORE: She was there shortly before me, because when I came to this great pack of ice, sir, as I remarked, I went to the south­southeast to try to get around there, because I realized that if he was not in that position ­ I had come from the westward ­ he must be somewhere to the eastward of me still. Of course, I had no idea that the Titanic had sunk. I had not the slightest idea of that.
SENATOR SMITH: At that time?
MR. MOORE: No, sir. It was not until I received word from the Carpathia that she had picked up the boats and the Titanic had sunk.
SENATOR SMITH: And then you gave it up?
MR. MOORE: I stayed there until 9 o'clock.
SENATOR SMITH: It was not until that time that you gave the ship up?
MR. MOORE: That I gave up hopes of seeing her, sir, because I was cruising around all that time.
SENATOR SMITH: How near the Carpathia did you get that morning?
MR. MOORE: This pack of ice between us and the Carpathia, it is estimated, was between 5 and 6 miles. She did not communicate anything with us at all. When we sighted her she must have sighted us.
SENATOR SMITH: On which side of the ice pack was the Californian?
MR. MOORE: The Californian was to the north, sir. She was to the north of the Carpathia and steaming to the westward, because, after I had come away and after giving up my attempt to get through that pack, I came back again and steered back, thinking I might pick up some soft pace to the north. As I was going to the north the Californian was passing from east to west.
SENATOR SMITH: And you were also cut off from the Carpathia by this ice pack?
MR. MOORE: Yes, sir; by this ice pack. He was then north of the Carpathia, and he must have been, I suppose, about the same distance to the north of the Carpathia as I was to the westward of her.
SENATOR SMITH: Were there any other vessels in sight at that time the Titanic was supposed to have gone down?
MR. MOORE: We saw, as I have mentioned this tramp steamer.
SENATOR SMITH: And that is all?
MR. MOORE: About 8 o'clock we sighted the Birma.
SENATOR SMITH: How far away?
MR. MOORE: We could just see smoke when we first sighted her. We just saw smoke, and I headed that way to kind of intercept her, and then we saw the yellow mast and the yellow funnel. I thought it might possibly be the Olympic, and we steered toward her. Shortly after she was coming up very fast and we saw she had only one mast ­ that is, one funnel rather.
SENATOR SMITH: I recall that, but what I want to get at is this. The captain of the Carpathia testified before the committee in New York that he saw but one body in the water.
MR. MOORE: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: When the lifeboats came alongside.
MR. MOORE: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: And that he cruised around for an hour or more after he took these people from the lifeboats on board and saw none. The captain of the Californian said yesterday he saw none. You say this morning that you saw none?
MR. MOORE: I saw none whatever, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Does that indicate that the Titanic might have sunk in a different position?
MR. MOORE: I do not think it proves anything, as far as my going is concerned, because I must have been at least 5 miles to the westward of where the Titanic sank. This great field of ice was 5 miles at least between us and the Carpathia, where she had picked up these lifeboats.
SENATOR SMITH: Would it have been possible ­ I hesitate to ask youand do you think from what you saw, it would have been possible after the Titanic sank for that field of ice to have covered the place?
MR. MOORE: It is just possible, sir, and nothing more. Of course, that ice had been in the gulf stream and was going with the gulf stream. The Gulf Stream, as we know, is always flowing to the east­northeast, and it is just possible that when he struck he might have been in that ice pack. I do not know whether he got into it or not. Do the officers say they got into any field ice?
SENATOR SMITH: They say they saw field ice all about them. Do you mean the officers of the Titanic?
MR. MOORE: Yes.
SENATOR SMITH: They saw considerable ice ­ field ice?
MR. MOORE: Did they see field ice or icebergs?
SENATOR SMITH: Both.
MR. MOORE: From the time I got there, from about 12:30 ­ the time I received the call ­ until half past 4, there would be a drift there of perhaps, say, half a knot an hour.
SENATOR SMITH: There has been an impression among vessel men, and I think that same impression has extended to the American Navy, that a sinking ship ­ by the suction as it goes down ­ will draw into the vortex quite largely from the surface of the surrounding sea. That theory seems to have been exploded by the sinking of the Titanic, because every officer, thus far, has said that there was no suction and the wireless operator of the Titanic , who was the last to leave her, about l minute before she sank and disappeared under the water, says he left her by the starboard side and there was an overturned, collapsible lifeboat on the starboard side that fell upon him and covered him up in the water and in that position ­ with the Titanic sinking ­ there was no suction.
MR. MOORE: I should hardly think that was possible, sir. Any boat sinking in the water like that, I think, is almost bound to cause suction. The time I heard there were so many people left on board I said, "then it is just possible those bodies might never be recovered," because there were so many decks, and if these people had been underneath those decks, the ship going down would cause the pressure to be very great and that pressure would have pressed them up under those decks and it is just a matter that they would never be released, because as they got lower down there would be such tremendous pressure that, even supposing the ship listed in any way, it was not possible for these bodies to withstand the pressure.
SENATOR SMITH: This theory of suction is an old theory of the sea, is it not?
MR. MOORE: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: It does not seem to have operated in this case and I think I may be pardoned for saying that when I found the Carpathia's captain saw no bodies, and then found from the testimony of those in the lifeboats that there were hundreds of bodies all around in the water, I came to the conclusion that they had either been sucked in with the sinking ship or that they were inclosed somewhere in the ship.
Some expressions of humor have been noted ­ rather unusual among the people ­ from an inquiry that I made as to whether or not water­tight compartments in a ship would keep out as well as hold in water. I have received many telegrams and letters from people who lost relatives in this accident, who prayed that the Government might send divers to the ship, not know how far she was below the surface of the water. It seemed to me that the absence on the water of these bodies that you failed to see and which the other captains failed to see might indicate that these bodies were still inclosed somewhere within the ship.
Of course, I have known for many years that a water­tight compartment is not intended as an asylum for passengers, because this same captain, who went down with the Titanic, showed me over his ship on one of my voyages and I am quite familiar with the uses of the water­tight compartment. But that these sorrowing people might receive some official reply as to whether that would be possible or not, I took chances of arousing the humor of people not generally accustomed to much humor, by asking that question. I assume all responsibility for it. In view of what you say and what the other two captains say perhaps it had some importance.
MR. MOORE: It may have been that these bulkheads with the water coming in had collapsed. It may have been that the pressure of the air had started something up and allowed those bodies to escape. As the water escaped they might have been disturbed by the water underneath the decks or elsewhere and that may have brought these people out, sir. Of course, she had a very heavy list, I believe. She was struck on one side. Those compartments would fill. I dare say some bulkheads wold go, but if she took a list as she was filling it would give some a chance to get clear of the decks, sir.
I am almost sure that when a ship goes down like that the people underneath those decks would be held underneath them, because the ship is sinking all the time and the fact of her sinking would bring about that heavy pressure underneath those decks, as I have mentioned.
SENATOR SMITH: Would you think it a desirable thing to have as part of the equipment of a vessel a permanent buoy made, as far as it could be so made, of indestructible material, fastened to an indestructible chain or wire, so that in the event of a ship sinking at sea that buoy might register on the surface of the water its exact burial spot?
MR. MOORE: It is quite possible to do that kind of thing, unless, of course, the chain ­ you mean to attach that to the wreck?
SENATOR SMITH: Yes.
MR. MOORE: You see, there is such a tremendous depth­­
SENATOR SMITH: [interposing]. I understand this boat is in 2 miles of water?
MR. MOORE: Yes, sir; over 2,000 fathoms of water.
SENATOR SMITH: But even admitting that, knowing exactly the depth of the sea from your chart, some such mark or register could be provided.
MR. MOORE: If it could be provided by having a good flexible steel hawser, sir, that would be quite possible. It would have to be small on account of the weight, but still I think it would be quite possible to have such a thing.
SENATOR SMITH: Let me ask whether when you arrived at the scene of the Titanic's wreck if you had known that she had been equipped with one or two of these buoys, you would have been inclined to remain until you found that buoy or those buoys?
MR. MOORE: Yes, sir. But, as you say, if this ice had been moved to the eastward and gone over the position where the ship sank, then the chances are that we could not see that buoy among the field ice.
SENATOR SMITH: But when the ice field had passed the buoy would assert itself above the water?
MR. MOORE: Providing the ice itself would not injure the buoy.
SENATOR SMITH: If not injured by the ice or elements it would mark this burial spot?
MR. MOORE: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Will you file that operator's report ­ or had you finished with it.
MR. MOORE: No, sir; I had not finished it.
SENATOR SMITH: You may continued your reading of the operator's report then.
MR. MOORE: [reading]:
1:58 Birma thinks he hears Titanic, so sends, "Steaming full speed to you; shall arrive you 6 in morning. Hope you are safe. We are only 50 miles now."
2:00 Carpathia calls Titanic. 3:00 All quiet. We are stopped amongst pack ice.
That is our ship, the Mount Temple, is stopped amongst the pack ice.
3:05 Birma and Frankfurt working.
That is, the two of them are working together; are sending messages to each other.
3:20 Birma and Frankfurt working. We back out of ice and cruise around. Large bergs about.
That is our ship. We back out of the ice.
3:25 Californian calls C.Q. I answer him and advise of Titanic and send him Titanic's position.
3:40 Californian working Frankfurt. Frankfurt sends him the same.
4:00 Californian working Virginian 4:25 Californian working Birma.
5:20 Signals Californian. Wants my position. Send it. We are very close.
This is my ship and the Californian, sir. When I get him to confirm my position, I ask him if he can give me his position. I understand he is cruising, because after we go up toward him he goes to the south and misses us, passes about a mile off, and then he gets where we came from. Then we go over the ground, and we have not seen anything of the ship, and we think we must cruise farther.
6:00 Much jamming.
SENATOR SMITH: That is, jamming his operators?
MR. MOORE: Yes, sir.
6:45 Carpathia reports rescued 20 boatloads. 7:15 More jamming
7:30 Baltic sends service message to Californian, "Stand by immediately. You have been instructed to do so frequently. Balfour, inspector.
That is he sends word to the Californian to stand by, and he says, "You have been instructed to do so frequently."
7:40 Carpathia calls C.Q. and says, "No need to stand by him; nothing more can be done." Advise my captain who has been cruising around the ice field with no result. Ship reversed. Standing by rest of day. Carpathia and Olympic very busy.
SENATOR SMITH: Is that all?
MR. MOORE: That is all, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: I did not notice in that tabulated statement any report from the Frankfurt after 12 p.m., New York time. You picked that up, and it was intended for the Titanic?
MR. MOORE: Yes, sir; but excuse me, sir, the Frankfurt was in communication with these other ships, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: But this is the time when she gave her position?
MR. MOORE: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: The Frankfurt's position?
MR. MOORE: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: She did not give her position at any other time.
MR. MOORE: No, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you hear or see anything of the Amerika on Sunday, Sunday night or Monday?
MR. MOORE: I do not know. I did not see personally­­
SENATOR SMITH: I think I asked you what you would consider reasonable and proper precautions to take when approaching an ice field at night. Did I ask you that?
MR. MOORE: No, sir; I do not think you did.
SENATOR SMITH: Well, will you tell us that?
MR. MOORE: I should certainly stop, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: And increase your lookout?
MR. MOORE: I should stop. Then there would be no need to increase the lookout. If you stop, you then drift with the ice, if the ice is drifting. My instructions from my company are that I must not enter field ice, no matter if it seems only light. Those are my explicit instructions from my company. If I was to go through ice and my ship was damaged I would have pointed out to me that those were the instructions, that I was not to go into any ice, no matter how thin. As a matter of fact, I would not attempt to go through field ice if it was thick. The usual thing, on approaching ice at night, is to stop and wait until daylight.
SENATOR SMITH: Captain, from your experience and observation, extending over 30 years, 27 of which have been in the North Atlantic­­­
MR. MOORE: From 1885, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Knowing the position of the Titanic, or about the position of that ship, when this accident occurred, would you think it was wise or discreet to run that vessel at a speed of 12 1/2 knots per hour?
MR. MOORE: It has been done so frequently, sir, in that position that they are supposed to be clear of all field ice at that time, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Do you mean at that time of the year?
MR. MOORE: Yes, sir. You may see bergs, but I have never in all my experience known ice to be so far south.
