At 8:49 a.m. on April 17 we published the following:
Captain of Leyland Line freighter Etonian, which was not equipped with wireless and which docked in North River last night, reports that he passed along route taken by Titanic and that number of fishing boats were in vicinity of the disaster at the time. He says he thinks many of the passengers if they secured life preservers may have been rescued by crews of fishing vessels.
Number known to have been rescued remains at 868, all on Carpathia.
I do not think that was published in the bulletin.
SENATOR SMITH: From whom was that information obtained?
MR. FARRELL: It was a summary from some of the morning papers, as I remember it.
About 8:52 we published this:
Steamship Carpathia reestablished wireless communication with Cape Race at 7 o'clock this morning, and White Star Line is now receiving supplementary list of survivors.
That came from one of our reporters at the White Star Line office.
SENATOR SMITH: Did that go on the bulletin?
MR. FARRELL: I do not see it on the bulletin. I may come to it later if it is on there. At 9 a.m. on April 17 we published the following:
Names of passengers not on sailing list of Titanic, but reported saved by Carpathia.
Then follows a list of such passengers. That was obtained by Mr. Smallwood, one of our reporters.
SENATOR SMITH: Do you know from whom it was obtained.
MR. FARRELL: Presumably from the White Star Line. I do not have it marked here.
About 9:25 a.m. on April 17 we published the following:
Cunard Line received following wireless message from the Carpathia via Halifax: "Carpathia was 596 miles from Ambrose light at 11 p.m. Tuesday. All well."
That was received at the Cunard Line office by Mr. Plummer, one of our reporters.
SENATOR SMITH: Was that bulletined?
MR. FARRELL: Yes.
About 9:52 a. m. we published this:
Carpathia 596 miles from New York Tuesday at 11 p. m. Should arrive about 9 o'clock Thursday night.
That was secured by Mr. Smallwood.
SENATOR SMITH: From whom?
MR. FARRELL: At the Cunard Line office. About 10:30 a.m. on April 17 we published this:
Agent Sumner of Cunard Line says:
"We are making every effort to find out why there was nearly 24 hours delay in getting wireless messages from the Carpathia. Only three have been received so far. The first received was the second one started at 7:55 a.m. Monday from Capt. Rostron of Carpathia announcing about 800 aboard and proceeding to New York. This was not received until Tuesday. The first one sent Monday a.m. was received as the second Marconigram and announced sinking of Titanic. The third wireless was received to­day. It was a two­coded word, started at 11 Tuesday night and received this morning, saying all were well, and 596 miles from Ambrose Light."
That, I think, was obtained by Mr. Plummer from Agent Sumner of the Cunard Line.
About 10:35 a.m. we published the following:
At 11 p.m. Sunday wireless operator of steamship Cincinnati of Hamburg­American Line, which arrived in port to­day, got the C.Q.D. and S.O.S. from Titanic calling "In great danger, rush, rush," giving latitude and longitude. Operator of Cincinnati had been talking with Sable Island, 400 miles away, and told Sable Island operator to stop while he was talking with Titanic. While he was still in communication, the Olympic cut in and answered the same call. The Olympic sent out message to Cincinnati, saying she was much closer and was going to relief of Titanic.
SENATOR SMITH: From whom did that information come?
MR. FARRELL: I have not that noted, and I do not know where that did come from. Presumably one of our reporters, who was on the ship news end of it, got it. I did not consider it very important.
Along about 11:30 a.m. we published this:
Among the callers at White Star office to­day were Henry W. Taft, De Witt Seligman, and Mrs. Benjamin Guggenheim.
That came from our reporter who was covering the White Star office.
About 11:45 a.m. this was published:
Cunard Line officials say that reason details of disaster are not forthcoming from the Carpathia is due to the weak wireless aboard that boat.
That was obtained by Mr. Plummer at the Cunard office.
About 11:47 a.m. this was published:
Vice President Franklin, of the International Mercantile Marine, said: "I have heard nothing from the Carpathia since 9 a.m. yesterday. I think Marconi instrument on Carpathia is absolutely overtaxed. This probably explains reason why we have had no messages. I expect Carpathia to dock early Friday morning. White Star Line has wired to Newport, asking them to try to get some news from the Salem."
When asked what the White Star Line would do in future to safeguard lives of passengers in way of lifeboats, he said:
"We assure you, White Star Line will do everything in its power to avoid similar disaster. Company has always endeavored to do everything for safety and comfort of its passengers."
That was obtained from Mr. Franklin by Mr. Byrne, one of our reporters.
SENATOR SMITH: Was that bulletined?
MR. FARRELL: Yes.
About 1:20 p.m. on April 17 we published this:
Cunard line has given out copy of Marconi message received from Winfield Thompson, of Boston Globe, who is passenger on steamship Franconia, saying:
"Steamer Franconia established communication with Carpathia at 6:10 a.m., New York time. Latter was then 498 miles east of Ambrose Channel, in no need of assistance, steaming 13 knots. Expect to reach New York 8 Thursday evening. Has total of 705 survivors aboard. Franconia is relaying personal messages from Carpathia to Sable Island.
That was obtained by Mr. Plummer, one of our reporters, from the Cunard Line office.
At 1:18 we published a Washington dispatch referring to the action of the House Committee on Merchant Marine. That is not germane, however.
About 1:23 p.m. we published this: LONDON.
Following up demand of the Times that Central News produce originals of wireless messages to effect that all passengers had been placed on board steamship Parisian and that Titanic was being towed by steamship Virginian, Col .Yate, Unionist member of House of Commons, has given notice that he will ask postmaster general if his attention has been called to said message and whether original of it could be traced.
We received that, I believe, from the Laffan News Bureau.
SENATOR SMITH: That former dispatch which you read, which said 705 aboard, seems to harmonize quite closely with the special train provision.
MR. FARRELL: Of course, I am not competent to testify on that.
SENATOR SMITH: They were providing for 710 on that train. Those items which you have just read are supposed to cover all the information that went to your subscribers over the tape ticker?
MR. FARRELL: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Was there any information given to your customers in any other manner than by the tape ticker or the bulletin service or the Wall Street Journal?
MR. FARRELL: No, sir; except possibly a customer would call up during the day and say, "What is the latest news," or "What do you hear," and we would simply tell him over the telephone what were the latest advices.
SENATOR SMITH: I notice items of news appear occasionally on the ticker tape that are not included in the bulletin. What is the occasion of that?
MR. FARRELL: Sometimes it is by accident. At other times an item will go out on the tape, and before it gets printed on the bulletin we will receive additional information which will embody the previous item.
SENATOR SMITH: Is the ticker tape supposed to be more authentic, and in a sense confidential to your subscribers, than the bulletin?
MR. FARRELL: No, sir; they are both the same in that respect, only from the tape ticker our subscribers get the news quicker. That is practically instantaneous. The bulletins, of course, have to be set up in the printing department and printed and then carried around by boys.
SENATOR SMITH: They have practically the same information?
MR. FARRELL: Usually the same information, except that on the ticker tape the information is condensed.
SENATOR SMITH: That is, it is edited when it reaches the bulletin, and it comes in its original form when it comes on the ticker?
MR. FARRELL: No; it is the reverse. Of course, the matter is edited for both.
SENATOR SMITH: Yes.
MR. FARRELL: But you understand that the ticker can not carry all the stuff which we publish in the bulletins, so that we take the meat of the stuff we publish in the bulletins and put it on the ticker, eliminating all superfluous words and everything of that sort.
SENATOR SMITH: All of the information that is contained on the ticker tape and in the bulletins is reflected in the Wall Street Journal?
MR. FARRELL: So far as possible. Of course, like every other newspaper we are frequently heavily overset, and there is not room enough in the Journal to cover all we publish in the bulletin. That sometimes occurs.
SENATOR SMITH: Items appearing in the Wall Street Journal are not necessarily the exact items that appear either upon the ticker tapeor in the bulletin?
MR. FARRELL: Usually they are. Sometimes they are revised for the Wall Street Journal, which goes to press, the afternoon edition, shortly after 3 o'clock. Sometimes they have to be revised, because you see, an item which went out in the present tense at 9 or 10 o'clock in the morning would be in the past tense at the time for the afternoon paper.
SENATOR SMITH: Stock quotations are supposed to be exactly the same in all three of these publications?
MR. FARRELL: Yes; allowing, of course, for typographical errors, which are corrected as much as possible.
SENATOR SMITH: But events that happen during the day sometimes appear in one a little more fully than in the other?
MR. FARRELL: On the bulletins they usually appear more fully than on the ticker.
SENATOR SMITH: Have you here the bulletins which correspond with the items you have just read into the record?
MR. FARRELL: I find one here which I think would be of interest which I do not think appeared on the tape. It is headed, "These false reports." It reads:
Uncle of Phillips, wireless operator of Titanic, solved one of the mysterious wireless messages that at first gave hope vessel was saved. He acknowledges that he sent the following messages from London to Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, Godalming, Surrey, England, parents of the wireless operator, to reassure them: "Making slowly for Halifax; practically unsinkable; don't worry."
SENATOR SMITH: From whom did you get that information?
MR. FARRELL: From the Laffan News Bureau.
SENATOR SMITH: Mr. Farrell, do you know of any news item or information possessed by your or your company or by any of its officers or agents that was attempted to be suppressed?
MR. FARRELL: No, sir; I do not.
SENATOR SMITH: Do you wish to be understood as saying that no pressure of any kind or character was brought to bear upon you?
MR. FARRELL: Oh, absolutely none.
SENATOR SMITH: For the purpose of suppressing news concerning this matter?
MR. FARRELL: Absolutely none whatever. It would not have been tolerated if there had been; and there really was no pressure. There was not a suggestion of that sort.
SENATOR SMITH: All that you printed on the tape or in the bulletins or the paper you have given here?
MR. FARRELL: Yes, sir. There may have been one or two further unimportant items, but all of the important items, so far as I have been able to find them I have submitted here.
SENATOR SMITH: And these exhibits you leave with the committee?
MR. FARRELL: Yes.
SENATOR SMITH: Have you at any time had any talk with any officer or agent of the White Star Line or of the International Mercantile Marine Co. concerning what was to be said by you regarding this matter at the hearing?
MR. FARRELL: None whatever. In fact, none of them knew that I was to appear here. I said nothing to them.
SENATOR SMITH: And you have given the committee the sources of all your information, so far as you know them?
MR. FARRELL: To the best of my knowledge and belief, so far as I have been able to ascertain.
SENATOR SMITH: So far as you have been able to do so?
MR. FARRELL: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: You spoke of one of the reporters, who turned in several important items of news in connection with this matter, who is now on the ocean or in England?
MR. FARRELL: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: When did he go?
MR. FARRELL: I do not recall the exact date, but his trip had been arranged some time before this occurred.
SENATOR SMITH: On what boat did he sail?
MR. FARRELL: I can not tell you that either. If you wish to know, I can find out.
SENATOR SMITH: Can you not think of it?
MR. FARRELL: No; I do not remember.
SENATOR SMITH: What day did he go?
MR. FARRELL: I do not remember the date. It is a matter of record in our office. I could find out, if that would interest you.
SENATOR SMITH: Did he return with any of the White Star officials or officers?
MR. FARRELL: No; he has not returned.
SENATOR SMITH: I mean did he go over with any of those officials?
MR. FARRELL: No, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: And he is still over there?
MR. FARRELL: He is still there.
SENATOR SMITH: On matters of his own and not on any business connected with this affair?
MR. FARRELL: No; nothing at all. He had made arrangements some months before to take this trip ­ for some business matter of a personal nature ­ and I remember it very distinctly because he had made the arrangement before I became managing editor.
SENATOR SMITH: What is his name?
MR. FARRELL: Oliver Gingold.
SENATOR SMITH: This summary which you have handed to the committee you desire to appear as a part of your testimony?
MR. FARRELL: I would like to have it appear if you have no objection. While, as I say, it contains a good deal that is a matter of opinion, it seems to me it helps a good deal to explain how some of these things got so badly twisted.
This summary referred to, submitted by Mr. Farrell, will be found appended to this day's hearing.
SENATOR SMITH: I think I asked you if you knew any person connected with your company in any capacity whatsoever who was interested in the International Mercantile Marine Co. or any of its constituent companies?
MR. FARRELL: Yes.
SENATOR SMITH: And you said no; not so far as you know?
