MR. FARRELL: Not so far as I know, and if there were they would have had nothing to do with any news we published, because I was responsible for that and I am not a stockholder in any one of them ­ in the Western Union, in the Postal Telegraph, or the Marconi. We simply published the news that we got from various sources which we supposed we had reason to rely on.
SENATOR SMITH: Do you obtain any information for your company directly through the wireless telegraph companies?
MR. FARRELL: No; we do not. We obtain none directly.
SENATOR SMITH: And you did not in this instance?
MR. FARRELL: No, sir; except one message which one of our reporters got from the Marconi Co. and that was direct.
SENATOR SMITH: Do you know of any attempt that was made by anyone connected with the White Star Co. to influence the publications in your paper?
MR. FARRELL: I know very positively that no such attempt was made by anyone. I am absolutely certain of it.
SENATOR SMITH: You refer particularly in your testimony to the Boston News Bureau?
MR. FARRELL: Yes.
SENATOR SMITH: Do you know what composes the Boston News Bureau?
MR. FARRELL: The Boston News Bureau is a news agency for the dissemination of financial news, operating in Boston. It is somewhat similar to Dow, Jones & Co. in New York. They publish bulletins during the day and publish the paper know as the Boston News Bureau.
SENATOR SMITH: Are the interests of the two, of your company and of that company, identical?
MR. FARRELL: They are allied.
SENATOR SMITH: They are allied. Do the same people own both?
MR. FARRELL: Substantially.
SENATOR SMITH: Is there any understanding or relationship between your company and the Laffan News Agency?
MR. FARRELL: None; except that we receive their service.
SENATOR SMITH: You are subscribers?
MR. FARRELL: We are subscribers to their service; that is all.
SENATOR SMITH: But you do not own any of their stock?
MR. FARRELL: No.
SENATOR SMITH: What is the Laffan News Agency?
MR. FARRELL: It is a press association which was organized a good many years ago by the New York Sun.
SENATOR SMITH: By Mr. Laffan himself, or did they adopt his name as a compliment to him?
MR. FARRELL: I do not know whether it was organized during Mr. Laffan's regime on the Sun or before that. I rather think it was while he was proprietor. It derived its name from him, anyway.
SENATOR SMITH: And their function is to supply news to their subscribers?
MR. FARRELL: Yes.
SENATOR SMITH: The Boston News Bureau seems to have supplied your company with information from Montreal ­ with news from Montreal?
MR. FARRELL: Yes.
SENATOR SMITH: Have they special facilities for getting Montreal news?
MR. FARRELL: I do not know much about the organization of the Boston News Bureau, because I have been with Dow, Jones & Co. only about two months, so that I do not know their special connections.
SENATOR SMITH: Have you any news agency at Montreal?
MR. FARRELL: We have not. Dow, Jones & Co. have not.
SENATOR SMITH: Has the Boston News Bureau?
MR. FARRELL: Do you mean, have they a regular news agency, the same as in New York and Boston?
SENATOR SMITH: Yes.
MR. FARRELL: No; not so far as I know. Of course I am not in a position to give positive testimony with reference to the Boston News Bureau.
SENATOR SMITH: So the information you get from Montreal is such information as goes out generally?
MR. FARRELL: I should assume so.
SENATOR SMITH: And not through direct correspondents of your own?
MR. FARRELL: They may have a correspondent in Montreal. I do not know as to that.
SENATOR SMITH: You say that they may have?
MR. FARRELL: They may have.
SENATOR SMITH: Who are the officers of Dow, Jones & Co?
MR. FARRELL: C. W. Barron is president, Hugh Bancroft is secretary, and Joseph Cashman is treasurer.
SENATOR SMITH: Have you given to the committee all the information in your possession which will tend to throw any light upon the Titanic disaster, and the events subsequent thereto?
MR. FARRELL: I have.
SENATOR SMITH: I am very much obliged to you.
Witness excused.
THE STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY MR. FARRELL.
Maurice L. Farrell, managing news editor of Dow, Jones & Co., news agency of New York, made the following statement to the Senate subcommittee investigating the Titanic disaster.
Reports published by Dow, Jones & Co. on Monday, April 15, regarding the Titanic disaster came chiefly from three sources ­ office of the White Star Line, the Laffan News Bureau, and the Boston News Bureau. At 8 a.m. on that day, upon interviewing representatives of the White Star Line in their New York office, a reporter received information which was summarized on the Dow, Jones & Co. news tickers as follows:
"Officers of White Star Line stated at 8 o'clock this morning that passengers on the Titanic were being taken off in boats and that there was no danger of loss of life. The Baltic and the Virginian, they stated, were standing by to assist in the rescue."
On account of a misconstruction of the expression "standing by," this item may have given rise to subsequent erroneous reports. To the lay mind, "standing by" conveyed the meaning that the vessels were in the immediate vicinity, holding themselves in readiness to render aid. Its use, however, appears to have been in the technical sense, indicating that the vessels had received the C.Q.D., responded to it, and had headed their course toward the Titanic. The expression used in its nautical sense meant response to direction or the setting a course toward, rather than being in the immediate presence of the Titanic.
The statement was cabled to London, and later in the day at least two dispatches of similar purport, but different verbiage, were received from different quarters, and may have represented merely a return of the same report from other parts of the world. In New York they were at the same time taken as confirming the earlier statement made at the White Star office. No one was willing to believe, and, in fact, at the time could believe, that the Titanic had sunk. Every scrap of what purported to be news indicating safety of the passengers was seized upon with avidity and rushed by telephone, telegraph, or cable to all parts of America and Europe. This process doubtless entailed duplication of the same messages flying back and forth, which was erroneously construed as confirmatory evidence.
As an example of the misunderstandings arising, I am informed that the White Star office at Boston called up the Allen Line in Montreal by telephone to get a confirmation of a report that all Titanic passengers were transferred to the Virginian and the Titanic was proceeding to Halifax under her own steam. The Allen Line replied that they had such a statement, meaning that they had heard such a report. The White Star Boston office took this as substantiating the rumor, and accordingly called up the White Star office in New York confirming the message to Vice President Franklin. Doubtless many similar cases of unintentional errors occurred in the same way, the chances of error, of course, being increased as the reports went through different channels.
SENATOR SMITH: I wish to insert in the record a telegram sent on May 8, 1912, to Mr. P.A.S. Franklin, vice president of the White Star Line, New York City, and his reply, which are as follows:
Mr. P. A. S. Franklin., Vice President, White Star Line, New York City:
I am very desirous that you should ascertain name of person connected with your company who sent telegram to Representative Hughes April 15, at 7:30 p.m. You were to furnish certain information containing names of passengers and crew sailing on Titanic from Southampton, Cherbourg, and Queenstown.
William Alden Smith.
New York, May 8, 1912.
Hon. William Alden Smith, United States Senate, Washington, D.C.
Answering your telegram, as I testified in Washington, we have had our entire staff of passenger department polled and can not find anybody who admits or has knowledge of the sending of the typewritten telegram addressed to Representative Hughes and signed White Star Line, supposed to have been filed at 7:30 p.m., April 15. I can not conceive how anybody in this office could have sent that telegram at that time, as they were all well aware that the worst had happened to the Titanic, but we had at that time at least 50 clerks in the office doing their utmost to satisfy the public. Am mailing you tomorrow statement giving names of first, second, and third class passengers embarked on Titanic at Southampton, Cherbourg, and Queenstown, with as much information regarding their addresses as we have, and have received cable advices from Southampton that they have forwarded to us a complete list of the members of crew, which will send you immediately received, hope latter part of this week. Is there any further information that I can furnish you?
P. A. S. Franklin., Vice President.
I desire also printed in the record an affidavit from James A. Hosey, received by me in Washington, D.C., on May 7, 1912.
The affidavit referred to is as follows:
While engaged in my routine at Taunton, Mass, as a telegrapher, on Monday morning, April 15, 1912, I received a flash message over the land wires, between the hours of 8 and 11, stating Titanic sunk. A little later, probably 5 or 10 minutes, I received a "kill" on this flash, which read, to the best of my memory:
"Kill flash Titanic sunk. Montreal says the wireless operator at Cape Race made a mistake in reading wireless signals." James A. Hosey
Taunton, Mass, May 6, 1912.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Bristol, ss:
Then personally appeared the above James A. Hosey and made oath before me that the above statement was true.
[SEAL.] Frank B. Fox, Notary Public.
SENATOR SMITH: I have received also a letter from the vice consul at Toronto, Canada, addressed to mer, inclosing an affidavit made by Dr. F. C. Quitzrau, which I wish printed in the record. The affidavit is as follows:
Dominion of Canada, Province of Ontario, City of Toronto:
Dr. F. C. Quitzrau, being first duly sworn, deposes and says that he was a passenger, traveling second class, on steamer Mount Temple, which left Antwerp April 3, 1912; that about midnight Sunday, April 14, New York time, he was awakened by the sudden stopping of the engines; that he immediately went to the cabin, where were already gathered several of the stewards and passengers, who informed him that word had been received by wireless from the Titanic that the Titanic had struck an iceberg and was calling for help. Orders were immediately given and the Mount Temple course changed, heading straight for the Titanic. About 3 o'clock New York time, 2 o'clock ship time, the Titanic was sighted by some of the officers and crew; that as soon as the Titanic was seen all lights on the Mount Temple were put out and the engines stopped and the boat lay dead for about two hours; that as soon as day broke the engines were started and the Mount Temple circled the Titanic's position, the officers insisting that this be done, although the captain had given orders that the boat proceed on its journey. While encircling the Titanic's position we sighted the Frankfurt to the northwest of us, the Birma to the south, speak to both of these by wireless, the latter asking if we were in distress; that about 6 o'clock we saw the Carpathia, from which we had previously received a message that the Titanic had gone down; that about 8:30 the Carpathia wirelessed that it had picked up 20 lifeboats and about 720 passengers all told, and that there was no need for the Mount Temple to stand by, as the remainder of those on board were drowned.
Dr. F. C. Quitzrau
Subscribed and sworn to me this 29th day of April 1912.
[SEAL.] William James Elliott, Notary Public for the Province of Ontario.
SENATOR SMITH: I also received the following affidavit made by A. H. Weikman, who was a barber on the Titanic, which covers his observations:
April 24, 1912.
Mr. A. H. Weikman:
I certify that my occupation on the Titanic was known as the saloon barber. I was sitting in my barber shop on Sunday night, April 14, 1912, at 11:40 p.m., when the collision occurred. I went forward to the steerage on "G" deck and saw one of the baggage masters, and he told me that water was coming in [in] the baggage room on the deck below. I think the baggageman's name was Bessant. I then went upstairs and met Mr. Andrews, the "builder," and he was giving instructions to get the steerage passengers "on deck." I proceeded along "E" deck to my room on "C" deck. I went on the main deck and saw some ice laying there. Orders were given, "All hands to man the lifeboats, also to put on life belts." Who gave the orders? "Mr. Dodd, second steward."
I helped to launch the boats, and there seemed to be a shortage of women. When I was on "E" deck I met the captain returning from "G" deck, who had been there with Mr. Andrews, and the captain was on the bridge at that time. I did not think there was any danger. What happened after the orders were given? Instructions were given to get the passengers into life belts and get on deck from all the staterooms. Did you see Mr. Ismay? Yes, I saw Mr. Ismay helping to load the boats. Did you see him get in a boat? Yes; he got in along with Mr. Carter, because there were no women in the vicinity of the boat. This boat was the last to leave, to the best of my knowledge. He was ordered into the boat by the officer in charge. I think that Mr. Ismay was justified in leaving in that boat at that time.
