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The History - The Inquiries
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 The
American inquiry into the Titanic disaster opened four days
after the sinking and lasted from April 19 to May 25, 1912. Six U.S.
senators examined 82 witnesses in New York and Washington, D.C., including
29 U.S. citizens and 53 British subjects. The lead role in the investigation
was played by Senator William Alden Smith, who performed most of the
questioning.
Unusual measures were taken to ensure that witnesses remained in the
U.S. Ever since the Carpathia docked in New York, surviving
crew members of the Titanic had remained aboard the liner
Lapland, expecting to leave for England aboard the ship on
the morning of April 20. Shortly before the ship's departure that
day, however, 29 of the crew members were served with federal subpoenas,
requiring them to remain in the U.S. By an oversight, five crew members
had not been received subpoenas and sailed out of New York aboard
the ship. |
 A
federal marshal aboard the tugboat Barrett was sent to intercept
the Lapland at Sandy Hook and retrieve the five designated
crew members. The remaining crew returned to England aboard the Lapland,
arriving on April 29. J. Bruce Ismay was also forced to remain in
the U.S. during the inquiry. On May 2, he and the detained crew members
finally left for England aboard the Adriatic, reaching Liverpool
on May 11.
Spectators and newspaper reporters crowded the American hearings,
and the British press harshly criticized them. In the senators' 19-page
report, their recommendations included enough lifeboat space for every
person on all foreign and domestic ships carrying passengers from
U.S. ports; lifeboat drills for passengers and crew; adequate manning
of boats; and 24-hour operation of radiotelegraph equipment. The report
also condemned Captain Lord of the Californian, a ship that
had been near the Titanic's position, for not responding
to the Titanic's distress signals. |
 Meanwhile,
a British inquiry into the disaster was also proceeding, headed by
Lord Mersey, the Wreck Commissioner. The British hearings lasted from
May 2 to June 29. In their findings, issued on July 30, the commissioners
concluded that the Titanic disaster was due to the ship's
excessive speed, that a proper watch was not kept, that the lifeboats
were insufficiently manned, that there had been no discrimination
against third-class passengers in the saving of life, and that the
Californian might have reached the Titanic if she
had attempted to do so. The British commission also recommended enough
lifeboat space for every person aboard, more watertight compartments
in ships and better regulation of lookouts. Lord Mersey was especially
critical of the British Board of Trade for failing to update its lifeboat
regulations for ships, which had remained unchanged since 1894, despite
the enormous increases in size and carrying capacity of liners. |
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