al as to its value, as an iceberg would
not be especially distinguishable because its bulk is mostly below the
surface.

One of the witnesses said that much dependence is not placed upon the
lookout, and that those lookouts who used binoculars constantly found
them detrimental.

Harold G. Lowe, fifth officer of the Titanic, told the committee
his part in the struggle of the survivors for life following the
catastrophe. The details of this struggle have have already been told in
a previous chapter.

AUTHORIZED TO SELL STORY

In great detail Guglielmo Marconi, on April 25th, explained the
operations of his system and told how he had authorized Operator Bride
of the Titanic, and Operator Cottam, of the Carpathia, to sell their
stories of the disaster after they came ashore.

In allowing the operator's to sell their stories, said Mr. Marconi,
there was no question of suppressing or monopolizing the news. He had
done everything he could, he said, to have the country informed as
quickly as possible of the details of the disaster. That was why he was
particularly glad for the narratives of such important witnesses as
the operators to receive publication, regardless of the papers that
published them.

He repeated the testimony of Cottam that every effort had been made to
get legitimate dispatches ashore. The cruiser Chester, he said, had been
answered as fully as possible, though it was not known at the time that
its queries came from the President of the United States. The Salem, he
said, had never got in touch with the Carpathia operator.

Senator Newlands suggested that the telegrams, some signed by the name
of Mr. Sammis and some with the name of Marconi, directing Cottam to
"keep his mouth shut" and hold out for four figures on his story, was
sent only as the Carpathia was entering New York harbor, when there
was no longer need for sending official or private messages from the
rescuing ship. There had been an impression before, he said, that the
messages had been sent to Cottam when the ship was far at sea, when they
might have meant that he was to hold back messages relieving the anxiety
of those on shore.

SAW DISTRESS ROCKETS

Ernest Gill, a donkey engineman on the steamship Californian, was the
first witness on April 26th. He said that Captain Stanley Lord, of the
Californian, refused later to go to the aid of the Titanic, the rockets
from which could be plainly seen. He says the captain was apprised of