e names of either of the lookout men and
believed that they returned to England with the majority of the
surviving members of the crew.

{illust. caption = A GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION OF THE FORCE WITH WHICH A
VESSEL STRIKES AN ICEBERG}

"I heard one of them say that at 11.15 o'clock, 15 minutes before the
Titanic struck, he had reported to First Officer Murdock, on the bridge,
that he fancied he saw an iceberg!" said Whiteley. "Twice after that,
the lookout said, he warned Murdock that a berg was ahead. They were
very indignant that no attention was paid to their warnings."

TARDY ATTENTION TO WARNING RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENT

Murdock's tardy answering of a telephone call from the crow's nest is
assigned by Whiteley as the cause of the disaster.

When Murdock answered the call he received the information that the
iceberg was due ahead. This information was imparted just a few seconds
before the crash, and had the officer promptly answered the ring of the
bell it is probable that the accident could have been avoided, or at
least, been reduced by the lowered speed.

The lookout saw a towering "blue berg" looming up in the sea path of the
Titanic, and called the bridge on the ship's telephone. When, after the
passing of those two or three fateful minutes an officer on the bridge
lifted the telephone receiver from its hook to answer the lookout,
it was too late. The speeding liner, cleaving a calm sea under a
star-studded sky, had reached the floating mountain of ice, which the
theoretically "unsinkable" ship struck a crashing, if glancing, blow
with her starboard bow.

MURDOCK PAID WITH LIFE

Had Murdock, according to the account of the tragedy given by two of the
Titanic's seamen, known how imperative was that call from the lookout
man, the men at the wheel of the liner might have swerved the great ship
sufficiently to avoid the berg altogether. At the worst the vessel would
probably have struck the mass of ice with her stern.

Murdock, if the tale of the Titanic sailor be true, expiated his
negligence by shooting himself within sight of all alleged victims
huddled in life-boats or struggling in the icy seas.

When at last the danger was realized, the great ship was so close upon
the berg that it was practically impossible to avoid collision with it

VAIN TRIAL TO CLEAR BERG

The first officer did what other startled and alert commanders would
have done under similar circumstances, that is

{illust.