WOMEN AT THE OARS.
At Representative Hughes’ suggestion, Captain Rostrom was asked further about the lifeboat with one officer and one seaman in it. This was the boat from which the Representative’s daughter was rescued. At least two women were rowing in this boat. In another lifeboat he saw women at the oars, but how many he could not tell.
In discussing the strength of the Carpathia’s wireless, Captain Rostrom said the Carpathia was only 58 miles from the Titanic when the call for help came. “Our wireless operator was not on duty,” said Captain Rostrom, “but as he was undressing he had his apparatus to his ear. Ten minutes later he would have been in bed and we never would have heard.”
Mr. Marconi took the stand as soon as the hearing was resumed for the afternoon. He said he was the chairman of the British Marconi Company. Under instructions of the company, he said operators must take their orders from the captain of the ship on which they are employed.
“Do the regulations prescribe whether one or two operators should be aboard the ocean vessels?” “Yes, on ships like the Titanic and Olympic two are carried,” said Mr. Marconi. “The Carpathia, a smaller boat, carries one. The Carpathia’s wireless apparatus is a short-distance equipment. The maximum efficiency of the Carpathia’s wireless, I should say, was 200 miles. The wireless equipment on the Titanic was available 500 miles during the daytime and 1000 miles at night.”
“Do you consider that the Titanic was equipped with the latest improved wireless apparatus?” “Yes, I should say that it had the very best.”
Charles Herbert Lightholder, second officer of the Titanic, followed Mr. Marconi on the stand. Mr. Lightholder said he understood the maximum speed of the Titanic, as shown by its trial tests, to have been 22½ to 23 knots. Senator Smith asked if the rule requiring life-saving apparatus to be in each room for each passenger was complied with.