CAPTAIN ROSTROM’S DENIAL.
Captain Rostrom denied emphatically there was any intention on his part to disregard the inquiry made by the President of the United States or that any censorship was exercised over wireless messages by any person other than himself.
Charles W. Lightholder, second officer of the Titanic and senior surviving officer of the ship, told of what preceded the sinking of the Titanic, what happened while women were taken away in boats as brave men stood by, and what happened when the Titanic took her last dip. It was a story of heroism, told quietly and calmly.
Lightholder said that tests of the water had been made for ice. It was part of the routine. Water was taken from the side of the ship in canvas buckets and the temperature learned by putting a thermometer in it.
As the second officer of the ship, Lightholder said he had been in charge of it on Sunday when the Titanic struck, from 6 o’clock in the evening until 10, or inside of two hours before the collision.
He would not admit that the tests were being made solely for the purpose of searching for information as to icebergs.
It was part of the routine of the ship. The tests were made for routing purposes and other purposes. The water was not much above freezing.
The witness said that he did not know what the tests of the water that day showed. No reports had been made to him. He did not think it necessary that night, when he was on the bridge in charge, to make tests for the purpose of finding out if the Titanic was in the vicinity of icebergs.
ICEBERGS REPORTED.
“Did you know that the Amerika had reported to the Titanic the location of icebergs in that neighborhood?” asked Senator Smith.