Timeline Article: Harold Cottam Is the Fifth Witness to Be Called

UNITED STATES TITANIC INQUIRY

Friday, April 19, 1912
Evening

Senator Smith calls Harold Cottam to the stand.

Cottam was Carpathia's wireless officer. After the rescue of Titanic's survivors, Cottam spent the entire voyage to New York sending messages about the disaster to a point of near exhaustion. Eventually, Titanic's surviving wireless officer Harold Bride would assist him with the tasks. Cottam will be called to testify five more times during the length of the inquiry.

Timeline Article: Charles Herbert Lightoller Is the Fourth Witness to Be Called

UNITED STATES TITANIC INQUIRY

Friday, April 19, 1912
Late Afternoon

Senator Smith calls Charles Lightoller to the stand.

Lightoller was Titanic's 2nd Officer and the highest-ranking officer to survive the sinking. As the most senior surviving officer, he found himself having to defend the captain, the officers, and the White Star Line against some of the more serious charges brought against them. Lightoller was the fourth witness to be called on the first day of the American Inquiry. He will be called to testify three more times during the length of the inquiry.

Timeline Article: Guglielmo Marconi Is the Third Witness to Be Called

UNITED STATES TITANIC INQUIRY

Friday, April 19, 1912

3pm

After a 1-hour and 40-minute recess, Senator Smith called Guglielmo Marconi to the witness stand. He is the third witness to be called on the first day of the American Inquiry.

Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor, electrical engineer, physicist, and politician, known for his creation of a practical radio wave based wireless telegraph system. As the founder and president of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company, his testimony regarding the marine telegraph systems functions and the procedures for emergencies at sea, were influential to the American Inquiry. He will be called to testify three more times during the length of the inquiry.

His descriptions of how the wireless telegraph functioned, and the responsibilities of the operators, gave the inquiry insight of what it must have been like for Titanic's wireless operators that fateful night.

Titanic's wireless operators, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride were not employed by the White Star Line but by the Marconi International Marine Communication Company. During the sinking, distress signals were sent and received by the Carpathia. It took a total of 17 minutes to receive and decode the distress signals sent by Titanic. Other ships received Titanic's signals but for various reasons Carpathia was the only ship to understand the seriousness of the situation and come to Titanic's aid. Carpathia was 58 miles away and was not able to reach the site before Titanic sank, only to find numerous lifeboats scattered across the horizon containing only 712 survivors.

When Carpathia docked in New York, Marconi went aboard with a reporter from The New York Times to talk with Bride, the surviving wireless operator. After this incident, Marconi gained popularity and became more recognized for his contributions to the field of radio and wireless technology.

The wireless telegraph system became a required and essential part of safety at sea.

Timeline Article: Captain Rostron Is the Second Witness to Be Called

UNITED STATES TITANIC INQUIRY

Friday, April 19th
Morning

After questioning Bruce Ismay, Senator Smith calls Captain Arthur Rostron of the Carpathia to the witness stand. He is the second witness to be called on the first day of the American Inquiry.

On the night of April 14, 1912, Rostron was asleep in his cabin when wireless operator Harold Cottam burst in and told him of Titanic's distress signal. Captain Rostron immediately set course to the liner's last known position, over 60 miles. 

After all the orders were issued and preparations were underway, Rostron being a devout Christian man, was observed walking away to a place where he thought he would be unobserved and bowed his head for a long prayer. 

At 4am the Carpathia arrived at the scene after negotiating surrounding ice fields. The Carpathia picked up the survivors and lifeboats from the Titanic. 712 people were saved and 1,496 perished. Insufficient resources were on board the Carpathia to make it to Europe, so Rostron decided to sail back to New York. When the Carpathia arrived at New York the full horror of the Titanic tragedy was learned. After the last survivor had disembarked and Captain Rostron had completed his statement for the American Inquiry, the Carpathia returned to its usual service.

Titanic survivors, including Margaret Brown, presented Rostron with a silver cup and gold medal for his efforts the night Titanic sank.

He was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the Thanks of Congress, the American Cross of Honor, a medal from the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, and a gold medal from the Shipwreck Society of New York.

Rostron was highly praised for his efforts in both the American and the British inquiries into the disaster.

Titanic survivor Margaret Brown
(later known as "The Unsinkable Molly Brown)
presents Captain Rostron with a silver cup commemorating
his efforts in the rescue of the Titanic survivors.

Timeline Article: Bruce Ismay Is the First Witness to Be Called

Senator William Alden Smith & New York City
in the 1900s.

UNITED STATES TITANIC INQUIRY

Friday, April 19, 1912

Early Morning

As the United Kingdom holds a National Day of Mourning, in America, Senator William Alden Smith convenes an inquiry in New York City the morning after Carpathia arrives with Titanic's survivors. The people of America are in shock after hearing the news of Titanic's fate. Senator Smith moves quickly to issue subpoenas so that he can promptly collect survivor testimonies while the incident is still fresh. 

J.P. Morgan

Smith's colleagues suspect that he has put together the inquiry and appointed himself chairman mainly because he is an outspoken opponent of J.P. Morgan, the owner of International Mercantile Marine, White Star's parent company. 

The first witness called at the inquiry is Bruce Ismay.

His responses to questions are short, evasive, and lack substance. Senator Smith is determined to hold White Star's president responsible for the tragedy. Ismay claimed that he never ordered Titanic pushed to full speed, that never showed any ice warnings to the passengers, and he only boarded the lifeboat when no other passengers were visible on deck.

Bruce Ismay at the inquiry.

After two days at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, the inquiry is moved to Washington D.C. The crew members and passengers that haven't received a subpoena are free to return to their lives. The others who are required to testify will have to travel to Washington.

Bruce Ismay will be required to answer further questions after the inquiry is moved. Senator Smith will not release him for eleven days.