Conference Room, but a nervous Ismay pressed on. “I think it would have taken a very brave man to have kept his ship going straight on an iceberg. Very brave. I think he should have endeavored to avoid it.”
“A very brave man, indeed,” Smith replied. The senator seemed to momentarily drift into an odd sort of reverie, thoughtfully stroking his chin, and when he spoke, it seemed as if he was quoting a passage of literature. “' The stricken hull, the doomed, the beautiful, the Titanic...'”
He paused as Ismay's eyes darted about nervously in wonder. Smith then quickly resumed his role as interrogator. “What I am getting at is this, Mr. Ismay: whether in the construction of this ship, which was intended for use in the North Atlantic, she was built with special reference to her resistance at the bow?”
“No, sir. I think the only ships in which they do that are ships trading to the St. Lawrence,” Ismay replied, referring to the large river that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. “I understand that on the forward end, those ships are very often fitted with double plates.”
Smith finished jotting down the information, then sighed. “Mr. Ismay, there has been considerable confusion regarding the cost of the insurance for the Titanic. I will take the liberty of asking you about it, for purposes of this inquiry. Did you have anything to do with the insurance?” Smith then proceeded to divide his attention once again between interrogating Ismay, and taking copious notes.
“No, very little. That is done in New York, that is dealt with and handled in New York.”
There was a moment of silence as Smith carefully examined some of the papers that lay before him. The Senator then addressed Ismay directly. “There is a matter of great importance that must be addressed, Mr. Ismay, regarding an unusual bit of intelligence brought to our attention by some of those on board the Virginian, which was one of many ships in contact with the Titanic by means of wireless radio communication . I will ask you whether you know of any attempt being made to reinsure any part of the vessel on Monday, the 15th of April?”
Anger flickered in Ismay's eyes and he responded in a controlled fury. “Absolutely none, sir, and I cannot imagine anybody connected with the International Mercantile Marine Company endeavoring to do such a dishonorable thing!” Ismay brought his clenched hands down on the table before him in frustration, and the Conference Hall's spectators responded with indignation at his outburst.
Smith had to pound his gavel for a moment to restore order. Struggling to bring the proceedings back under his control, the Senator called out, “I do not want you to understand me to assert that it was attempted, Mr. Ismay...”
“I know, sir, but it is such a horrible accusation to have been made!” Lady spectators in fashionable dresses chattered, reporters leaned forward as they intensified the rate at which they were taking down every word, and Senator Smith once again brought down his gavel with an authoritative bang .
“Mr. Ismay...” Smith called through the din in the Conference Room, “Mr. Ismay. Yesterday we received what we considered to be at best nebulous intelligence that suggested the Virginian received a blurred wireless transmission from the Titanic about fifteen to twenty minutes prior to the ship's foundering on the morning of the 15th ,” Smith explained, carefully. “Unfortunately the wireless operator failed to take this alleged communication down. But some members of the crew suggested- through what we strongly believe to be rumor and speculation only- that perhaps some reference had been made to contacting the ship's insurers. Through the course of this inquiry, however, we have determined it to be unlikely. We are only, as a matter of course, entering this report into the content of all testimony to be considered. I should hope that we are
“A very brave man, indeed,” Smith replied. The senator seemed to momentarily drift into an odd sort of reverie, thoughtfully stroking his chin, and when he spoke, it seemed as if he was quoting a passage of literature. “' The stricken hull, the doomed, the beautiful, the Titanic...'”
He paused as Ismay's eyes darted about nervously in wonder. Smith then quickly resumed his role as interrogator. “What I am getting at is this, Mr. Ismay: whether in the construction of this ship, which was intended for use in the North Atlantic, she was built with special reference to her resistance at the bow?”
“No, sir. I think the only ships in which they do that are ships trading to the St. Lawrence,” Ismay replied, referring to the large river that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. “I understand that on the forward end, those ships are very often fitted with double plates.”
Smith finished jotting down the information, then sighed. “Mr. Ismay, there has been considerable confusion regarding the cost of the insurance for the Titanic. I will take the liberty of asking you about it, for purposes of this inquiry. Did you have anything to do with the insurance?” Smith then proceeded to divide his attention once again between interrogating Ismay, and taking copious notes.
“No, very little. That is done in New York, that is dealt with and handled in New York.”
There was a moment of silence as Smith carefully examined some of the papers that lay before him. The Senator then addressed Ismay directly. “There is a matter of great importance that must be addressed, Mr. Ismay, regarding an unusual bit of intelligence brought to our attention by some of those on board the Virginian, which was one of many ships in contact with the Titanic by means of wireless radio communication . I will ask you whether you know of any attempt being made to reinsure any part of the vessel on Monday, the 15th of April?”
Anger flickered in Ismay's eyes and he responded in a controlled fury. “Absolutely none, sir, and I cannot imagine anybody connected with the International Mercantile Marine Company endeavoring to do such a dishonorable thing!” Ismay brought his clenched hands down on the table before him in frustration, and the Conference Hall's spectators responded with indignation at his outburst.
Smith had to pound his gavel for a moment to restore order. Struggling to bring the proceedings back under his control, the Senator called out, “I do not want you to understand me to assert that it was attempted, Mr. Ismay...”
“I know, sir, but it is such a horrible accusation to have been made!” Lady spectators in fashionable dresses chattered, reporters leaned forward as they intensified the rate at which they were taking down every word, and Senator Smith once again brought down his gavel with an authoritative bang .
“Mr. Ismay...” Smith called through the din in the Conference Room, “Mr. Ismay. Yesterday we received what we considered to be at best nebulous intelligence that suggested the Virginian received a blurred wireless transmission from the Titanic about fifteen to twenty minutes prior to the ship's foundering on the morning of the 15th ,” Smith explained, carefully. “Unfortunately the wireless operator failed to take this alleged communication down. But some members of the crew suggested- through what we strongly believe to be rumor and speculation only- that perhaps some reference had been made to contacting the ship's insurers. Through the course of this inquiry, however, we have determined it to be unlikely. We are only, as a matter of course, entering this report into the content of all testimony to be considered. I should hope that we are
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