A lot of strange stories came out of the Titanic’s sinking. Two of them had to do with two separate ships that were sighted in the area as the Titanic went down, but neither ship stopped to help. One was referred to as a “ghost ship.”
The C.Q.D. mentioned in this article means “All stations: distress.”
Moore’s Story Clears Up Titanic’s End
Mount Temple’s Captain Tells Dramatic Story of Helplessness as “C.Q.D.” Flashed Over Ocean
Washington, April 27. — Captain Moore, of the Canadian steamer Mount Temple, was the principal witness before the Senate Committee investigating the Titanic disaster.
The grizzled old sea dog, a veteran of the sea, told his story, shortly and directly. That took nothing from the story’s dramatic force.
At 10:25 o’clock on the night of Sunday, April 14, the Mount Temple received the first of the Titanic’s “C.Q.D.” calls for help.
The Mount Temple then was 49 miles distant from the Titanic’s position. Captain Moore turned his ship about and sailed directly from the stricken liner.
At 3:25 o’clock Monday morning, the Mount Temple was caught in the ice, and held helpless and immovable fourteen miles from where the Titanic had gone down.
In the morning, the wireless operator of the Mount Temple caught the messages from the Carpathia saying it was too late for any other vessel to help the Titanic.
Captain Moore read from the Mount Temple’s Log the entire record of distress messages sent out by the Titanic.
They made a pitiful series — each message growing more urgent, more appealing, more hopeless. The reading of that log cleared up the suspicion that was attached to the German steamer Frankfort.
It was beginning to be believed that the Frankfort deliberately had ignored the distress messages of the Titanic.
Captain Smith showed that theFrankfort had tried to get into communication with the Titanic, and had steamed to her assistance.
Captain Smith’s testimony also showed why the people aboard the Titanic never learned how near the Mount Temple was. When the Titanic sent out its first “C.Q.D.” signal, the wireless operator of the Mount Temple tried to answer. He sent out message after message, but he could not reach the Titanic with his instrument. The same thing happened with the Frankfort.
Another point cleared up by Captain Smith was the identity of the mysterious “ghost ship” so often testified about by Titanic survivors.
Captain Smith said that a tramp steamer passed near the time when the Titanic went down. A schooner also passed near. Captain Smith said the lights of the schooner mysteriously disappeared shortly after he and his officers sighted them.
Four more important witnesses are to be subpoenaed to appear before the committee. They are Fred M. Sammis, chief engineer, and M. Bottomley, manager of the New York Marconi office; Harold Bride, wireless operator of the Titanic, and J.A. Hosey, telegraph operator at Taunton, Mass.
Two rumors circulated about the committee rooms today: one that a surprise was to be sprung in connection with Vice President Franklin, of the White Star’s denial that he knew of the sinking of the Titanic before 6 o’clock Monday night; the other in connection with the “millionaire’s dinner party” aboard the Titanic on the night of the wreck, a dinner attended by J. Bruce Ismay and Captain Smith.
Source: (1912, April 27). Moore’s Story Clears Up Titanic’s End. The Day Book.
