Martchester Memoirs, \'"ol. Ivii. (191 2), No. '4- 



II. On Search-Lights and the "Titanic" Disaster. 



By Henkv Wilde, D.Sc D.C.L., F.R.S. 



( Keceii'ed and read Noveml>er 12th, igi2.) 



Following the publication of my paper on " Search- 

 lights for the Mercantile Marine," read before the Society 

 on May 7th last,* formal investigations have been made 

 by the United States Senate Committee and by another 

 Committee appointed by the British Government on the 

 causes leading to the loss of the White Star Steamship 

 "Titanic" on April 15th, 191 2. The results of the British 

 investigation have been published as a Parliamentary 

 Blue-book (Cd6352) dated the 30th of July. The inquiry 

 extended over thirty-seven days, during which ninety- 

 seven witnesses were examined, while a large number of 

 documents, charts and plans were also produced. 



The United States Committee examined eighty-two 

 witnesses upon the various phases of the catastrophe, and 

 presented its Report to the Senate, May 28th (No. 806), 

 when it was ordered to be printed. Among other recom- 

 mendations of this Committee to secure safety of life at 

 sea, prominence is given to the following : — "That every 

 ocean steamship carr}'ing ico or more passengers be 

 required to carry two electric search-lights." 



In the course of the speech of Senator Rayner before 

 the Senate, he reviewed at length the circumstances 

 connected with the " Titanic " disaster and stated that : — 

 " The failure of foreign steamships to carry search-lights 

 is utterly inexcusable, and if a proper search-light had 



* Mainliesfer .Memoirs, vol. 56, 1912. 

 jVovember 2'/t/i, igi2. 



