Saturday April 20, 1912
London Times

Lessons of the Disaster

A survivor's telegram
To the Editor of the Times,

Sirs - As one of the few surviving Englishmen from the steamship Titanic which sank in mid-Atlantic on Monday morning last, I am asking you to lay before your readers a few facts concerning the disaster in the hope that something may be done in the near future to ensure the safety of that portion of the traveling public who use the Atlantic highway for business or pleasure.

I wish to dissacoiate myself entirely from any report that would seek to fix the responsibility on any person or persons or body of people, and by simply calling attention to matters of fact, the authenticity of which is I think, beyond question and can be established in any court of inquiry, to allow your readers to draw their own conclusions as to the repsonsibilty for the collision. First, that it was known to those in charge of the Titanic that we were in the iceberg region; that the atmosphere and tempeture conditions suggested the near presence of icebergs, that a wireless message was received from a ship ahead of use warning us that they had seen in the locality of which latitude and longitude were given.

Second, that at the time of the collision the Titanic was running at a high rate of speed.

Third, that the accommodation for saving passengers and crew was totally inadequate being sufficient only for a total of 950. This gave with the highest possible complement of 3,400 a less than one in three chance of being saved in the case of an accident.

Fourth, that the number landed in the Carpathia, approximate 700 is a high percentage of the possible 950, and bears excellent testimony to the courage, resource and devotion to duty of the officers and crew of the vessel; many instances of their nobility and personal self sacrifice are within our possession, and we know that they did all they could do with the means at their disposal.

Fifth, that practice of running mail and passenger vessels through fog and iceberg regions at a high rate of speed is a common one; they are timed to run almost as an express train is run, and they can not, therefore, slow down more than a few knots in time of possible danger. I have neither knowledge nor experience to say what remedies I consider should be applied; but, perhaps the following suggestion may serve as a help: --

First, that no vessel should be allowed to leave a British port without sufficient lifeboats and other accommodations to allow each passenger and member of the crew a seat; and that at the time of booking this fact should be pointed out to a passenger and the number of the seat in the particular boat allotted to him then.

Second, that as soon as it is practical after sailing each passengers should go through a boat drill in company with the crew assigned to his boat.

Third, that each passenger boat engaged in the transatlantic service should be instructed to slow down to a few knots when in the iceberg region, and should be fitted with sufficient searchlights.

I am, Sir, your faithfully,