Page 110 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

Examined by Mr. COTTER. 1788. How long have you been in the employ of the White Star Line? - About eighteen months or two years. 1789. Have you been in any other lines that have first-class passenger ships? - No. 1790. When you got to the boat decks, you found these collapsible boats lashed down? - Yes, they were secured down. 1791. How were they secured? - I could not tell you. 1792. Have you any idea how you got them away? - The collapsible boats? 1793. Yes? - The same falls from the emergency boat picked the collapsible boats off the deck. 1794. Who cut them away? Did you chop them away with anything, or did you unfasten them? - Firemen and sailors. 1795. How many firemen were there? - I should say about 40. 1796. Forty firemen and how many sailors? - Three while I was there. 1797. I thought you said eight? - This is getting the collapsible boat off the deck. Eight sailors were there when I was alongside the funnel - by the boat by the funnel. 1798. You had had no drill or any practice in getting these collapsible boats away in case of emergency? - No. 1799. None at all? - No. Examined by SIR ROBERT FINLAY. 1800. You said you saw a sidelight and a masthead light? - Yes. 1801. Was I right in thinking that you said you judged them to be eight or nine miles apart? - Yes. 1802. Could you see a sidelight eight or nine miles distant? - A night like that I could. 1803. Eight or nine miles distant? - I think so. 1804. You saw nothing more of the vessel to which those lights belonged? - No; the light went further away every time we looked at it. 1805. (The Commissioner.) I am not quite clear about it. Did you see this masthead light and this sidelight before you got into the boat? - No. 1806. Before you were on the surface of the water? - No, I never saw it. 1807. And you saw one of them nine miles away when you were down in the boat? - Yes. 1808. (Sir Robert Finlay.) At the time of the collision did you hear any noise? - No, only the collision we had with the berg. 1809. That is what I mean. If it made any noise can you describe what it was like? - Like a ship running up on gravel, a crushing noise. 1810. Grating on gravel? - Yes. 1811. In regard to all these lifeboats that you saw lowered, did you notice whether there was water? - There was breakers of water. 1812. Yes? - The boat I was in had breakers of water. 1813. You mean the collapsible? - Yes, and No. 8 boat. 1814. (The Commissioner.) Both had? - The collapsible boats are not fitted with any breakers, not the one I was in; but No. 8 had water in it. 1815. (Sir Robert Finlay.) Did you notice with regard to any of the other boats? - No. 1816. Did you notice whether there were biscuits in any of them? - I asked the coxswain of No. 8 whether he had any biscuits in the boat, and he said “Yes, he had and water too.” 1817. Did many of the women passengers refuse to leave the ship? - Me and Mr. Lightoller helped one elderly lady into the collapsible boat, and we had to get her out again because she