Page 130 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

boat was pretty well filled when I got there. 2119. No. 13 boat is a boat on the starboard side? - Yes. 2120. It is last but one on the starboard side? - It is last but one on the starboard side. 2121. (The Solicitor-General.) That is the boat that Beauchamp, the fireman, spoke about yesterday, my Lord. (To the Witness.) When you got there was that boat on the level of the boat deck, or was it lower? - Lowered to the deck I was on. 2122. And was that deck immediately below the boat deck? - Yes. 2123. We can see that in the model. It is the last boat but one on the side we are looking at, is it not? - Yes. 2124. And you say it was lowered by that time as far as the next deck? - Yes. 2125. Now you said you found stewards there and you mentioned third-class passengers? - Yes. 2126. Men? - Yes. 2127. Women? - Women were coming up. 2128. Women were coming up. Did you see them coming up? - Yes. 2129. Would that be coming up from the steerage? - Coming round from aft to forward. 2130. And moving forward? - They had to go forward to get to the boats. 2131. When you say you saw them coming up, what was it they were doing? Where were they coming? - They were going towards the two boats; there were only the two boats left. 2132. There is a stairway, or a gangway, or something, I suppose, is there? - I cannot say. 2133. You did not actually see them mounting a stairway or a gangway? - No. 2134. When you did there were only two boats left. I know No.13 was one; what was the other one? - No. 15. 2135. That is the last boat on the starboard side? - Yes. 2136. And those other boats on the starboard that were not left, were they in the water? - Which boats? 2137. The others on the starboard side? - I never saw any. 2138. You did not see them? - No. 2139. They had gone? - Yes. 2140. And by this time what was the position of the ship in the water? - Her forecastle-head was not under. 2141. Can you tell us a little more closely about it? Did you notice? - I noticed when I got away in the lifeboat it was not under. 2142. Even when you got away in the lifeboat it was not under? - Even then it was not under. 2143. Now, why did you go to No. 13? I suppose it was the only one? - I took a walk along the deck. I made my way aft because it was no use going forward. 2144. Had you got a particular boat to which you ought to have gone? - I never bothered looking. 2145. (The Commissioner.) With reference to that do the men ever bother to look at these lists that are hung up? - Some do, my Lord, and some do not. 2146. What do the bulk of them do? The bulk of them do not, I suppose? - No, my Lord. 2147. Am I right? - That is right, my Lord. 2148. (The Solicitor-General.) Are you able to tell us the time when you got to No. 13? - No. As a rule a stoker never carries a watch when he is at work. 2149. I got an impression that you could for some reason? - No. 2150. Now when you got to No. 13 just tell us what you found about that boat - whether she was filled or empty, and all that? - She was just on getting filled. 2151. What sort of people were they in her? - Five-sixths were women. The Commissioner: This is No. 13?