Page 147 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5
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the “Titanic.” Did you keep near to the other boats? - Yes. 2551. A number of other boats? - Yes; we kept in touch with each other. 2552. And did you keep in touch with the other boats until you were picked up by the “Carpathia”? - Yes, in the morning. 2553. Did you lay off for some time in the boats. I mean, lay off the “Titanic”? - We were about a quarter to half a mile away from the ship, laying off until she disappeared. 2554. So that you could see what was happening? - Yes. 2555. Then did you see her settling by the head? - She went down by the head. 2556. Did you see the lights on the ship? - You mean the electric lights? 2557. Yes? - Oh, yes. 2558. Were the lights burning on the ship until - ? - They burnt practically until she disappeared. 2559. That is what I wanted to know? - I suppose until the dynamos were put out of order. 2560. Did you see her stern? - No. I cannot say that I did from where I was in the boat. I was standing in the bottom of the boat, and I did not actually see the last part of her go. I saw her just before that, but when people said, “She’s gone; that’s the last of her,” I did not actually see it. I cannot say. 2561. Did you see her stern in the air at all during any of the time? - Well, I did not see her just before her final disappearance. I did not see that, I cannot say that I did. 2562. Did you hear any explosions? - After she had gone down, yes. 2563. After she had gone down? - As she went down, you might say, you heard under-water explosions, like a gun-cotton explosion under water at a distance off. I suppose it was the boilers. 2564. When the steamer struck, was there any light of any other vessel to be seen? - No. 2565. And after leaving the steamer, did you see the lights of any other steamer before the “Carpathia”? - There was a ship apparently ahead of the “Titanic,” as she was then, but, that ship was supposed to have disappeared. Anyway, we did not see her in the morning. 2566. But did you see her lights after you left the steamer? - We saw a light, yes, but we did not know what it was. It might have been one of our own boats that was showing a light. I could not say that it was a steamer. 2567. You saw a light? - I saw a light, apparently it was on the port bow of the “Titanic” as she was, it seemed to me. That was the one that we were going to pull for, but she disappeared. 2568. The light disappeared? - The light disappeared. Whether it was a fishing vessel or a steamer, or what she was, I do not know. 2569. (The Commissioner.) Or one of your own boats, I thought you said? - It might have been one of our own boats at a shorter distance. You could not tell; it was a dark night. 2570. (The Attorney-General.) I gather from what you said that it would only be a white light that you would see? - A white light was all that I saw. 2571. It might have been a masthead light? - It might have been a masthead light in the distance. I could not say for certain. 2572. And I understand you to say it might even have been the light of one of your own boats? - It might have been the light of one of our own boats. 2573. Did you see that light before the “Titanic” sank? - No. 2574. Does that mean that you only saw that light after the “Titanic” sank? - After I was in the boat, after leaving the ship. 2575. Those are two different things, you see. You got into the boat, and left the “Titanic” some time before she sank? - Yes. 2576. Before she sank had you seen that light? - No. It was only after being in the boat and away from the ship that we saw that light. 2577. (The Commissioner.) Yes, but did you see that light before the “Titanic” went down? -
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