Page 172 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

3258. That is about five days before she sailed? - Yes. 3259. (The Commissioner.) She sailed on the Wednesday, did she not? 3260. (Mr. Cotter.) Yes, my Lord. (To the Witness.) You understood your way about? - Yes, slightly. 3261. When did you first go upon the boat deck? - Upon the Friday. 3262. Were you one of the men who took part in the boat drill? - Yes. 3263. Have you ever taken part in first-class ships in boat drill? - Yes. 3264. Will you tell the Court what really constitutes a boat’s crew at boat drill? - Firemen, trimmers, stewards, and sailors. 3265. Can you tell us the numbers and the places in the boats? - On an average ten to a boat, two sailors, four firemen and perhaps four stewards. 3266. I put it to you that the boats’ seats are all numbered No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4? - That is quite right - to No. 6. 3267. Had you got any seat on any boat on the “Titanic”? - No. 3268. You simply got the number of a boat. Did you muster? - Yes. 3269. Who gave you the number of the boat? - I was told to get into the boat by Mr. Lightoller. 3270. Who gave you the number of the boat the day your name was called out at Southampton? - We never had a boat muster at Southampton - only the Board of Trade muster. 3271. When you answered your name, the day you joined the ship - ? - Who mustered us? 3272. Yes? - The chief officer. 3273. Did he give you the number of a boat when he called your name out? - No. 3274. How did you get the boat? - By looking at the boats’ crew list which was posted up in the forecastle. 3275. Now, you said that the boats on board the “Titanic” numbered 16 and four rafts? - Yes. 3276. Did you mean rafts or Englehardt boats? - I term the collapsible boats rafts. 3277. But there is a collapsible boat and there is an Englehardt boat and there are rafts? - These boats the “Titanic” had had a wooden bottom with a canvas top. 3278. They are Englehardt’s. Was there any collapsible boat there? - No. 3279. Were there any rafts? - No. 3280. Simply sixteen boats and four Englehardt’s? - Yes. 3281. When you saw those third-class passengers and the stewards amongst them, were they making any effort at all to get to the boat deck? - None. 3282. Is there any way to the boat deck forward? - Yes. 3283. How? - From the forecastle, up two ladders. 3284. Where are they situated? - On the foremost port side of the ship. 3285. Where are the ladders? Will you show them to us? - There is one on the port side coming here along the well deck and going up on the promenade deck here - (pointing on the model.) On the starboard side there is no ladder, but on the next deck, on the lower promenade, as we call it, there is a ladder here, and also another one going on this deck. 3286. There is only one ladder going to the next deck? - Yes, on the port side. 3287. That is for the third-class passengers who want to get up, or the crew? - Yes. 3288. Are there any indication marks for finding the way up to the boat deck? - No. 3289. When you got to the boat deck you said you assisted to put out the boats. Were the boats in the chocks or were they slung? - They were already on the falls, but they were resting on half a chock - on the inboard chock. 3290. Had you any difficulty in getting the chocks from under the boats when you wanted to string them up? - No. 3291. How were the falls fastened to the davits holding the boats? - On to a clutch in the deck, a staghorn in the deck.