Page 184 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

3554. Were the lady passengers frightened? - They were quite satisfied, and they lay still. 3555. At the time your boat was lowered, had the “Titanic” begun to sink? - Yes. 3556. Had she sunk much? - Yes, she was right down by the bridge when we lowered our boat. 3557. Did you realise when you got into the boat that the condition of the “Titanic” was very dangerous? - No, I do not think we thought about that. 3558. You yourself, I mean? - I did not; I did not think so, in my own private opinion. I do not think any of us thought that. 3559. You had had an interview with Mr. Andrews? - I had no interview; I only saw him. 3560. Did he not tell you, as the result of his inspection? - No, Mr. Andrews did not speak to me. I said I sent a man down that was getting hot water, not Mr. Andrews. I followed Mr. Andrews, he never spoke to me. 3561. I think you said you were present when he said something re-assuring to a few ladies? - Well, I thought so at the time too. 3562. And you then had a word with him? - He told me to see that the ladies were quiet, or something to that effect, at the foot of the companion. 3563. But he did not tell you anything? - He did not. 3564. Is it your evidence that instead of the fourth officer, who was in charge of your boat, deciding for himself as to whether it was possible for him to go and rescue the people from whom he heard shrieks, he consulted the lady passengers on the boat? - He asked the lady passengers. 3565. There would have been no difficulty at that time in your rowing round to the place from which you heard the shrieks? - Question? 3566. What was the difficulty, if there was any? - She is not a big one, she is a dinghy. 3567. You had only 23 people, and you have told my Lord that the boat’s capacity was 40 people? - I did not say so; I did not know the capacity. The Commissioner: I took it down. I may have been wrong, or possibly someone else told me. “The boat is constructed for 40.” I may have taken it from the Attorney-General. Mr. Scanlan: Yes, the cubic capacity is 40 persons. The Attorney-General: What did your Lordship say you took from me? The Commissioner: I have down in my note in this Witness’ evidence that the boat was constructed to carry 40. The Attorney-General: That is right. The Commissioner: He says he did not say so. The Attorney-General: That is quite right; I said so. The Commissioner: And he did not know it, and I was saying I possibly took the information from you. The Attorney-General: Your Lordship did. 3568. (Mr. Scanlan.) It is so down in the official note. (To the Witness.) Do you know yourself how many additional people you could have accommodated in your boat? - I have no idea - they might have crammed in. 3569. For the benefit of the Court, give us the best of your belief? - I think if they had got five or six more in it would have been quite enough to pull, and if it had been heavy weather I do not suppose there would be anybody here to tell the tale. 3570. In the weather conditions which you had, I take it to be your view that you could at all events have accommodated five or six more? - Certainly. 3571. In that calm sea, when you heard the shrieks of people struggling in the water, how far were you from them? - Half a mile to three quarters, I should think. 3572. I thought when you rowed back, after rowing for a mile and a half, you came quite close to the “Titanic”? - We came round astern.