Page 186 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

3592. Is this right: “When we lowered our boat I did not think the condition of the ‘Titanic’ dangerous”? - I thought it was sure to stand up, but my opinion was very little. 3593. Is that right - is that what you said? - Yes, very likely. 3594. (Mr. Harbinson.) At the time you lowered your boat the water had risen almost to the wheel, had it? - I do not know where the wheel was; I was not looking at it; I was not near the bridge. 3595. You did hear Mr. Andrews make these reassuring comments to the ladies? - When I heard him it was just a quarter of an hour after she struck, not much more. 3596. What I want to ask you is this: Would the disinclination on the part of the ladies to get into the boats as a matter of fact be traceable to those reassuring statements which had been made to them by members of the crew? - No, I do not think so. Examined by Mr. COTTER. 3597. How long have you been going to sea? - A few years, 25 to 30 very near. 3598. How long have you been in the employ of the White Star Line? - Over 18 years. 3599. Have you ever taken part in a boat drill? - Everybody in the White Star knows their boats. Every Sunday you have to have a boat drill, but I have never taken a boat drill for lowering a boat. 3600. Never in your life? - I have not done it in one company; I have not done it in any. They generally ask for sailors to do that and to try the boats. 3601. Have you been in any other company where there has been boat drill? - The Pacific Company. 3602. There you took part in lowering the boats? - Yes. 3603. Did you learn how to handle a boat through that? - Yes. 3604. Have you ever taken part in bulkhead door drill? - Yes. 3605. Were there any hand-closing bulkhead doors? - No; they were all bridge-closed. 3606. Were there any hand-closing bulkhead doors? - No. 3607. Are you sure? - Certainly. I can only tell you the working deck and the position I was working in. 3608. Was there any bulkhead door drill? - I could not tell you. The ship had only sailed for the one week, and on Saturday they close all the doors. They try them at 12 o’clock; they are closed and opened again. 3609. Did not you take part in that bulkhead door drill? - No. 3610. When the boat struck you said you were on night watch? - Yes. 3611. Your duty would be round the first-class saloon to receive the reports from the bedroom stewards and the stewards of the second and third-class? - That is right. 3612. Where did you go when you found there was water going into the baggage-room? - As I told you, I went down and changed my clothes. 3613. You did not go to the second steward or the chief steward? - I went down. I met Mr. Wheat, the assistant second steward, and I told him I thought it was serious, and I was going away into the glory hole. I called all our boys. 3614. What did you say to them? - I told them I thought it was a bit serious. 3615. Did they come up? - Some of them did and some did not till Mr. Dodd came, and he chased everyone out of every glory hole. 3616. Were you there when he came? - Yes. I had changed and had everything ready. 3617. What order did he give the men? - Everyone to get their life preservers and go to their boats. 3618. Did he give instructions to get the women out of the third and second-class and the first?