Page 226 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

4754. You do not know whether or not there were any women left behind on any of the decks? - No; it was the second boat lowered. 4755. After you came down you rowed some distance away? - Yes. 4756. Did you see the “Titanic” sink? - Yes. 4757. What did you do when you saw the “Titanic” sink? - I had orders to pull round the front of the boat. 4758. Did you do so? - Yes. 4759. Did you pick up any passengers? - No, we never got so far as that. 4760. Did you hear cries? - The women in the boat stopped that, and the officer who was in charge of the boat - 4761. Stopped them going round? - Officer Pitman told us to pull to the boat. 4762. Was he the officer in charge? - Yes. 4763. Where was he? Was he at an oar? - No, in the stern. 4764. And the women said, “Do not go back”? - “Do not go back.” 4765. And what did he say? - We were pulling away and he told us to lay on our oars. 4766. And he did not go back? - We pulled again afterwards. 4767. Did the boat go back? - I do not know where it was; I was not steering the boat. 4768. You were at the oar? - Yes. 4769. As a matter of fact, did you hear cries at this time - Yes. 4770. Many cries? - Wailing noises. 4771. Were they far from you? - I could not tell you the distance. 4772. Could you see any passengers in the water? - No. 4773. You had not a light in the boat? - No. 4774. You did not pick up any passengers out of the water? - No. 4775. Had you room for more passengers? - There was room for more. 4776. There was room in the boat and the officer acting under the instructions of these female passengers refused to allow the boat to go back? - They said if they went back the boat would be swamped. 4777. Who said that? - The passengers - the females in the boat. 4778. What did he do? - He gave orders to lay on our oars. Examined by Mr. LEWIS. 4779. Have you ever received instructions as to what to do in the event of a collision or accident? - No. 4780. None whatever? - No. 4781. As a matter of fact I suppose you would have obeyed only orders given to you by the engineers or any other officer? - Yes. 4782. You were off duty at the time? - Yes. 4783. You sort of went about on a roving commission? - Yes. 4784. All parts of the deck? - I went to the well deck and to the forecastle. 4785. You did not see any disorder at all? - No. 4786. Did you see any of the passengers being left on the decks? - No. 4787. Is it customary to have any officer tell you in any way at all how you are to muster in the event of an accident? - No. 4788. So that as far as you were aware all you had to do was to wander about and await instructions? - We had no instructions. We had no lifeboat drill or anything of that kind. 4789. How long have you been in the employ of the White Star Company? - This is my first voyage with that Company.