Page 233 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

4946. You heard an order to go to the boats, did you not, ultimately? - Yes. 4947. Did anything happen before that to speak of? - No; I think I had a bit of trouble to get through the steerage passengers with those lamps. They were in the working alleyway, going along with trunks and bags and portmanteaux. 4948. That is when you went with the lamps? - Yes. 4949. There was a crowd of them? - Yes, a big bunch of them. 4950. When you came aft again were they still there? - Yes, they were working their way aft; they were going towards aft. 4951. They were going aft with their luggage? - Yes. 4952. Did you see where they went to? - No, I did not trouble much about looking. I was on my own duty at the time. 4953. Did you ultimately come up from the engine room? - Yes. 4954. Were the steerage passengers still in the alleyway then? - Yes, they were walking about to and fro; some sitting on their luggage. 4955. There was no panic among them? - No, they were just walking about in an ordinary way. 4956. Did you hear any order to go on deck? - The only order I heard was when I went forward again, and the word came along, “We want a leading hand; all hands get lifebelts and get up on deck. 4957. Did you get your lifebelts? - Yes, we got our lifebelts, and we made our way up. 4958. Did you know what your boat was? - Yes. 4959. How did you find that out? - I saw it printed the same day; I saw the printed list up on the bulkhead. 4960. Was it a long list like this? (Exhibiting a list.) - Yes, just the same. 4961. Where did you see this? - I saw that on the top staircase outside the firemen’s quarters. 4962. Do you know when it was put there? - No. 4963. When did you see it first? - I saw it on Sunday morning first. 4964. Do you think you would have seen it if it had been there before? - I could not say that. 4965. (The Commissioner.) What was the number of your boat? - No. 12. 4966. (Mr. Rowlatt.) Did you look for the list? - No, I never looked for it. 4967. You just noticed it? - Yes, I just noticed it and saw my name and saw my boat, and did not trouble any more about it. 4968. Did you go to your boat, No. 12? - Yes. 4969. That was on the port side of the ship, was it not? - Yes. 4970. Pretty well aft? - Yes. 4971. When you got there was it swung out or was it on the chocks? - It was swung out a little, but not out ready for lowering. It was inclined inwards on the ship’s side so that anyone could step into it. 4972. Was any officer there? - Yes, when I walked along there I met an officer, who asked me who I was. I said, “A fireman.” “All right, my lad,” he said, “get along there,” and sent me along. I went along aft. 4973. And you went to your own boat? - Yes, and there was not anyone there; there were some people along further, getting other boats away and getting into the boats. 4974. What did you do? - I got hold of a rope with a sailor. 4975. At which boat? - I could not tell you the number. 4976. Did you do that under anybody’s orders particularly? - No, on my own. 4977. Did you help to lower away? - Yes, with a sailor. 4978. Was the boat filled? - No, they were getting filled at the time. 4979. Was it filled before you lowered it away? - As far as I could see it was. 4980. Filled from the top deck? - The boat deck.