Page 242 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

5207. What did you suppose you were going for? - He promised us this present previous to this. 5208. Then when did he promise the present? - After we got on board the “Carpathia,” but we did not know what it was. 5209. What did he say when he promised the present? - He said “See me later on, I am too busy now.” 5210. No; what did he say when he promised the present? - He said; “I am going to make a little present to the members of the boat’s crew.” 5211. You are quite sure there was no hint of any present before you got on board the “Carpathia”? - In the early hours of the morning before we were picked up he said he would do something for us. 5212. When was this? - Just before we were picked up, after we sighted the “Carpathia.” 5213. Had nothing been said before that? - Not to my knowledge. 5214. (Mr. Lewis.) Was not there any discussion at all regarding the advisability of turning back? - No. 5215. Nothing whatever? - Nothing at all. 5216. You merely said you thought you ought to go back, and there it stopped? - Yes. 5217. I take it you are used as a seaman to obeying orders? - Yes. 5218. You got into the boat with no idea of going off yourself in place of someone else, but you obeyed instructions? - Yes. 5219. You considered that, having made this suggestion to the person in charge, and being used to discipline and orders, so far as you were concerned, the matter was ended? - Yes. 5220. You are used to obeying instructions? - Yes, I have always done. 5221. Does this boat list contain the names of all the members of the crew. I understand you saw a list of your stations? - No, the list we had up was only our own men, our own quarters, firemen and trimmers and greasers. 5222. Just your section? - Yes. 5223. I take it similar lists were placed in other departments, so far as you are aware? - Yes. 5224. They practically embrace the whole of the members of the crew? - Yes. 5225. The crew amounts to something like 900 approximately? - Somewhere about that. 5226. And if it were in the nighttime there would be a large number off duty? - Yes, there would be more off duty at nighttime. 5227. Most of these men would be expected to go to their boat stations if they saw the list and knew their number? - Yes. 5228. Do you know whether the boat accommodation is for just over 1,000? - No. 5229. At any rate you know there is not sufficient boat accommodation to take the whole of the 1000 and the crew? - Yes. 5230. Would you be surprised to know that there is not much more accommodation than sufficient to take the crew if they are all mustered together? - I do not suppose there would be enough to take the crew. 5231. As a matter of fact there was a little more. You do not know who it was gave the order for six firemen to go into this boat? - No, it was an officer. Who he was I do not know. 5232. Do you remember a fire in a coal bunker on board this boat? - Yes. 5233. Is it a common occurrence for fires to take place on boats? - No. 5234. It is not common? - No. 5235. How long have you been on a White Star boat? - About five years. 5236. When did you last see a fire in a coal bunker? - I never saw one before. 5237. It has been suggested that fires in coal bunkers are quite a common occurrence, but you have been five years in the White Star line and have not seen a fire in a coal bunker? - No.