Page 243 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

5238. Did you help to get the coal out? - Yes. 5239. Did you hear when the fire commenced? - Yes, I heard it commenced at Belfast. 5240. When did you start getting the coal out? - The first watch we did from Southampton we started to get it out. 5241. How many days would that be after you left Belfast? - I do not know when she left Belfast to the day. 5242. It would be two or three days, I suppose? - I should say so. 5243. Did it take much time to get the fire down? - It took us right up to the Saturday to get it out. 5244. How long did it take to put the fire itself out? - The fire was not out much before all the coal was out. 5245. The fire was not extinguished until you got the whole of the coal out? - No. I finished the bunker out myself, me and three or four men that were there. We worked everything out. 5246. The bulkhead forms part of the bunker - the side? - Yes, you could see where the bulkhead had been red hot. 5247. You looked at the side after the coal had been taken out? - Yes. 5248. What condition was it in? - You could see where it had been red hot; all the paint and everything was off. It was dented a bit. 5249. It was damaged, at any rate? - Yes, warped. 5250. Was much notice taken of it. Was any attempt made to do anything with it? - I just brushed it off and got some black oil and rubbed over it. 5251. To give it its ordinary appearance? - Yes. 5252. You are not a professional expert and would not be able to express an opinion as to whether that had any effect on the collision? - I could not say that. Examined by Mr. COTTER. 5253. Can you tell us what are the dimensions of that bunker? - I could not tell you. 5254. Was there any scene at the boat before you got into it or after you had got into it, affecting scenes, I mean, between husbands and wives? - I saw some on the port side. 5255. I mean in your boat? - No. 5256. Did any gentleman come to the side of the boat before you lowered away? - I never noticed anyone. As soon as I got in the boat they started lowering. 5257. Who gave the order to lower? Do you know? - The officer. 5258. You do not know the officer? - No. 5259. Who lowered the boat? - I do not know. 5260. You did not see anybody at the falls? - No; the only man I saw was the boatswain. He said, “Jump into the boat.” 5261. Was he standing by? - He was standing by the fall. 5262. Being a petty officer, he has the right to give an order? - Yes, but whether the order came from him or not I do not know; but I do not think it was from him. 5263. You did not know any of these passengers? - No. 5264. Have you seen the papers in New York where it states Mrs. Astor was in that boat, calling it the captain’s boat? - No, I never saw that. 5265. When you got on the “Carpathia” did anybody besides Duff-Gordon speak to you out of that list of passengers that were on your boat? - There was one fellow, an American, was talking to us, but nothing in particular, not with regard to the wreck. 5266. No one suggested about giving any money, or anything like that? - No. 5267. As a matter of fact, while you were rowing about during the night there was no