Page 47 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

The Commissioner: Can you tell me what you mean by a very considerable distance? Mr. Butler Aspinall: I do not think I could give your Lordship any answer to that which would be of value. The Commissioner: Very well. And, of course, if the engines are ordered to be reversed, then the way upon her is stopped in a much shorter time? Mr. Butler Aspinall: That is so, and if the ship has run into something that, of course, is also a factor to be taken into consideration. The Commissioner: That arrests her course? 359. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) Yes. (To the Witness.) You have told us that somewhere on your starboard beam, within a ship’s length of you, was the iceberg. How high was the iceberg as compared with your vessel? - I should say about as high as the boat deck; it appeared to be that from the position of it. 360. (The Commissioner.) How high from the water would that be - 90 feet? - I cannot say. The Attorney-General: I think about 60 feet. 361. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) What was the shape of this iceberg? - Well, it struck me at the time that it resembled the Rock of Gibraltar looking at it from Europa Point. It looked very much the same shape as that, only much smaller. 362. (The Commissioner.) Like a lion couchant? - As you approach Gibraltar - it seemed that shape. The highest point would be on my right, as it appeared to me. 363. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) You received the words, “Uncover and turn out the boats”? - Yes. 364. Now which was your boat? - No. 14. 365. On which side was she? - The port side. 366. And was she well aft on the port side? - In the after-section. 367. Did you go to that boat? - No. 368. Did you go to any other boat? - I went to 14 boat finally, but not at first. 369. Not at first? - No, not at the first order. 370. Which boat did you go to first? - The first boat on the port side - not the emergency boat. The first boat was the first boat to uncover. You understand we started on the port side and got those boats uncovered and cleared and turned them out, falls all ready for lowering, and then worked with the starboard boats. At the time we were working at the starboard boat - I think I was at boat 13 - the chief officer came along and asked me whether it was my right boat. I said, “No, we are all assisting here.” He said, “All right, go to your own boat,” and then I went to No. 14 boat. 371. Then how comes it that you did not go to your own boat in the first instance? - Acting on the boatswain’s orders. 372. (The Commissioner.) Which boat did you go to first - what number? - I think it is four, the first boat abaft the emergency boat on the port side. Sir Robert Finlay: It would be No. 4. 373. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) How many boats did you assist in getting out and down to the water before you went to your own boat? - I think I assisted in getting four out ready for lowering, but not down to the water. I was at my own station then. By the time the order was passed for women and children first, by Mr. Wilde, I assisted to get them all out ready for lowering. I personally helped at four boats. 374. Was there any difficulty or not in getting them out? - There was in one or two cases, but the difficulty was not great. It merely wanted a kick of the foot just to clear the chock. 375. That is a small difficulty, if it is a difficulty at all. It has always got to be done? - Yes, you have to watch for that. That is common. That is a thing which is likely to happen at any time. 376. Apart from the difficulty, if it can be called a difficulty, the boats were got out readily and easily? - Yes.