Page 50 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

416. As time went on did she sink faster? - As the water seemed to get above the bridge she increased her rate of going down. 417. Going down head first? - Head first. 418. (The Commissioner.) As the water got above the bridge did you say? - As the water got above the bridge she started to go down faster. The Commissioner: I should have thought that when the water got to the bridge the boat would go to the bottom at once. Mr. Butler Aspinall: I should have thought so too. The Witness: She was right up on end then. 419. (The Commissioner.) Do you say the water got to the bridge? - Yes, I am judging from what I saw. When the port bow light disappeared she seemed to go faster. That light is seen about level with the bridge, the port bow light. 420. Is it level with the bridge? Is not the bridge above it? - The bridge would be above it, yes. 421. Put your finger on the bridge on that model. (The Witness pointed it out.) Do you want me to understand that the fore part of the ship was so deep in the water that the bridge was touching the water? - All this part (pointing on the model) was in the water; you could just see the port bow light. Of course, that would be the other side. This would be the starboard light, here. The Attorney-General: He said she was standing end-on. 422. (The Commissioner.) What do you mean by that? - This part of the ship was right up in the air. You could see her propeller right clear, and you could see underneath the keel; you could see part of her keel. 423. And at the stern she was so much up that you could see the propeller? - Yes. The Attorney-General: And part of the keel. 424. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) You saw the port light disappear? - Yes. 425. And then after that the ship went? - Yes, she seemed to go with a rush then. 426. (The Commissioner.) How soon after you saw the bridge level with the water did the ship disappear? - Well, I cannot say as regards the time, but when it got there the ship went with a rush, and you could hear the breaking up of things in the ship, and then followed four explosions. To the best of my recollection that is the number of the explosions. 427. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) As soon as the ship went down, what was done with your boat? Did she remain where she was for a little time, or did she row in to where the ship had sunk? - She rowed in in company with the four other boats, under the orders of Mr. Lowe, to see if we could pick up anybody from the wreckage. 428. The whole five of you rowed in? - The whole five of us. 429. Was there much wreckage? - No, not so much as you would expect from a big ship like that. 430. Did you see many people in the water? - Later on, but not then. We did not see many then when we got right over the top of the ship. There did not appear to be many people in the water at all. 431. Did you hear cries? - Yes. 432. Much? - Yes, rather a great deal. 433. Now did you succeed in rescuing anybody? - Not our boat individually, but the other boats in our charge did get somebody, but how many I cannot say. 434. (The Commissioner.) You mean people who had dropped from the vessel into the water? - I take it that is where they came from. 435. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) Your boat got none of them? - We got none of them. The boats that got them were the boats away to our right; they would be to leeward, where the wreckage would drift. 436. Did you see anything of a raft or rafts in the water? - Later on in the morning we saw one.