Page 53 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

The Commissioner: Now, Mr. Aspinall, please go on. 452. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) Did you leave any dead bodies on this collapsible boat, what you call a raft? - Yes, two. 453. Were they men or women? - Men. 454. Having got these persons off this structure, what did you do then? - We took another collapsible boat, as you term what I mentioned just now, one of a similar kind, not a Berthon boat, a similar kind, to the one I said was awash - we took her in tow; she had passengers on board. 455. Do you know how many? - No, I do not. 456. You took her in tow and towed her in what direction? - Towed her to the “Carpathia.” 457. The “Carpathia” was in sight then? - Yes. 458. Did you then go to the “Carpathia”? - Yes. 459. And get alongside of her? - Yes. 460. Was it dark - or light by the time you got alongside of the “Carpathia”? - Daylight. The Commissioner: I understood it was 8 o’clock in the morning when they got to the “Carpathia.” The Attorney-General: Between 7 and 8, my Lord. 461. (Mr. Butler Aspinall - To the Witness.) And then, did you all go on board the “Carpathia”? - Yes. 462. When daylight came that morning, was there much ice about? - Yes, an enormous quantity of ice about. 463. Were there bergs about - icebergs? - Yes. 464. Many? - Yes. I did not count them, but I saw half a dozen that I took notice of. 465. How long do you think it was from the time the “Titanic” struck the iceberg until she sank? - Roughly, about two hours and a half. 466. How long was it from the time she struck the iceberg until you got your boat into the water? - It was about one o’clock when we got our boat into the water. 467. (The Commissioner.) And would that be about an hour and a half? - It would be about an hour and a half. 468. Or an hour and a quarter? - I judge that she struck about twenty minutes to twelve, and it was about one when we got our boats into the water. 469. It was about an hour and twenty minutes before you got your boat into the water? - Yes. 470. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) What were you doing during that hour and twenty minutes or hour and a half? How were you occupied? - Getting other boats ready for lowering - not the whole of the time. 471. What were you doing during the rest of the time? - Well, there was an interval between when Mr. Wilde sent me to my boat. I was there a fairly decent while, time enough for me to give a good look round to see my boat was ready for lowering before we had orders to take the passengers in. I would not say how long, but I had ample time to look round the boat and see she was all in perfect order. 472. And was your boat in good order? - Yes. 473. Had she got her oars? - Yes. 474. And her plug or plugs? - Yes. 475. Did you notice anything else; what else had she got in her? - Well, I could not go right into details. There was one thing we found was not in her after going away, and that was the boat’s lamp; but as regards there being biscuits in the tanks we did not require to use them, so we did not sound the tanks to see if there were biscuits there, but there was an ample supply of water there, because we drank some of it, so we know. 476. Was it good water? - Good fresh water.