Page 58 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

attached had neither a compass nor a lamp? - That is boat 14. The Commissioner: Now you are talking of No. 14. 549. (Mr. Scanlan.) Yes, my Lord (To the Witness.) I want to ask you this as a practical seaman: Do you consider it very important that a lifeboat laden as this one was, with the full complement of passengers, should be provided on a dark night with a lamp? - Yes. The Commissioner: Well, now you know that is not a question to ask this Witness; that is a question for me. You may ask me the question at the proper time. I shall probably not answer it. 550. (Mr. Scanlan.) I shall observe your Lordship’s ruling. (To the Witness.) Now I want to ask you about the numbers of the crew who were attached to this lifeboat. I understand it is the practice to have posted up in the cabin or in the forecastle a list of the crew for the manning of each particular lifeboat. Is that so? - Yes. 551. Was there a list for No. 14? - Yes. 552. Besides your own name what other names were there on this list? - I am not certain; I do not know. 553. Do you know how many names were on it? - No. 554. As part of the boat drill which took place at Southampton were the different officers and the members of the crew whose names were put down for the different boats expected to go to their stations at the falls? - Not in their own particular boat, no. 555. Not in their own particular boat? - No. 556. So that so far as the “Titanic” were concerned there was no practice of bringing the boatmen and crew of the lifeboats to their respective boats before the voyage commenced? - No one went to their own particular boats until the voyage had commenced. 557. (The Commissioner.) Was there any difference in regard to those boats? - No. 558. So that for the purpose of practice it did not matter which boat you went to? - No. 559. (Mr. Scanlan.) You rowed back, I understand, to see if you could rescue anyone in the water. How many of the crew did you take to row this No. 14 back? - Eight and the officer in charge would be nine. 560. Will you tell his Lordship how many of the crew are necessary for the proper manning of a lifeboat of that size? - Eight and a man at the tiller. 561. Suppose, instead of it being a calm night you had a storm, would eight men be necessary to safely navigate such a boat as that? - Yes. 562. And when you started, I think there were only two of you capable seamen? - No, only one. 563. Only one? 564. (The Commissioner.) Who was that? - That was myself, your Lordship. 565. (Mr. Scanlan.) I do not doubt your capacity, but I understand Mr. Lowe was with you? - Yes, Mr. Lowe was there. 566. When the boat was lowered into the water? - Yes. 567. Besides you and Mr. Lowe, was there any other practical man, I mean to work the oars or assist in the navigation of the boat? - There was no other practical seaman in the boat. 568. You do not think that sufficient? - No. Examined by Mr. QUILLIAM. 569. I want to ask you about the two icebergs. Can you tell his Lordship how far you were able after the collision to see that iceberg distinctly - when you got into the small boat I suppose you were from time to time some distance off the iceberg? The Commissioner: I do not know that he was, you know; for aught I know he was close upon it.