Page 73 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

something like this, letting him know his boat station (exhibiting badge.)? - In some companies it is. 827. And some companies do not do it? - No. The Attorney-General: Let me look at it. (The Badge was handed to the learned Counsel.) 828. (The Commissioner.) What companies have you had it at? Have you ever had a badge like that? - Yes. 829. What company? - The Union Castle Company. 830. Have you had a badge from any other company? - No, Sir. 831. How many companies have you served under? - Under the Union Castle Company, the Royal Mail, the White Star. 832. Any others? - No, Sir. 833. No other liners? - No, Sir. 834. (Mr. Scanlan.) You have told his Lordship that a stoker was in charge of this lifeboat? - Yes. 835. Have you ever heard of a stoker being in charge of a lifeboat in the arrangements of any company you have travelled with before? - No. The Commissioner: I do not quite know what you are driving at, Mr. Scanlan. Nothing went wrong in this boat, and it seems to have been launched in a very reasonable time. Mr. Scanlan: What I am trying to get at, my Lord, is that in ordinary circumstances the proper thing is to have an experienced sailor in charge of a lifeboat, and not a stoker. The Commissioner: I daresay, but these were not ordinary circumstances; they had to do their best. 836. (Mr. Scanlan - To the Witness.) When a list of a lifeboat’s crew is put up in a ship, in what part of the ship is it placed? - In the forward end where the crew’s quarters are. 837. If this had been in its place would you have necessarily seen it in going to your quarters? - I never looked. The Commissioner: That is not a pertinent question. Ask him if he would necessarily have read it. 838. (Mr. Scanlan.) You only heard of the list having been put up after the wreck took place? - No; I heard that morning. The Commissioner: (To Mr. Holmes.) Whom do you represent? Mr. Holmes: The officers. Examined by MR. HOLMES. 839. Have you any recollection of the name of the officer who was in charge of the deck at the time? - No, I do not know. 840. He did not sail in your boat? - No; there was no officer there. 841. Can you say how many boats he was in charge of on the deck? - No. 842. Was he superintending people getting into more than your boat? - I never got up there in time to see that, only this boat. 843. And what order was given to you when your boat was lowered? - When we lowered there were enough in it. 844. You are satisfied there were enough people? - Yes, it was crowded. The Commissioner: He has told us it was full; so full they could not get any more on board. 845. (Mr. Holmes.) What order was given when you got into the water? - There was no order given. We could not get to the lever owing to so many people. 846. Were you told to stand by or to row away? - There was no order given. 847. No order was given at all? - No.