Page 95 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

prefer to stay, to the best of my knowledge. The Attorney-General: May we know who this gentleman represents? 1371. (Mr. Cotter.) I represent the National Union of Stewards. (To the Witness.) When you got on deck you said the boats were slung. How far from a large ship’s side is a boat when it is slung from the davits? - About two feet - that is, when the ship is level, when she has no list. 1372. Did any of the women object to step over that gap of two feet, with a drop of 60 feet? - You understand, Sir, that our boat was listed in against the ship’s side because the vessel had a list to starboard, and I was on the port side of the ship. 1373. But no women endeavoured to step on board the boat? - Some had to be helped into the boat. The Commissioner: And some would not go at all? 1374. (Mr. Cotter.) Yes; but I am going to try and point out that some women will object, when boats are slung out, to go on board. (To the Witness.) In your opinion, if you had shipped the women with the boats slung, would it not have been better, and you would have got more women and children in? - I do not know that. 1375. I was just asking you for your opinion. When you were being lowered had you any difficulty in getting the boat away from the ship’s side? - Yes, we had to put our hands out several times. 1376. To push it away? - Yes. 1377. That is, through the length of the drop from the upper deck? - Yes, and the list as well. Examined by MR. LAING. 1378. With regard to the “Cherub” log, where was it put out? - I think it was put out shortly after we left Queenstown. 1379. Is it taken every watch? - It is taken every two hours by the quartermaster when he got on the poop at the time. 1380. What was the reading when you took it? - The reading for the last day had been 45 miles. 1381. That is the calculation. What was the reading on the log? - I do not know the exact reading on the log, Sir. 1382. It would show the distance run from Queenstown, I suppose? - Yes. 1383. And in order to get what you said it was, 45 miles in two hours, you must make a calculation? - No. We took it, you see. We used to take it, we Quartermasters, by the speed the ship was travelling. We used to talk about it ourselves in our cabin. 1384. I want to know what reading you got from this log at 10 o’clock? - I could not tell you. 1385. Unless you knew what it was at eight o’clock you could not make the calculation? - We could only make the calculation by the run for the day. She had been going by the log. (The Witness withdrew.) (After a short adjournment.) WILLIAM LUCAS, Sworn. The Commissioner: I have since the adjournment received a letter from Mr. Champness, a solicitor, a gentleman who applied to me to appear for one passenger, and I declined to allow him to do so. He now tells me that he is instructed by five altogether, one first-class passenger,