Page 111 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

13391. Is it customary for you to look at your boat list? - Yes. 13392. Do the other men ask your advice at all? You are of a higher rank than an A.B.? - Yes, but they do not ask any advice about anything. 13393. And you should make yourself acquainted with your boat number? - Yes, had I known. 13394. Did you immediately go on deck when you were wakened? - I went up on the fore-well deck and asked what was the matter. I saw a lot of men passengers there, and I saw the ice on the deck, and they pointed it out to me: “Look at that” they said. “We have just struck an iceberg.” Then I went down below and woke my two mates up, and then I dressed and walked on the bridge to await orders from the Captain. 13395. Did you have time to get your kit bag?- No, I took that up when I went down to get my knife. 13396. Did you place your kit bag in the boat? - I had two sets of underwear in my bag which I had never unpacked. I threw it into the first boat I came to when I was told to get into the boat. 13397. That was the boat you left in? - Yes. 13398. What happened to your kit bag? The Commissioner: Does it matter what happened to the kit bag? The Witness: I never saw it. 13399. (Mr. Lewis.) It would be a good size, would it not - a good long bag? - Not for the two sets of underwear I had. 13400. Is it not the fact that it was pitched off the “Carpathia” when the boat reached there? - That is right. Examined by Sir ROBERT FINLAY. 13401. You have spoken about having eight or ten men for a lifeboat of a certain size, but I think you said that was for rescuing people from another ship? - Yes. 13402. That is a very different job from what it was this time? - Yes. 13403. There was no sea on? - No. 13404. Just one other question. You were asked whether a lifeboat properly manned could keep afloat all right even in a heavy sea? - Yes. 13405. The real difficulty in a heavy sea is getting the lifeboat down, is it not? - That is the real difficulty. 13406. And it is a nasty job if there is a heavy sea? - Yes. 13407. (The Commissioner.) Can you tell me - do not tell me unless you are able to tell me, but if you can tell me let me know - what was the carrying capacity of No. 9 lifeboat? - I really do not know. (The Witness withdrew.) (After a short adjournment.)