Page 115 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

13481. Do you recollect, or can you help us at all, did that indication 42 N. indicate to you that it was near where you were likely to go? - It would, had I taken particular notice of the latitude, though as a matter of fact, latitude with regard to ice conveys so very little. 13482. Is that because it tends to set north or south? - North and south, yes. 13483. (The Commissioner.) I do not follow that? - We take very little notice of the latitude because it conveys very little. You cannot rely on latitude. 13484. (The Solicitor-General.) For ice? - Yes. 13485. (The Solicitor-General.) He answered that “because the ice tends to set north and south.” (To the Witness.) Then do you attach more importance to the longitude? - Far more. 13486. I notice your recollection of the message is you recollect 49 and 51 W.? - Distinctly. 13487. That is longitude. Did you form any sort of impression at that time as to what time of day or night you were likely to reach the area indicated? - Not at that time. 13488. I know you worked it out, or helped to work it out later? - It was worked out. 13489. But you did not form any opinion at that time? - Not at that time. 13490. As far as you are concerned is there anything you deem important to tell us as between one o’clock and 6 o’clock when you came on duty? - No, I cannot remember anything of importance. 13491. (The Commissioner.) At the time this message was given to you by Captain Smith, how many hours steaming would you be away from the ice-field? - I did not calculate it at that time; later I told one of the junior officers to work out about what time we should reach the ice region, and he told me about 11 o’clock. 13492. At night? - This was after I came on deck again though, at 6 o’clock. I knew that we should not be in the vicinity of the ice before I came on deck again. I roughly ran that off in my mind. 13493. (The Solicitor-General.) That is what I meant? - Yes. I ran that roughly off in my mind - the matter of degrees. 13494. When you saw this message at a quarter to one you saw it was important but you thought the position could not be reached until your watch came round again? - I was sure of that. 13495. You came on duty again at 6 o’clock? - At 6 o’clock. 13496. In the afternoon. That would be to relieve Chief Officer Mr. Wilde, as I follow you? - Yes. 13497. Did he hand the ship over to you at 6 o’clock? - At 6 o’clock, yes. 13498. Can you tell us what was the course of the ship when she was handed over to you at 6? - I cannot remember the compass course. I know from calculations made afterwards that we were making S. 86 true. 13499. S. 86 W.? - Yes. 13500. That is within four degrees of due W true? - Yes. The Commissioner: Give me that again. The Solicitor-General: S. 86 W. true. That is only four degrees from due west. The Commissioner: It is what I should call making a westerly course. 13501. (The Solicitor-General.) Yes, my Lord. I think I am right, and Sir Robert confirms me. The Quartermaster at the wheel who gave evidence, who was at the wheel at the time of the disaster, said he was steering by compass a course of N. 71 W., so presumably N. 71 W. is the same thing as what this gentleman speaks of as S. 86 W. true. The Witness: Pretty nearly. The compass course is not the compass we go by. I believe by standard we were steering N. 73. 86 true I know it was, and I think that works out as 73 by compass, and 71 was the steering compass. 13502. Did you learn whether while you had been off duty during the afternoon any further