Page 122 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

regard to that possibility of the blue side being towards us, and that if it did happen to be turned with the purely blue side towards us, there would still be the white outline. 13618. (The Commissioner.) Then you had both made up your minds at that time that you were about to encounter icebergs? - No, my Lord, not necessarily. 13619. It sounds very like it, you know? - No, not necessarily, my Lord. 13620. You were both talking about what those icebergs would show to you? - As a natural precaution. We knew we were in the vicinity of ice, and though you cross the Atlantic for years and have ice reported and never see it, and at other times it is not reported and you do see it, you nevertheless do take necessary precautions, all you can, to make perfectly sure that the weather is clear and that the officers understand the indications of ice and all that sort of thing. That is a necessary precaution that is always taken. 13621. (The Solicitor-General.) There are one or two things about that I should like to be clear about. I caught you saying that you or the Captain said it was a pity there was not a little breeze because it would have shown an iceberg? - Yes, it would have assisted. 13622. Then you both realised at the time, did you, that since it was a flat calm it would be more difficult to see the ice? - As far as the case of the berg was concerned, yes, it would be more difficult; naturally you would not see the water breaking on it if there were no wind; and so you would not have that to look for. 13623. Do you remember when the Captain was on the bridge with you, did you tell him that as you made it out you would get to the danger zone, to the ice region about half-past nine? - No. 13624. Was anything said about the time when you would get to it? - Not that I remember. 13625. Mr. Moody had made a calculation which he had reported to you and you thought his calculation gave the position too much west? - Yes. 13626. Did not you say anything about that to the Captain? - Oh, no. 13627. Had you had any further calculation made at all? - No. 13628. What was the basis upon which you were proceeding? Were you proceeding on the basis that you would expect to reach this region by half-past nine, or that you would not expect to reach it until 11 o’clock? - I was working on the half-past nine. I probably thought that Mr. Moody had based his calculation on the actual position of some berg or number of bergs. 13629. How long was the Captain on the bridge with you? You say he came on the bridge with you about five minutes to nine? - About 25 minutes or half an hour. 13630. If it was half an hour that would carry you to within five minutes of half-past nine? - Yes. 13631. And during that time whilst he was with you was there any discussion between you at all as to speed? - None. 13632. You were going full speed ahead at this time? - Yes. 13633. About 21 1/2 knots as you think? - Yes. 13634. And no question was raised between you as to speed at all? - No question at all. 13635. The Captain left you about 20 or 25 past 9, you say. Did he say where he was going to, or where he had been, and so on? - Yes. The Captain said, “If it becomes at all doubtful” - I think those are his words - “If it becomes at all doubtful let me know at once; I will be just inside.” 13636. (The Commissioner.) If what becomes doubtful? - The general conditions, my Lord, I suppose he would mean - if it were at all doubtful about the distance I could see, principally. 13637. You were relying at this time exclusively upon the look-out; you were not taking any measures to reduce the speed? - None, my Lord. 13638. And therefore you were relying for safety entirely on the look-out? - Yes. 13639. Now tell me again what this observation of the Captain meant, because I do not understand it. - With regard to the word “doubtful”? 13640. Yes; what did he mean? - It is rather difficult to define. It means to say if I had any