Page 127 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

the time of the accident. Now what I want to know is what was it you told him, as fully as you can, about ice? - I am very sorry, but my memory will not help; I cannot recollect word for word, merely that I gave Mr. Murdoch to understand that we were in the ice region; as to the actual words I said to him, I may have put it many ways - I cannot remember how I did. 13715. I follow you cannot give us the actual words, and your memory does not serve you to say whether you told him anything about your view that you had passed the meridian or Mr. Moody’s view that you would not reach the position until 11 o’clock? - No, I really could not say. 13716. Did you say anything to him about your conversation with the Captain and the order the Captain had given? - Oh! Undoubtedly. 13717. You did? - Oh, undoubtedly. 13718. You would report to him that the Captain had been on the bridge? - Yes. 13719. As far as you remember did you report anything about orders as to speed? - No orders. No orders were passed on about speed. 13720. (The Commissioner.) Did you tell him what message you had sent to the crow’s-nest? - Yes, I did. 13721. You told Mr. Murdoch that? - Yes, I told Mr. Murdoch I had already sent to the crow’s- nest, the carpenter, and the engine room as to the temperature, and such things as that - naturally, in the ordinary course in handing over the ship everything I could think of. 13722. (The Solicitor-General.) We have to get at what is Mr. Murdoch’s state of mind, with your help, because he is not here? - I quite see. 13723. The captain had said to you only half an hour or 35 minutes before that if it got at all doubtful you were to send for him, and that he would be close by? - Yes. 13724. Did you tell Mr. Murdoch of that message? - Oh, undoubtedly. 13725. The captain’s room, I think, is just at the side of the bridge there? - On the side of the bridge, and the window facing right on to the bridge. The bridge is in clear view from his chart room. 13726. You have had great experience of the North Atlantic at all times of the year. Just tell me, when a liner is known to be approaching ice is it, or is it not in your experience usual to reduce speed? - I have never known speed to be reduced in any ship I have ever been in in the north Atlantic in clear weather, not on account of ice. 13727. Assuming that the weather is clear? - Clear. 13728. I think that is all you can tell us as far as your duties on the bridge are concerned. You had some duties to discharge before you turned in, had not you? - Yes, I have to go round the decks and see everything is all right; what we call “going round.” 13729. There is nothing material there? - Nothing in reference to the case, no. 13730. Did you go to your room and turn in? - Yes. 13731. And had you turned in at the time of the impact, the collision? - Yes. 13732. I mean your light was out? - Yes, my light was out but I was still awake. 13733. You were still awake? - Yes. 13734. If you were awake you felt something, I suppose? Just describe to us what it was you felt? - It is best described as a jar and a grinding sound. There was a slight jar followed by this grinding sound. It struck me we had struck something and then thinking it over it was a feeling as if she may have hit something with her propellers, and on second thoughts I thought perhaps she had struck some obstruction with her propeller and stripped the blades off. There was a slight jar followed by the grinding - a slight bumping. 13735. (The Commissioner.) You could not tell from what direction the sound came? - No, my Lord. Naturally I thought it was from forward. 13736. I understand you to say you thought it was the propellers? - On second thoughts it