Page 129 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

13763. (The Commissioner.) Well, you did think, as I understand, that she had fouled something with her propeller blades? - Either bumped something or fouled something. 13764. Was not that serious? - No. 13765. I should have thought it was? - Well, it is in a way, my Lord. If it was sufficiently serious I knew I should be called. But what I mean to convey is, I had been on deck and looked both sides and had not seen anybody about, that is to say, everything was clear; there was nobody coming towards the quarters to call us or anything. The Quartermaster had not left the bridge. I knew that if they wanted us it was a moments work for the Quartermaster to come along and tell us. Judging the conditions were normal, I went back and turned in. 13766. You thought it was safe enough to turn in? - Oh, quite. 13767. (The Solicitor-General.) You say the First Officer and the Captain were both on the bridge? - As I should judge from their figures. 13768. That was your impression? - Yes. 13769. Is it usual to find the First Officer and the Captain both on the bridge in the ordinary course? - Oh, yes; there is nothing uncommon about it, nothing whatever. 13770. Of course the First Officer is the officer of the watch? - Yes. 13771. You have told us how the Captain came to you while you were on your watch and I suppose you thought he had come to the First Officer in the same way? - Well, of course I knew the bump had brought him out. 13772. (The Commissioner.) Was the Captain dressed? - That I could not say. I do not think there was any doubt about his being dressed, because in the ordinary conditions, as the Captain said, he would be just inside, he would not turn in under those conditions. He would just remain in his navigating room where his navigating instruments are: chart books, etc., where he would be handy to pop out on the bridge. 13773. (The Solicitor-General.) Nobody blames you for turning in, you understand. - No. The Commissioner: Oh, no. 13774. (The Solicitor-General.) But it is to get your point of view. You had noticed the ship had stopped, or at least the engines had stopped? - Yes. 13775. And that she was going only six knots through the water? - Yes. 13776. In mid-Atlantic? - Yes. 13777. No other ship near? - No. 13778. Did not that strike you at all? - Oh, yes. I knew perfectly well that some extraordinary circumstance had occurred; that is to say we had struck something or our propeller had been struck. 13779. (The Commissioner.) Your curiosity was not sufficient to remain in the cold? 13780. To go on to the bridge? - No, it was not a case of curiosity; it was not my duty to go on to the bridge when it was not my watch. 13781. (The Solicitor-General.) How long were you in your room after that before you did turn out? - It is very difficult to say. I should say roughly about half an hour perhaps; it might have been longer, it might have been less. 13782. Did you go to sleep? - Oh, no. 13783. (The Commissioner.) What on earth were you doing? Were you lying down in your bunk listening to the noises outside? - There were no noises. I turned in my bunk, covered myself up and waited for somebody to come along and tell me if they wanted me. 13784. (The Solicitor-General.) Time is very difficult to calculate, especially when you are trying to go to sleep, but seriously do you think it was half an hour? - That I was in my bunk after that? 13785. Yes? - Well I did not think it was half an hour, but we have been talking this matter over a very great deal, and I judge it is half an hour, because it was Mr. Boxhall who came to