Page 142 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

gangway door open,” and so let them know. On a calm night like that your Lordship will know the voice will carry a long way. 13971. You put as many into No. 4 boat as you thought safe? - Yes. 13972. That was about 40. We know some of the boats carried considerably more than 40? - 65. 13973. Would the men in the boat to whom you had said, “That boat is full; lower her,” know that she was capable of taking more when she became water borne? - Yes, my Lord. 13974. They would know? - They would know. 13975. (The Solicitor-General.) Had you given orders for these boats to remain within hail? - Not that I remember. If a man asked me going away it is quite likely that I should, but I cannot say with distinctness that I did give the order. 13976. You were calling attention to this light on your port bow? - Yes. 13977. At any rate you were calling the passengers’ attention to it? - Yes. 13978. Cannot you help us. Did you or did you not give any directions to these boats which might be taken to mean that they were to row to the light? - No. 13979. Were they to go away or were they to stay by the ship? - No, I cannot remember giving the boats any directions at all. 13980. You were saying that after No. 6 and No. 8 and No. 4 you then went to one of the collapsible boats? - Yes. 13981. Which one was it? - The port collapsible boat underneath the emergency davits. 13982. That is not the one which was on the deck of the officers’ house? - No. 13983. But it is the one immediately behind the emergency boat, on the port side? - Yes. 13984. Now tell us in order what you did about this collapsible boat? - The tackles were already rounded up when I got on the boat deck; we lifted the gunwale of the boat, which opens it up, hooked on the tackles, put it over the side; Mr. Wilde was there too at this time. 13985. And you were helping as well? - Yes. 13986. Did you use the rope falls that were on the davits? - Yes. 13987. At this time was the emergency boat, which was swung out on the port side, No. 2, gone? - That had gone. 13988. Had you had nothing to do with that No. 2 boat going? - Nothing. 13989. And you know nothing about that boat? - I know nothing about that boat. 13990. There would be the davits, and this collapsible boat a little way behind? - Yes. 13991. And you used the same falls, did you? - Yes. 13992. Did you get the collapsible boat swung out? - Yes, swung out and loaded up. 13993. Was it a piece of work that was easily done? - Nothing very difficult about it, except you just work your davits in. It is not difficult. It takes a little time to swing your davits in and hook on. 13994. And so you got her swung out? - Yes. 13995. And ready, I suppose, to take people into her? - Yes. 13996. Was she filled? What happened? - We had very great difficulty in filling her with women. As far as I remember she was eventually filled, but we experienced considerable difficulty. Two or three times we had to wait, and call out for women - in fact, I think on one - perhaps two - occasions, someone standing close to the boat said, “Oh, there are no more women,” and with that several men commenced to climb in. Just then, or a moment afterwards, whilst they were still climbing in, someone sang out on the deck, “Here are a couple more.” Naturally, I judged they were women. 13997. That meant a couple more women? - Yes, and the men got out of the boat again and put the women in. If I am quite right, I think this happened on two occasions? 13998. You say the men got out of the boat. Do you mean men passengers? - I really could not