Page 149 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

two, I chose it. 14123. You all got into her? - Yes. 14124. (The Solicitor-General.) According to your figures about 45 people were on that lifeboat when you were taken off and put on board her? - If the figures that there were 28 or 30 on the raft were correct. I do not vouch for those. The Solicitor-General: May I give your Lordship the reference. Joughin, on page 142 tells you what his view is of this boat. The Commissioner: That is the baker. The Solicitor-General: Yes. At Question 6085 he says, “Just as it was breaking daylight I saw what I thought was some wreckage, and I started to swim towards it slowly. When I got near enough I found it was a collapsible not properly upturned, but on its side, with an officer and I should say about 20 or 25 men standing on the top of it. (The Commissioner.) With an officer and what? - (A.) I should say roughly about 25 men standing on the top - well on the side, not on the top. (The Solicitor-General.) Do you know which officer it was? - (A.) Yes, Mr. Lightoller. (Q.) Mr. Lightoller and you think about 20 or 25 people? - (A.) Yes. (The Commissioner.) Men, he said. (The Solicitor-General.) Yes, men, my Lord? - (A.) Yes, all men.” 14125. I daresay you will remember he said there was not room for him, and somebody recognised him. I think one of the cooks was on it, and held out his hand and helped to keep him afloat for a bit, and later on there was a lifeboat which approached and according to Joughin called out that there was room for 10 people. Do you remember that? - No. 14126. (The Solicitor-General.) Your Lordship sees Question 6106, “They got within about 50 yards and they sung out that they could only take 10. So I said this to Maynard, ‘Let go my hand,’ and I swam to meet it, so that I would be one of the 10”? - The only reference to numbers was this; when I saw the boats I could faintly distinguish them. I had my whistle in my pocket. I whistled by way of showing it was an officer that was calling, and I asked them if they could take some of us on board, and I said if they could manage to take half-a-dozen - because we were sinking then - it would lighten us up so that we could continue afloat. That was the only reference to numbers I heard. 14127. I understand you cannot actually give us the number of the boat which this was? - No, I never inquired. 14128. Were you transferred to her, and did you take command of her? - I did. 14129. I think I can identify it, my Lord. It must have been boat No. 14, because your Lordship will find that a man named Scarrott has given evidence on page 26. I am not quite sure. (To the Witness.) On this upturned collapsible boat, when the morning came and the lifeboat appeared, had any women got on to it at all? - None. 14130. You are sure about that? - Quite. 14131. Then I am afraid I am wrong about it. It must have been the other one. The Commissioner: The reference to page 26 is not right? 14132. (The Solicitor-General.) No, my Lord, I am sorry. (To the Witness.) Could not you give us the name of anybody who was on board the lifeboat that you were transferred to and took charge of. You see, we want to trace it out? - Oh, yes, Bride was on board, the Marconi operator, of course; that is the boat that Phillips was on. There were two or three died during the night. 14133. (The Solicitor-General.) I think I can get at it, my Lord. (To the Witness.) Did you ascertain that the lifeboat that helped you had already got some people from another collapsible? - No, I do not think that was the boat; it was one of the later boats to be taken on board the “Carpathia,” and therefore would be one of those that was turned adrift. It was the last boat to get to the “Carpathia,” as a matter of fact, I think. 14134. Sooner than occupy more time about it now I will have it looked at, and we will try to work it out. If I may say so, the distribution of people in boats and what they did after the