Page 15 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

GEORGE SYMONS, Sworn. Examined by the ATTORNEY-GENERAL. 11303. Is your name Symons or Simmons? - Symons. 11304. And have you been at sea for nearly nine years? - Yes. 11305. You are an able seaman? - Yes. 11306. Have you crossed the Atlantic between England and New York many times? - Yes. 11307. How many times? - I say roughly about 58 to 60; I could not exactly say the correct number. 11308. As an able seaman? - Yes. 11309. And have you also acted as a look-out man? - Yes. 11310. (The Attorney-General.) Your Lordship will remember he comes into the story as look- out man also. (To the Witness.) I will ask you first of all about the look-out. On board this vessel, the “Titanic,” you went to the crow’s-nest? - Yes. 11311. When it was your duty to go on the look-out? - Yes, when it was my watch. 11312. What other vessels have you been in, liners, crossing between New York and England? - I was in the “Oceanic” for four years and four months, and three years of that I did on the look- out. 11314. And you were actually acting as look-out with Jewell on the “Titanic,” I think, from 8 to 10? - Yes. 11315. You were relieved at 10 o’clock, the last watch really before she struck? - Yes. 11316. Whilst you were on the “Oceanic” did you at any time see icebergs? - Yes, once or twice. 11317. At night? - No, not at night, only in the daytime; but we have had orders before to keep a look-out for them in the night in the “Oceanic.” 11318. Did you use glasses, binoculars? - Yes. 11319. Special glasses for night, were they? - No; they were an ordinary pair of glasses. 11320. Were they kept in a box in the crow’s-nest? - In the “Oceanic” they were kept in a canvas bag. 11321. In the crow’s-nest? - In the crow’s-nest. 11322. For your use or the use of your mate on the look-out? - Yes. 11323. And you did find them useful? - Yes; very useful. 11324. Were there any on the “Titanic”? - No, none whatever. After we left Southampton and got clear of the Nab Lightship I went up to the officers’ mess-room and asked for glasses. I asked Mr. Lightoller, and he went into another officers’ room, which I presume was Mr. Murdoch’s, and he came out and said, “Symons, there are none.” With that I went back and told my mates. 11325. Was there a place for them in the “Titanic”? - Yes, a box in the port after corner. 11326. Of the crow’s-nest? - Yes. 11327. Did you join the “Titanic” at Southampton? - Yes. 11328. After you left Queenstown, which, as we know, was 11th April, did you see the boat list up? - Yes, I saw a boat list after we got away from Queenstown, either on the Thursday night or the Friday morning early. 11329. Did you find it in the forecastle? - On the door of the forecastle, at the top of the companionway. 11330. Were there two boat lists posted? - There was one in the forecastle, what they call the emergency boat list, and also on the forecastle door was a general boat list, on which I found my name was assigned to No. 1. 11331. That is an emergency boat? - Yes, an emergency boat on the starboard side.