Page 181 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

14556. Were the pumps running when you came out again? - That I could not say. 14557. Could not you feel or see that? - Oh, no, I should not feel the pumps from the deck. 14558. Or know whether there was water going over the side? - No, we know from the evidence that water was going over the side. 14559. You were working on the hurricane deck not very far from the bridge. Did you hear the order given to bring up the women and children? - No. 14560. You only know that was in operation - that that was being done? - Yes. 14561. We have been told that later there was an order that at that time everybody should look out for themselves? - I heard nothing about it. 14562. You heard nothing about it at all? - Nothing whatever. 14563. Did you hear any general order for the people who were below to come up from below? - No. Any order of that description would have to be passed to the head of the department and would not concern me. 14564. I quite know it did not come though you, but I did not know whether you had gleaned or gathered from the people coming up that such an order had been given? - No, I knew of the order; it came to my knowledge afterwards that an order had gone for the passengers to put on lifebelts. 14565. Did you ever know at all whether any order had gone that the engineers should come up on deck? - No. 14566. You knew nothing of that? - No, I knew nothing. 14567. On the several boats which you were attending to - 4, 6, and 8, and the collapsible - did you see any of the engine room officers on the deck at all? - No, I did not see any of the engineers at any time. 14568. So far as you know they were down below to the end? - Yes. 14569. If you communicate with the engine room on this large ship you communicate by telephone? - Yes. 14570. From the bridge? - Yes. 14571. And that is the means that would be adopted and available for any orders? - Yes. 14572. With regard to the manning of the boats there was a very valuable suggestion that my friend Mr. Scanlan made and I understand you to approve of, and I want to know your view of it. The suggestion as to the firemen - there are a very large number of firemen of course on board these ships - that in case of calamity it is desirable both that the firemen should be saved and that they should be useful in manning the boats? - Yes. 14573. I understand your suggestion to be, that since boat practice before one of these voyages begins or during the course of it, is difficult if not impossible, there should be some preliminary training? - It would be advisable. 14574. And if that were done with the sanction of the Board of Trade, if not by law, of course it would tend to become universal? - No doubt. 14575. Just in the same way that the fact that the Board of Trade test for sight and colour makes that the practice? - Exactly. 14576. There are two look-out men in the crow’s-nest? - At all times. 14577. And they are on duty for how long? - Two hours on and four off. 14578. Are they looking out during these two hours alternately, relieving one another or are they looking out concurrently? - One stands on one side of the crow’s-nest and the other on the other, and they are supposed to be keeping a sharp look-out all the time. 14579. You are an experienced officer. Does not that tend rather to two things, dividing the responsibility, and, where a very sharp look-out is needed, as in the case of ice, to a very great strain on the men’s eyes? - Two hours? 14580. Two hours. - I do not think that is much strain, two hours.