Page 186 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

14671. Now, if the look-out men, in fact, saw a haze, what do you suggest it may have been produced by? - If they saw a haze it might have been produced by a warm and cold current meeting. 14672. And that might have concealed the ice? - If a haze had arisen it might have concealed the ice. 14673. And that condition of things might have been sufficiently local for you not to have seen anything of it when you went off duty at 10, and not to have seen any trace of it at the time when you again came up on deck after the collision? - It is just possible. 14674. Had you at any time any information as to the extent to which water had come in the “Titanic”? - Yes. 14675. When? - When the Fourth Officer reported to me in my room, and also when I asked the Carpenter whether No. 6 stokehold were dry. On the first occasion the Fourth Officer informed me the water was up to F deck. He has explained since he meant G deck - and the Carpenter informed me that No. 6 stokehold was dry. 14676. Did you understand at the time that he meant F deck? - I understood him to mean F deck. 14677. And are the gangways in E deck, the next deck? - Yes. 14678. Were you at all in a state of panic when you gave instructions that the gangway doors were to be opened? - Not the slightest. 14679. Did you have any consultation at all with the Captain when you gave those instructions? - None whatever. 14680. At the time you gave those instructions to the Boatswain did you notice whether there was any list at all on the ship? - No, I did not notice. 14681. How soon after you gave those instructions did you notice there was a list to port? - I think I have explained that in my evidence, that it was at No. 6 boat, I think, where I first noticed the list. 14682. At which boat were you when you gave instructions to the Boatswain to open the gangway doors? - I think I have also explained that - at No. 6. 14683. Now you have explained that it took you some 20 minutes to half an hour to get No. 6 boat uncovered and lowered; at what stage of that process did you give instructions to the Boatswain? - I could not say. 14684. At what stage did you notice the list to port? - I could not say. 14685. Can you say whether you noticed a list to port before or after you had given instructions to the boatswain? - That I could not say with certainty either. 14686. Has it occurred to you that if the ship struck on the starboard side it was a very extraordinary thing that there should have been a list to port? - No. 14687. Why not? - Why not extraordinary? 14688. Yes? - Because she fills up both sides equally. 14689. Does she, if there is an aperture on one side, does not she usually list to the side from which the water is pouring in? - Not necessarily. 14690. I did not say necessarily? - No. 14691. You would expect there would be a list to that side in which the water comes in, would you not? - No. 14692. Why not? - Why should I? 14693. Well, I am asking you? - I am sorry I cannot explain. 14694. You must have some ground for taking a certain view. You say that you would not expect a list to that side at which the water came in. The Commissioner: No, he did not say that. He said, not necessarily. I understand him to mean that the fact that there was a hole on one side would not necessarily mean that there would be a