Page 205 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

night. 15065. They would be visible at a long distance? - Yes. 15066. Whilst you were in the boat did you notice the “Titanic” sending up rockets? - Yes, she did. 15067. We have heard this in detail. Was there good discipline and order maintained in your boat? - Well, that is not for me to say; it is for other people to say that. 15068. (The Commissioner.) No, but you are asked your opinion? - As regards the passengers, yes, and the crew. 15069. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) I am not suggesting you did not behave well; I am only asking the question for the information of the Court. It is a general question asked with regard to all the boats. I am not suggesting for one moment that there was anything wrong. You behaved well, I have no doubt? - I do not know about myself; it is not for me to say that. 15070. You say the passengers and the crew behaved well? - They did. 15071. Well, that exhausts it. Now you saw the vessel go down? - Yes. 15072. What did she do when she went down; you were an officer, perhaps you can tell us. Inquires have been made of others. How did she sink? She sank by the head, we know that? - Yes. The Commissioner: Just describe it in your own way. Mr. Butler Aspinall: May I hand him the profile. 15073. (The Commissioner.) Yes. (To the Witness.) - Describe it in your own way. (The profile was handed to the Witness.) - That is the position I saw her in when we left. She gradually disappeared like that; she went right on end like that and went down that way (demonstrating). 15074. Did her afterpart ever right itself? - I should not think so; I did not see it. 15075. Before she finally disappeared? - No. 15076. Could you have seen it if it had happened? - I think so; I was only barely 100 yards away. 15077. Were you keeping your eyes upon her? - I was. 15078. You know this is suggested - supposing that is the head of the ship and going down in this way with the afterpart coming up in that way; a number of witnesses have said that before she finally foundered, plunged into the sea, the afterpart righted itself like that and then she went down. The question is whether you think that is true that she broke in two in that way bringing her afterpart level with the water again and then went down in that way. Did she crack in the middle? - I do not think so. If the afterpart had broken off it would have remained afloat. 15079. Not broken off, but cracked in that way? - No. 15080. At all events, the point is this: Did you see the afterend of the ship - you saw it up in the air - right itself and come flush with the water again? - It did not. 15081. And you say you looked, and if it had happened you would have seen it? - Certainly. 15081a. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) While you were in the water, before the “Titanic” sank, did you hear any hail either from Mr. Murdoch or the Captain or from anybody else to come back near the gangway? - No. 15082. Did you hear anybody on the “Titanic” using a megaphone? - I did not. 15083. Did you transfer any of your passengers to any other boat? - Yes, I transferred four, I think it was. 15084. Into what boat? - I am not quite certain of the number, but I think it was No. 7. 15085. Why did you transfer those passengers? - Because they had a less number of passengers in that boat than I had. 15086. As the “Titanic” sank and immediately after did you hear any screams? - Immediately after she sank? 15087. Yes? - Yes.