Page 210 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

give notice to the passengers - to rouse the passengers? - No; no general alarm. 15155. Is there any provision made on steamships of the “Titanic” class for giving a general alarm in times of emergency or danger? - No more than sending people round to rouse the others; that is all. 15156. Do you not think it would be a very desirable and efficient way of giving information to the passengers generally to sound a general alarm rather than by sending individual messages round? - No, I do not. 15157. I think you said that when your boat put off, that is No. 5 boat, you took some male passengers? - Yes. 15158. And at that time there were no women around? - Well, I saw two standing by, but they would not leave. 15159. Do you know as a matter of fact of your own knowledge that a large number of women were drowned in the “Titanic” disaster? - I have no idea how many were drowned. 15160. I did not ask you if you knew how many? - I have no idea. 15161. You do not know whether there was a large number drowned or not? - I have no idea. 15162. You have not heard? - No, I only know that there were 1,600 people. 15163. And you do not know whether many of them were women or not? - No. 15164. There is no question that on this Sunday afternoon you knew that the “Titanic” was entering into a neighbourhood in which ice had been reported? - No, we were not. 15165. You knew that ice had been reported from the “Baltic” and some of the other steamers which have been mentioned? - Yes, but all the ice was reported north of us. 15166. Do you agree that there is a tendency for ice to drift from north to south? - Yes. 15167. As a matter of fact, would it not be possible to mark with absolute accuracy on a chart the exact location in which you would expect to find ice? - We could not stick it down to a few feet. 15168. Or a few miles? - Yes, you could. 15169. A few miles? - Yes. 15170. You think so? - I do. 15171. You knew, at any rate, that at some time or other of the passage you might be in the vicinity of ice? - Yes, we might be. 15172. In view of what has occurred, do you not think now it amounted to culpable recklessness to drive the “Titanic” at a speed of over 21 ½ knots? The Commissioner: I am afraid you cannot ask him that question. He is not the person to find the people in charge of this ship guilty or not guilty of culpable negligence. Mr. Harbinson: I submit respectfully to your Lordship’s ruling. I was putting it to him more or less in the capacity of an expert witness. The Commissioner: You must leave me, I am afraid, for that. 15173. (Mr. Harbinson.) I will observe your ruling. (To the Witness.) Do you know at what time the course that the steamer was to take was mapped out that day? - Yes, noon. 15174. And, so far as you know, was the steamer’s course deflected at all from the course that had been marked out at noon; did it vary to the south, or in any way from the course which had been marked out at noon? - Yes, I considered we went at least 10 miles further south than was necessary. 15175. Do I understand you rightly that in marking the course at noon, the course was marked 10 miles further south than you considered necessary? - No. We had a certain distance to run to a corner, from noon to certain time, and we did not alter the course so early as I anticipated. Therefore we must have gone much further south. 15176. When did you alter the course? - 5.50. 15177. Who was responsible for the alteration? - The Commander.