Page 220 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

and Mr. Pitman said you called them? - I did. That was after I reported to the Captain about the mail-room. 15379. Could you form any opinion as to how long that was after the impact? - No, but as near as I could judge; I have tried to place the time for it, and the nearest I can get to it is approximately 20 minutes to half an hour. 15380. I think those are the times which are given by Mr. Pitman and Mr. Lightoller. After calling those officers did you go on to the bridge again? - Yes, I think I went towards the bridge, I am not sure whether it was then that I heard the order given to clear the boats or unlace the covers. I might have been on the bridge for a few minutes and then heard this order given. 15381. Had you a boat station of your own; did you know what it was? - I did not know what it was. 15382. We have been told it is customary for the Third and Fourth Officers to be assigned to the emergency boats? - Yes, it is for emergency purposes. 15383. The Third Officer was assigned to No. 1. Were you assigned to No. 2? - For emergency purposes I was assigned to No. 1 as a matter of fact, the starboard boat. 15384. When the order was given to clear the boats what did you do; did you go to any particular boat? - No, I went right along the line of boats and I saw the men starting, the watch on deck, our watch. 15385. Which side of the ship? - The port side, I went along the port side, and afterwards I was down the starboard side as well but for how long I cannot remember. I was unlacing covers on the port side myself and I saw a lot of men come along - the watch I presume. They started to screw some out on the afterpart of the port side; I was just going along there and seeing all the men were well established with their work, well under way with it, and I heard someone report a light, a light ahead. I went on the bridge and had a look to see what the light was. 15386. Someone reported a light ahead? - Yes; I do not know who reported it. There were quite a lot of men on the bridge at the time. 15387. Did you see the light? - Yes, I saw a light. 15388. What sort of light was it? - It was two masthead lights of a steamer. But before I saw this light I went to the chart room and worked out the ship’s position. 15389. Is that the position we have been given already - 41 deg. 46 min. N., 50 deg. 14 min. W? - That is right, but after seeing the men continuing with their work I saw all the officers were out, and I went into the chart room to work out its position. 15390. Was it after that you saw this light? - It was after that, yes, because I must have been to the Marconi office with the position after I saw the light. 15391. You took it to the Marconi office in order that it might be sent by the wireless operator? - I submitted the position to the Captain first, and he told me to take it to the Marconi room. 15392. And then you saw this light which you say looked like a masthead light? - Yes, it was two masthead lights of a steamer. 15393. Could you see it distinctly with the naked eye? - No, I could see the light with the naked eye, but I could not define what it was, but by the aid of a pair of glasses I found it was the two masthead lights of a vessel, probably about half a point on the port bow, and in the position she would be showing her red if it were visible, but she was too far off then. 15394. Could you see how far off she was? - No, I could not see, but I had sent in the meantime for some rockets, and told the Captain I had sent for some rockets, and told him I would send them off, and told him when I saw this light. He said, “Yes, carry on with it.” I was sending rockets off and watching this steamer. Between the time of sending the rockets off and watching the steamer approach us I was making myself generally useful round the port side of the deck. 15395. How many rockets did you send up about? - I could not say, between half a dozen and a