Page 223 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

15436. Had you put that in yourself or did you find it there? - There is always a lamp in the emergency boats. 15437. Lamps are always kept there? - They are lighted every night at 6 o’clock. 15438. Do you mean they are not kept in the other boats usually? - They were not kept in the other boats, no. 15439. Did you see any put in the other boats? - Yes. 15440. Was that by your orders? - Well, it was through my speaking to the Chief Officer about it. I mentioned to him that there were no lamps. That was earlier on, when they started to clear the boats. I mentioned to him the fact that there were no lamps in any of the boats, or compasses, and he told me to get hold of the lamp trimmer. 15441. (The Commissioner.) When did you notice this? - Oh, shortly after the orders were given to clear the boats. 15442. You said “in any of the boats.” Did you examine all the boats? - Did I examine the boats after the accident? 15443. Yes? - No, I did not. 15444. Then you cannot speak from your knowledge? - I examined the boats on purpose. The lamps were in the lamp-room then. 15445. The lamps are in the lamp-room; the compasses are apparently kept in some locker; that is right, is it? - Yes. 15446. (Mr. Raymond Asquith.) Did you have the lamps taken up? - Yes. The Chief Officer told me to find the lamp trimmer. I did find him after a little trouble. I really forget where I found him. He was on the boat deck working amongst the men. I told him to take a couple of men down with him and fetch the lamps, and he was afterwards seen to bring the lamps along the deck and put them in the boats. 15447. Do you know how many lamps were put into how many boats? - No, I do not know. 15448. In your boat did you also put in some green lights? - Yes, there were some green lights lying in the wheelhouse. I told the Quartermaster or someone who was around there to put them in the boat. 15449. Was any order given to you when you were lowered with regard to what you should do when you got into the water? - No, I do not remember any. 15450. What did you do when you got into the water? - I pulled a little way from the ship, probably 100 feet away from the ship, and remained there for a while. 15451. How long did you remain there; did you remain there until the ship sank? - Oh, no, I did not. I did not remain there very long. I got the crew squared up and the oars out properly and the boat squared when I heard somebody singing out from the ship, I do not know who it was, with a megaphone, for some of the boats to come back again, and to the best of my recollection they said “Come round the starboard side,” so I pulled round the starboard side to the stern and had a little difficulty in getting round there. 15452. Why was that, because you had not enough people to row? - I had not enough people; my boat was rather deep. I had only one man who seemed to understand boat orders. I was pulling the stroke oar and trying to steer the boat at the same time myself. 15453. There was only one seaman in your boat? - That is all. 15454. Do you know whether there was a man named Osman? - Yes, Osman or Osram, or something like that. [Frank Osman.] 15455. Who else rowed besides you and the seaman? You were rowing and steering at the same time? - Everybody was rowing with the exception of a male passenger. He did not seem to do much. 15456. You have told us there were two stewards or a steward and a sculleryman. They were both rowing? - Oh, yes, they were rowing.