Page 224 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

15457. With some difficulty you rowed round to the starboard side of the ship? - Yes, round the stern. 15458. What did you do when you got round to the starboard side? - Well, I stayed round on the starboard side, probably about 200 feet away from the ship. I found there was a little suction and I decided that it was very unwise to have gone back to the ship so I pulled away. 15459. A little suction? - Yes, there was a little suction. 15460. Why was there suction at this time? - The ship settling down badly, I suppose. 15461. Was it settling down rapidly. Could you see it settling down at this time? - Yes, I could see her settling down; I was watching the lines of lights. 15462. (The Commissioner.) She was settling down by the head? - She was settling down by the head, my Lord. 15463. Where were you at this time? - Just a little, probably 200 feet, on the starboard beam of the ship, or probably a little abaft the starboard beam of the ship. 15464. Would there be any suction there? - Well, I felt it; I saw it by the work we had pulling it round the ship’s stern; seeing she was only a small boat, I judged there was quite a lot of suction. 15465. (Mr. Raymond Asquith.) Did you remain in that position, about 200 feet away from the ship, until she sank? - No, I did not; I turned the boat away and pulled in a north-easterly direction. 15466. You mean, you pulled further away from the ship? - Yes. 15467. How far were you from the ship when she did sink? - Approximately, half-a-mile. 15468. That means that you could not see what happened? - No, I could not. 15469. After she sank, did you hear cries? - Yes, I heard cries. I did not know when the lights went out that the ship had sunk. I saw the lights go out, but I did not know whether she had sunk or not, and then I heard the cries. I was showing green lights in the boat then, to try and get the other boats together, trying to keep us all together. 15470. Were there other boats round about near yours? - I could not see any boats, not when I had got so far away as that. Some of them had gone in a more northerly direction than I had gone. 15471. Did you go back at all towards the ship, when you heard those cries? - No, I did not. 15472. Was any suggestion made of going back? - There was a suggestion made. I spoke about going back to the sailor-man that was in the boat - that was whilst I was pulling round the stern - about going back to the ship, and then I decided that it was very unwise to have attempted it. So we pulled away, and then we did not pull back at all. 15473. (The Commissioner.) What did you intend to go back to the ship for? - I intended to go back to try and obey orders that I heard given through the megaphone. 15474. Was that to stand by the gangway door or what? - I do not know whether it was to stand by the gangway door; I do not remember any gangway doors being open. 15475. What were the orders? - Just simply to come round to the starboard side. 15476. Why was it dangerous to try to do that; was it the suction? - The suction and the chance of the boat, by not being properly manned, being rushed and losing everybody in the boat. I did not think it was possible to get any more than three people in the boat. 15477. Three more people? - Yes, I thought I could get about three more in, and that is all. I gave the men orders I intended to put the boat bow-on to the ship, and I gave orders to back water as soon as I told them. 15478. (Mr. Raymond Asquith.) So you did not go back? - No. 15479. Did not you see anyone in the water at all? - No, there was no one in the water at all. 15480. Did you see people in the water later? - No, I did not see anyone in the water at all. 15481. You never picked anyone up? - No, I did not. 15482. Did you meet with any of the other boats later on? - I did not see any boat near us,