Page 230 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

15571. You heard the Captain ask? - I heard the Captain ask. 15572. Whether the warning bell had been rung? - Yes. 15573. You had already got that knowledge. Now you left the bridge to go down below to see what damage was done? - To see if I could find any damage. 15574. When you left do you know if the engines were still reversing or had they stopped? - I cannot say. 15575. Perhaps you can tell us in this way. Was steam blowing off then? - No, I cannot tell you that either. 15576. When you came back was steam blowing off? - Yes, it was when I came back. 15577. How long were you away, do you think? - I could not say. 15578. A quarter of an hour or 20 minutes? - Oh, no. 15579. Less? You can give us an idea - ten minutes? - I do not think I should be ten minutes. 15580. Something less than ten minutes; five minutes? - Somewhere between five and ten minutes. 15581. Now, having come back, then you were on the bridge obeying orders and letting off rockets? - I went down to the mail-room after that. 15582. Yes, you went down again? - Yes. 15583. How long before you went down to the mail-room again, 5 or 10 minutes? - Almost immediately. 15584. And then you came up again on to the bridge? - Yes. 15585. Not having been away very long, I suppose? - No, I had not been down in the mail- room very long. I spent a little more time there than when I went down the first time. 15586. And then you came up and reported to the Commander? - Yes. 15587. What did he say? - He walked away and left me. He went off the bridge, as far as I remember. 15588. He did not say anything to you that was fixed in your memory? - No. 15589. Now do you know if anything was done in regard to the collision bulkheads after that? - No, the last movement that I saw was the First Officer closing them. 15590. And you know nothing more about them after that? - Nothing further. 15591. Now I want to ask you one or two other matters. Certain orders were given with regard to getting up women and children, and so forth, between that time and the sinking of the vessel? - Yes. 15592. Did you know those orders were being given? - I cannot say that I heard them. I never heard an order for any boat to be lowered, or even for women to be put in. The only order I heard was clearing the boats, and then I was employed the greater part of my time with these rockets on the bridge. I know very little about it. 15593. Except the order for clearing the boats, which came very early in the proceedings? - Yes. I knew one of the boats had gone away, because I happened to be putting the firing lanyard inside the well-house after sending off a rocket, and the telephone bell rang. Somebody telephoned to say that one of the starboard boats had left the ship, and I was rather surprised. 15594. At their doing it so quickly? - No; I was rather surprised. I did not know the order had been given even to fill the boats. I reported it to the Commander. 15595. You had only heard the order, “Clear away,” and the next thing was a telephone message that the starboard boat had left the ship? - Yes; the starboard after boat. 15596. Do you know anything about any other general order that was given except the order, “Clear away”? - No. The Commissioner: What is this? Mr. Roche: It is to find out what information we can, or whether any orders were given to the engine room. Some evidence has been given by one witness - I think it was the baker - that at