Page 237 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

The Commissioner: I am informed that it would be slightly north of the top of the first U. 15708. (The Solicitor-General.) That is just what I mean, slightly north of the top of the first “u” in the word “August”? - Yes. 15709. That is right, is it not? - Yes. 15710. As far as your memory serves you. I understand that message was not brought to your notice? - I never heard anything about it. 15711. I have not proved that it got to the “Titanic”; I am only telling the Court what I am informed. That, your Lordship sees, is 11.45. Now I will take the next one that comes from the “Baltic.” The “Baltic” says that the message was sent and acknowledged by the “Titanic” at 1 p.m., to this effect, that a number of steamships have passed ice and bergs in positions varying from 49º 9’ W. longitude to 50º 20’ W. longitude on the outward southern track. You have the outward southern track before you as marked on the chart? - Yes. 15712. That is to say, after the corner as it were. Will you mark on that approximately 49º 9’ W. longitude to 50º 20’ W. longitude? - Yes. 15713. Now, just observe. Take the second of those longitudes. You know the longitude of the “Titanic” when she struck was, according to your calculation, 50º 14’ W.? - Yes. 15714. That is within six minutes of the same longitude? - Yes. 15715. Now, have you any recollection of that message from the “Baltic” at one o’clock on the Sunday? - No, I have not. 15716. Or of plotting out any icebergs on the southern track? - No; all the ice I remember plotting out was to the northward of the track. If it had been on the track or to the southward I should have seen fit then to call the Captain’s special attention to it at the time I put it on. But I just merely remarked to him that I had put down the ice we had had reported; whenever I did put it on the chart, I remarked to him that I had done so. But if it had been so close to the track as that I should have thought it an immediate danger to the ship. I should have pointed it out specially to him, and I never had reason to do that. 15717. Supposing that message from the “Baltic” was received and it had reference to icebergs on the southern track, your ship was only just a little to the south of that? - Yes. 15718. And are you clear that, as far as you are concerned, your attention was not called to any messages about icebergs on the southern track in that neighbourhood? - No, I do not remember anything about any ice on the track. I do not recognise that message either. 15719. You said if it had been so you would have called the Captain’s special attention to it. I want to follow what the method is. Would the Captain get the message and ask you to plot it out, or would you get the message and tell the Captain when you had plotted it out? - On one or two occasions, as to anything to be plotted on the chart, he has just left it there with a note for me, or left it in the hands of some one else to give to me to put down on the chart. I have never seen fit to go and find the Captain and tell him I had done it. I took the first opportunity I had of seeing him to tell him I had carried out his instructions. 15720. You are the Fourth Officer? - Yes. 15721. Was it your duty in particular to plot on the chart things of that sort? - No, I do not think so, but I just seemed to be the one that he told to do it each time. 15722. That who told you to do it? - The Captain. 15723. But the Captain could not tell you unless he knew the message was there? - Oh, no, certainly not. 15724. To whom did the message go; how did you get your orders? - On one occasion I remember he gave something - I do not know whether it was a derelict - there was a message about a tank steamer drifting around on the track, that was it. And he mentioned it to one of the officers and told him to tell me to put its position on the chart. 15725. Suppose that a message came at 1 o’clock in the afternoon of that Sunday to say that