Page 239 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

15739. Let me read it again. The message really gives you, as I understand, an oblong, a parallelogram: “In latitude 42 north to 41.25 north” - in two lines like that (showing.); “and longitude 49 west to 50.30 west.” The message mentions ice there. That means that you want to make an oblong on your chart, does it not? May I show you mine for a moment, because I am anxious to be sure that you do it right. (Showing chart to Witness.) I have given you my chart, and I want you to check it. You notice I have made an oblong on the chart, and I have sketched it in with pencil? - Yes. 15740. Just check it and see if I am not right, that that oblong is latitude 42 N. to 41.25 N., and longitude 49 W. to 50.3 W.? - Yes; that is about right. 15741. In that space the message is “Saw much heavy pack ice and great number large icebergs, also field ice”? - Yes. 15742. Is the space that was referred to by the “Baltic” within that oblong - the southern track between the two longitudes? - What are the two longitudes again? 15743. 49.9 to 50.20? - Yes, that is inside. 15744. The “Baltic’s” position is inside that oblong? - Yes. 15745. Is the position that is indicated by the “Caronia,” a position that is inside that oblong? - Yes. 15746. Is the position that is indicated by the “Amerika” inside that oblong? - Yes, it is. 15747. Is the position that is indicated by the “Californian” inside that oblong? - Yes. 15748. And is the space where the disaster happened inside that oblong? - Yes. 15749. (The Commissioner.) Then to sum it up, if these messages were received and were in the terms that have been stated by the Solicitor-General, this steamer was steaming a course through an oblong space, having received warning that there were icebergs on the north of her and icebergs on the south of her? - Yes, you are quite right in saying that the steamer sunk in that position. She sunk in that position. 15750. But she steamed through it did not she for some time, until she met with her doom? - Yes, she must have done. 15751. Of course, the whole thing is assumption at present, because we have not had some of these messages proved, but can you give me any explanation of why such navigation should exist? - I do not think for a moment that we had those messages, my Lord. 15752. I am asking you to assume that you did. I said that they have not been proved yet, but we are told they are going to be proved. Assuming that they are proved can you explain how the “Titanic” was allowed to find her way into such a region? - No, Sir, I cannot. The Commissioner: There are one or two other questions I want to ask you. I do not think, Sir John, the witness had better leave, because we may want him again after you have proved the messages to which you have referred. The Solicitor-General: Yes, my Lord. As regards two of them Mr. Boxhall has a recollection. 15753. (The Commissioner.) They are proved sufficiently already, but there are others about which he knows something. (To the Witness.) There are two or three questions I wanted to ask you, not on this point at all but on another point. You remember telling us that you first went down after the collision to F deck? - Yes. 15754. Did you when you went down to F deck get to bulkheads C and D - you had better look at the plan. You see the bulkheads marked there do not you? - Yes, I see them marked. Yes, I think I did, Sir. 15755. And when you got there you saw no damage? - No, Sir. 15756. There are doors in those bulkheads C and D? - Yes, Sir, on the port side. 15757. Can you tell us whether those doors were closed? - Not then, my Lord. 15758. Not when you were there? - No, that is shortly after the collision. 15759. They were not closed? - No.