Page 245 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

deck. I stopped the boat there and asked them to look. 15902. Or on any of the lower decks? - I do not know about that. I stopped the lowering of the boat at A deck, and told the men to have a look there, and they saw nobody. 15903. There was no particular reason why that boat should have been lowered with only five passengers? - No particular reason why the boat should be lowered with only five people. The Commissioner: You are following a bad example, Mr. Scanlan. Instead of asking questions, you are making a statement, and I do not think your statement is in accordance with his evidence. 15904. (Mr. Scanlan.) I appreciate the mistake, my Lord. (To the Witness.) At the time that boat No. 1 was lowered there were still other boats on the starboard side? - That I am not prepared to answer; I do not know. 15905. I mean boats were lowered after No. 1? - I say I do not know. Examined by Mr. HARBINSON. 15906. Is it not the function of lifeboats on a steamer, as far as possible, to take away the full complement of passengers? - Yes; but I was working on the idea that the gangway doors were going to be opened and take people from there. 15907. And that was why you lowered the boats from the boat deck when they were not altogether full? - Certainly; we were not going to load the boat with its floating capacity from the davits. 15908. What grounds or evidence had you for the opinion you formed that there were going to be additional people put in the lifeboats from the gangways? - I really forget now. I must have overheard it. 15909. Do you remember whom you overheard saying it? - I do not. 15910. Did you hear any instructions given for these gangways to be opened? - Had I any instructions? 15911. Did you hear any instructions given? - No; but as I say, I overheard a conversation somewhere referring to the gangway doors being opened, and that the boatswain and a crowd of men had been sent down there. 15912. With reference to these boats that were lowered on your side at which you assisted, did you, after they had been lowered, take any means of communicating with those on board in order to have them filled up through the gangways? - Yes. I told them to haul off from the ship’s side, but to remain within hail. That is what I told each of them with the exception of the boat that Mr. Pitman went in. 15913. What I want to get at is this: You having formed the impression that the boats were going to be filled to their full complement from the gangways, did you take any steps to have the gangway doors opened or in any way to have passengers brought to the gangways? - Haven’t I told you that the order had been given to open the gangway doors by somebody else? 15914. Were there people collected, do you know, at the gangway doors that had been opened? - I do not, because that was in the hands of the Senior Officers, and I was a junior. 15915. Beyond lowering these boats and forming that impression, you did nothing to open up communication with the gangways and have the people brought there and lowered into these boats? - No, I did not. 15916. You just mentioned one fact that I would like to put to you. You say you saw five boats go away without an officer? - I did. 15917. Were there any officers there to take control of the boats? - How do you mean, were there any officers there? 15918. Why did these five boats go away without an officer? - Because I suppose the officers