Page 250 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

lowered full of people? - Yes, I do. 16010. Did you see any one of them lowered full of people - I mean with about 60 in the boat? - No, sir, I could not say that I did. 16011. What in your opinion is the reason why the boat should not be lowered full of people? - The reason, my Lord, is that the boat is suspended from both ends, and all the weight is in the middle, and that being so the boat is apt to buckle, that is, break in the middle, and both ends buckle up like that (Showing.) and shoot the whole lot out of her. 16012. At all events you would not think it safe to do it? - No. 16013. How many were in your boat when it was lowered? - I mustered them when I got away from the ship and there were 58 passengers - that would be 65 altogether. 16014. That was lowered without buckling? - Yes, but I said I was taking on risks, Sir. 16015. Did you see the “Titanic” sink? - I did. 16016. Can you tell me anything about this righting of the afterend of the vessel; did you see that? - No, I did not see her right at all - you mean to say that she evened up on her keel? 16017. Yes, the afterpart of her? - No, my Lord, I did not. 16018. Did you see her actually go down? - I did. 16019. If she had righted herself in that way would you have seen it? - Yes, because I was within 150 yards of her. (Q.) And you did not see that? - (A.) I did not. (The Witness withdrew.) The Commissioner: Have you finished the officers now? The Solicitor-General: Yes, my Lord. What we want to do next is to give the evidence about the wireless messages, which will involve the calling of the gentleman from the Marconi Company, who has got the proces verbal, and will also, of course, involve the calling of Bride, the assistant operator on the “Titanic,’ who was saved; and I shall be able, as I am informed, to prove those messages which I put to the last witness but one. The Commissioner: I should think, Sir John, that that need not take very long; I mean to say, it is evidence about which you can lead the witnesses, and they are witnesses that probably will not require any, what I call, cross-examination. There will be no dispute about their evidence. The Solicitor-General: What I am proposing to do now - and I think it will probably help Sir Robert Finlay if it was done promptly - is to put in the box the gentleman from the Marconi Company, and show how I prove these messages that I put to the officer; and then, if there is any challenge about it, probably during the adjournment any further checking that is necessary can be done. The Commissioner: Do you mean to say you want to call him now? The Solicitor-General: If your Lordship wishes it I am prepared to do it at once. The Commissioner: What do you say, Sir Robert? Sir Robert Finlay: I have no objection if it will save time. I understand my friend’s examination will only take a short time. The Commissioner: It might be convenient that you should examine the witness to-night, and that any cross-examination should stand over until tomorrow. The Solicitor-General: Of course, my learned friend’s clients would wish to satisfy themselves that this series of messages got to their ship, and I want them to know why it is I suggest that they did get to the ship. The Commissioner: You had better, perhaps, call him now, and it is possible, after Sir Robert Finlay has heard all they say, he will not consider it necessary to cross-examine. It may be. Sir Robert Finlay: We will consider that, and if there is any cross-examination it will be deferred until tomorrow morning.