Page 38 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

11804. And that while you were within 200 yards of the “Titanic” the people were screaming for help in the water, and that the cries were heard by you and everybody else in the boat? - Yes. 11805. 200 yards? - No, Sir, over a quarter of a mile. 11806. There would have been no difficulty whatever in rowing back a quarter of a mile? - Well no. 11807. Were any of your passengers seasick? - That I could not see, Sir. 11808. (The Commissioner.) Did you look? Was Lady Duff-Gordon seasick? - Lady Duff- Gordon I could not see; you could only just discern them. The only conversation that I caught once was Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon trying to cheer Lady Duff-Gordon up. That was the only conversation - some words he spoke to her, and that was nearly at the break of daylight. 11809. (Mr. Scanlan.) You heard no complaint during the night that any of the passengers were seasick? - No, Sir, I heard no complaint whatever. 11810. Do you know that Hendrickson was sitting at the bow of this emergency boat? - He was in the bow. 11811-2. Was Hendrickson next to Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon - the next seat to him? - That I could not say for certain. 11813. Do you know where Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon was? - I should think from what I saw in the morning that he was about the second seat from forward. 11814. So that Hendrickson would be considerably nearer to Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon than you were? - Oh! Yes, Sir, nearer. 11815. I suppose there was a good deal of conversation in the lifeboat? - If there was any conversation it was unknown to me. I never heard nothing. 11816. I mean in the lifeboat, this emergency boat? - There may have been conversation between themselves. 11817. So that it is possible that Hendrickson may have said, “We should go back and try to rescue these people who are crying”? - Yes. He may have said it, but I never heard it. 11818. And Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon may have said, “It is not possible for us to go back”? - That I cannot say. He may have said it. 11819. When you say that you were surprised that no one asked you to go back, did you mean passengers? - Anybody, Sir. 11820. You expected - ? - Someone to say something. 11821. Some of the passengers? - I cannot say the passengers - anybody. 11822. Did you attribute to cowardice the fact that your passengers did not all ask you to go back? - No, Sir. I never had a thought in my head of cowardice. 11823. Looking back on this whole incident, and considering that you had a boat practically empty, with only five passengers, and accommodation for fifteen or twenty more, was it not cowardice that prevented the passengers and the crew from going back? - No, I cannot see that. 11824. Can you give any other account? Can you account for it in any other way except by the exercise of what you are pleased to call your discretion? - That is right, Sir. That is the only thing I can see. 11825. You admit it was cowardly? - No, I do not admit it was cowardly. 11826. Is not a seaman, when the passengers in his boat are in danger, expected to run risks in order to save life? - Quite so. The Commissioner: This is mere argument, Mr. Scanlan. Mr. Scanlan: I shall not press it further, my Lord. The Commissioner: Have a little mercy on the man. 11827. (Mr. Scanlan.) There is one point about your boat I want to ask you. Did you find this emergency boat properly equipped? - No, Sir; it never had no compass and no lamp in it. 11828. Was it deficient in any other respect? - I think - I will not say for certain - there were no