Page 47 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

(The Witness withdrew.) JAMES TAYLOR, Sworn. Examined by the SOLICITOR-GENERAL. 12008. Is your name James Taylor? - Yes. 12009. Were you a fireman on the “Titanic”? - Yes. 12010. Were you one of the people who were in this boat No. 1? - Well, I think that was the number. 12011. The starboard emergency boat? - Yes. 12012. (The Solicitor-General.) I propose to go straight to that, my Lord. (To the Witness.) Was Symons, the man who has just been giving evidence, in charge of that boat? - Yes. 12013. Who was it ordered you into the boat? - An officer. 12014. Could you tell me who he was? - No, I do not know. 12015. You do not know which one, but one of the officers? - Yes. 12016. And when he ordered you in, did you get in? - Yes. 12017. When you got into the boat, were there any passengers in it? - Yes. 12018. Already? - Yes. 12019. What passengers were in it? - I do not know. 12020. Were they ladies or gentlemen? - Well, I did not know when I got into it, but I saw who were in it after we got away. 12021. We know the boat was lowered to the water, and we know there were two ladies in it and three gentlemen passengers? - Yes. 12022. Is that right? - Yes. 12023. Where were you sitting in the boat when it was got down to the water? - Amidships. 12024. Do you know a leading fireman named Hendrickson? - Yes. 12025. He was in this boat, was he not? - Yes. 12026. Where was he sitting? - Behind me. 12027. Do you mean the next thwart behind you? - Yes, forward of the boat. 12028. Near the bows of the boat? - Yes. 12029. Were you pulling an oar? - Yes. 12030. Was there anybody else on the same thwart as you? - Yes, a gentleman passenger. 12031. You would not know at the time, but do you know now who it was? - No. 12032. Do you know now it was Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon? - I understand it is that gentleman now, but I did not know it at the time. 12033. You understand now it was that gentleman who was sitting beside you? - I understand now. I think Sir Cosmo is here now. Mr. Duke: Yes, he is here. (Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon stood up in Court.) The Witness: That is the gentleman who sat alongside of me. 12034. You and he were sitting on the same thwart? - Yes. 12035. And, as I understand, Hendrickson was on the thwarts immediately behind your back, on the thwarts next nearest to the bow? - Yes. 12036. Lady Duff-Gordon was in the boat; where was she sitting? - I could not tell you. There were two lady passengers, and I did not know which was Lady Duff-Gordon out of the two, and I do not know now. 12037. Was one of the lady passengers near you? - There was one next to me on the next seat, aft of me.