Page 93 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

12975. And you got into it? - I was told to get into it. 12976. Who told you to get in? - Chief Officer Murdoch. 12977. Did you see some ladies get into that boat? - I did. 12978. How many? - Two, I think. 12979. That is right. Do you know how they came to get into it? - They were ordered by Chief Officer Murdoch. 12980. And did three male passengers get into that boat? - Two male passengers, I think. 12981. Do you know how they came to get into it? - Because they were ordered by Chief Officer Murdoch. 12982. When that boat was lowered to the water, did you hear any orders from that officer as to what was to be done with that boat? - I did. 12983. What were those orders? - Ordered by Chief Officer Murdoch to lay handy for further orders. 12984. Now was that boat then rowed away from the ship? - It was. 12985. How far do you think they rowed away? - I am not much of a judge of distance, but I will give you a slight idea - say, about 100 yards. 12986. We have been told that a man of the name of Symons was in charge of the boat. Is that right? - Yes. 12987. When you got the distance you have told us away from the ship, did you see that the “Titanic” was sinking, getting lower in the water? - We could not realise she was sinking, but we saw her going a bit further down by the head. 12988. After a time did you see her go down? - I saw her go down. 12989. After that did you hear any cries in the water from people? - Yes, I did. 12990. Was anything said by anybody about going back in the direction of those cries? - Nothing at all. 12991. Are you sure of that? - Nothing at all. 12992. Was the man Hendrickson in the boat? - Yes. 12993. Did Hendrickson mention or propose going back in the direction of those cries? - No, no one proposed it at all. 12994. Did Hendrickson say anything? - Not that I know of. He was close to me. 12995. That is just what I was going to ask; where were you sitting? - In the fore thwart of the boat. 12996. Which thwart was he in? - On the fore part of the fore thwart of the boat. 12997. If he had said anything in an ordinarily loud voice would you have heard it? - I would, certainly. 12998. Do you say he did not say anything? - I would have heard it if he had said anything. 12999. When the ship disappeared and you heard these cries, was nothing said at all by anybody in that boat? - Simply the word passed through the boat to pull for a short time to keep away from the suction. 13000. Who said that? - I could not tell you; it is impossible to say who said it, but we pulled for a short distance away to keep clear of the suction. 13001. Was it one of the passengers? - No, it was not one of the passengers, it was one of the crew. 13002. One member of the crew did mention the suction, did he? - Certainly, and it stands to reason there would be a great suction with a ship like that. 13003. What was done on the boat after this? - We pulled away a little bit from the ship when we saw her sinking, which was a thing I do not wish to explain to you; I do not wish to give anything at all to you of an idea of the ship sinking, but I wish to tell you we pulled a little away, and the coxswain of the boat brought the boat round. I being in the fore thwart of the boat could