Page 11 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

Sir Robert Finlay: I do not know anything about it; I have not heard of it till this moment. The Commissioner: You see how it stands. A record from the “Baltic’s” procès-verbal of the despatch of a message, and then the production, as I understand, of the message sent an hour afterwards from the “Titanic” acknowledging the receipt. Sir Robert Finlay: Yes. 16183. (The Commissioner - To the Witness.) Have you the telegram from the “Titanic” acknowledging the receipt of it? - I have. The Commissioner: Let me see it. (The Witness handed the telegram to the Commissioner.) You had better look at this, Sir Robert. Sir Robert Finlay: Yes, my Lord. (The Witness handed the telegram to the learned Counsel.) The Commissioner: Just tell me if you are satisfied that that telegram refers to the telegram of 11.55 a.m.? Sir Robert Finlay: I see it purports to be sent off at 12.55 p.m. The Commissioner: No, a.m., surely. Sir Robert Finlay: 12.55 p.m., my Lord. The Solicitor-General: After midday it would be p.m. The Commissioner: Of course. 16184. (Sir Robert Finlay - To the Witness.) What time would that be? - New York time. 16185. By the ship’s time that would be two hours later? - Something like that. The Solicitor-General: I have marked the place now, my Lord, as best I can. The Commissioner: The Admiral has been good enough to mark it for me here. The Solicitor-General: As I make it out, it is practically on the southern track very slightly, of th course, to the east of the 50 meridian. The Commissioner: Yes, and, if anything, slightly to the north. Sir Robert Finlay: Yes. The Solicitor-General: A shade to the northward, perhaps. Sir Robert Finlay: We had better have the other. The Commissioner: It appears to me to be all in order. Sir Robert Finlay: That also appears to me, I may say at once. The Solicitor-General: Our information about the other message is in an affidavit that has been sworn by the Captain of the “Baltic,” and I am not sure that this gentleman has been able to trace it. Perhaps I had better show your Lordship what the information is. It is in paragraphs 2 and 3 of that document. (Handing the same to the Commissioner.) It does not profess to be quoting textually, your Lordship sees. The Commissioner: Have you seen this, Sir Robert? Sir Robert Finlay: Yes; my friend has just shown it to me. That is the affidavit? th The Commissioner: Yes. “The ‘Baltic’ sailed from New York on Thursday, 11 April, for Liverpool, and on Sunday, the 14th April, reports were received by wireless from a number of steamships of having passed ice and bergs in positions varying from 49º 9’ W. longitude, to 50º 20’ W. on the outward southern track.” That is nothing so far because it is not connected with the “Titanic.” “These ice reports were in the ordinary course sent out by the operator to all other ships with wireless, including the ‘Titanic.’ The messages were sent off shortly before noon, New York time, on 14th April. Our operator received an acknowledgment from the ‘Titanic’ about 1 p.m. on the same day.” That would be this telegram. The Solicitor-General: It looks like it, my Lord, certainly. The Commissioner: This telegram of 12.55 p.m.? The Solicitor-General: Yes. The Commissioner: I should think it probably refers to the telegram of 11.55 a.m. to the