Page 119 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

About that. 18149. And in the direction of this steamer that you were looking at? - Yes; the port side, too; there was ice on the port side. The Commissioner: Oh, yes, I understand that. 18150. (Mr. Rowlatt - To the Witness.) You went and called your mate? - Yes. 18151. Did you take him up on deck? - No. 18152. You only talked to him about it? - Yes. 18153. I do not think it is important to get what you said to him, but shortly after that did you go up on deck again? - Yes. 18154. And smoked a cigarette? - Yes. 18155. Did you see the steamer then? - No, I could not see anything of the steamer at all. She had disappeared. She had either steamed away, or I do not know what she had done. She was not there. 18156. (The Commissioner.) What time was this? - After one bell. Mr. Rowlatt: Between half-past 12 and 1. The Commissioner: I do not understand that. 18157. (Mr. Rowlatt.) Did you see anything in the direction where the steamer had been? - I had pretty nearly finished my smoke and was looking around, and I saw what I took to be a falling star. It descended and then disappeared. That is how a star does fall. I did not pay any attention to that. A few minutes after, probably five minutes, I threw my cigarette away and looked over, and I could see from the water’s edge - what appeared to be the water’s edge - a great distance away, well, it was unmistakably a rocket; you could make no mistake about it. Whether it was a distress signal or a signal rocket I could not say, but it was a rocket. 18158. Now can you tell me whether that was in the same direction from you as the steamer had been that you had seen? - It was slightly astern of where I had seen the steamer. The steamer was more than ahead of us, just on our quarter, as we say, and the light was more astern. It was more abeam of our ship. 18159. Do you know whether your ship was lying in the same position on both occasions? - We were lying there. 18160. Stopped, I know, but do you know whether she had swung at all? - I could not say; I do not suppose she would stop in the same position all the time; a current was running. 18161. Was the rocket in the same direction as what you thought to be a falling star? - Yes, in the same direction. 18162. Did you watch for any more? - I stayed for about 3 or 4 minutes after that, but it was extremely cold, and I was just dressed in a thin flannel suit and I did not care to stay any longer on deck. I went below. 18163. You did not see any more? - No, no more. 18164. The next thing you know was the morning? - Yes. 18165. What time were you called in the morning? - Twenty to 7 - 6.40. 18166. Was the vessel under way then? - Yes. 18167. You do not know how long she had been under way? - No. 18168. You were told then to hurry up and assist in getting the boats ready, and so on? - Yes, the Chief Engineer came. 18169. Were you out of the ice by then? - Yes, we had cleared the ice. There were some large bergs in the vicinity, but no field ice; we were clear of that. 18170. Then we know you came up with the “Carpathia,” and so on. I think you were served with a subpoena in America, were not you? - Yes. 18171. And was that the reason why you did not get back to the “Californian” before she sailed? - Yes.