Page 121 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

18199. (Mr. Dunlop.) Yes; and I suppose interested in rendering assistance. (To the Witness.) If there was any chance of earning salvage you, as a donkeyman, would be one of the persons interested? - Yes, Sir; but that is not the question; we are not talking about salvage. 18200. (The Commissioner.) Have you ever benefited by a salvage action? - No, Sir. The Commissioner: You are living in hopes, I suppose. 18201. (Mr. Dunlop.) You have not taken part in one? - No. 18202. But I suppose, like all seamen, you are on the outlook to get a bit out of a salvage service if you can render assistance to a vessel in distress? - In the first place, we have to render the assistance, and what is coming to us afterwards - well, we get it. 18203. When you were lying stationary that night in the ice did you appreciate that you were waiting there till daylight because it was dangerous to proceed through the ice? - Yes. 18204. And when you went down to your room after 12.30 you thought, I suppose, that your vessel would not get under way until daylight? - I did not give it a thought. Examined by Sir ROBERT FINLAY. 18205. You saw the lights of this vessel, if I followed you rightly, on your starboard side? - Yes, on the starboard side. 18206. When you first saw these lights on your starboard side you had two masthead lights? - Yes. 18207. Not a sidelight? - Not steaming lights, not red or green lights, but plenty of sidelights, if you call them sidelights; I mean for illumination. 18208. Was the vessel that carried these lights moving? - Well, I did not stay long enough to see whether she was moving or in what direction she was going. She was there; she was a ship passing; and I had no interest in her, merely that she was a ship. She was a big ship, I could see that at a glance; in fact, I did not think she was a British ship; I thought probably she would be a German boat, and I made that remark to my mate as I woke him up. 18209. You could not make out whether she was moving or not? - No. 18210. (Mr. Dunlop.) There is one question I should have asked, if your Lordship will allow me. (To the Witness.) When you saw the lights of this steamer, how was she heading with reference to you; was she heading in the same direction as you were at that time? - That I could not say; I did not stay long enough to observe which way she was going. No doubt if I had stayed another minute I could have been sure of the direction. 18211. But you have, have you not, stated what the heading of this vessel was when you first saw her? - Yes, but, of course, they said was she moving. I did not think the ship would be standing still with nothing to stop her. 18212. Have you ever stated that the vessel you saw was heading in the same direction as the “Californian”? - Yes, I have made that remark. 18213. Is that right or wrong? Do you want to correct it? - Well, I am not sure whether she was going in that direction or not. On second thoughts I cannot be sure. 18214. On second thoughts you appreciate now that if that other vessel was heading in the same direction as you were she was heading towards Europe? - Well, I do not know. 18215. Do you think she was heading towards Europe or towards New York? - I do not know about that. I am not a sailor. I do not know anything about the latitude or longitude. My compass is the steam gauge.