Page 154 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

18768. You know now, of course, that it has come out in the course of this Enquiry that, except under the conditions which prevailed at the time of the “Titanic” accident, it would have been a very difficult operation to launch those boats? - In the case of a sea way? 18769. Yes? - It would have been difficult if we had only to lower them thirty feet. 18770. Yes, in heavy weather. Have you given any consideration to this question of launching the boats generally from a height further down? - We have not yet; we have hundreds of suggestions as to how we can lower boats. 18771. Instead of lowering them from davits seventy feet high? - Yes, we have had hundreds of suggestions how it could be done. 18772. Whether it would be feasible to launch them in a heavy sea from another part of the boat? - Yes; that we have not gone into. We have these plans. 18773. The collapsible boat that you left the ship in was launched from the davits on the starboard side that No. 1 boat was launched from. - Was it No.1? 18774. Yes, I think it was? - I think it was No. 2. The Attorney-General: No. 1, on the starboard side. 18775. (Mr. Harbinson - To the Witness.) Did you see No. 1 boat launched? - I did not. 18776. Were you on the boat deck? - Yes, practically the whole time. I did not see No. 1 go. 18777. At the time prior to your boat being launched, did you know whether or not messages had been sent round the ship to rouse all the passengers? - I did not know it. 18778. And you did not know whether all the passengers had got off at the time you left the ship? - No. 18779. You had a crew of five, I think, in the boat you left by? - I thought there were four. 18780. Do you know, as a matter of fact, that the No. 1 boat had a crew of seven? - I know nothing about No. 1 boat; I never saw it at any time. The Attorney-General: There were five in the collapsible. 18781. (Mr. Harbinson.) Thank you, Mr. Attorney. (To the Witness.) And seven in No. 1? - I do not know how many. 18782. You may take it from me that it has been given in evidence that there were? - Yes, but I know nothing about it. 18783. It does not strike you as a curious coincidence that those two boats should have respectively crews of five and seven when some of the other boats had not so many? - No. 18784. You told my Lord about this telegram that Captain Smith showed to you on the afternoon of Sunday, the 14th? - Yes. 18785. As a matter of fact you had discussed this question of speed with Mr. Bell in Queenstown. Now, would I be stating what was accurate if I said you were more or less partly responsible for the speed the “Titanic” was making going across the Atlantic? - I was not responsible for the speed of the ship in any degree. The Commissioner: That is not a question to put to him. 18786. (Mr. Harbinson.) I will put it to him in this way, if I may. (To the Witness.) Did you say in America on the first day of the proceedings: “It was our intention, if we had fine weather on Monday afternoon or Tuesday, to drive the ship at full speed”? You say there, “It was our intention.” You mean, I presume, it was the intention of yourself and the Captain? - It was the intention to run the ship for about four hours at full speed. 18787. You say, “It was our intention.” It was the intention? - Yes. 18788. I suggest to you, you were one of those who were responsible for controlling the speed and generally directing it? - No, I was not. The Commissioner: Oh, no; he was not responsible, and he had no business to interfere in such matters. Mr. Harbinson: Perhaps I would be more accurate if I put it in this way.