Page 160 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

number of boats? - Yes, in conjunction with the shipbuilders. 18849. When you got into the boat you thought that the “Titanic” was sinking? - I did. 18850. Did you know that there were some hundreds of people on that ship? - Yes. 18851. Who must go down with her? - Yes, I did. 18852. Has it occurred to you that, except perhaps apart from the Captain, you, as the responsible Managing Director, deciding the number of boats, owed your life to every other person on that ship? - It has not. The Commissioner: I do not think that is a question to put to him; that is an observation which you may make when you come to make your speech. It is not a question for him. Mr. Edwards: I thought the witness ought to have an opportunity of answering before I attempted to make the observation. The Commissioner: You will make that observation, if you think it worthwhile, when the time comes. 18853. (Mr. Edwards - To the Witness.) According to your statement you got into this boat last of all? - I did. 18854. So that if a witness says that you, in fact, got into the boat earlier and helped the women and children in, that would not be true? - It would not. 18855. I suppose you know that it has been given in evidence here by Brown? - Yes. The Commissioner: What evidence? 18856. (Mr. Clement Edwards.) The evidence of Brown was that Mr. Ismay got into this particular boat some time earlier. On page 219, at Question 10520, the question was: “Was Mr. Bruce Ismay taking any part in connection with that boat? - (A.) Yes, he was calling out for the women and children first. He helped to get them into that boat, and he went into it himself to receive the women and children.” That is not true? - No, it is not. 18857. Now, it has been given in evidence here that you took an actual part in giving directions for the women and children to be placed in the boats. Is that true? - I did, and I helped as far as I could. 18858. If you had taken this active part in the direction up to a certain point, why did you not continue and send to other decks to see if there were passengers available for this last boat? - I was standing by the boat; I helped everybody into the boat that was there, and, as the boat was being lowered away, I got in. 18859. That does not answer the question. You had been taking a responsible part, according to the evidence and according to your own admission, in directing the filling of the boats? - No, I had not; I had been helping to put the women and children into the boats as they came forward. 18860. I am afraid we are a little at cross purposes. Is it not the fact that you were calling out “Women and children first,” and helping them in? - Yes, it is. 18861. Is it not the fact that you were giving directions as to women and children getting in? - I was helping the women and children in. 18862. Please answer my question. Is it not the fact that you were giving directions in helping them? - I was calling for the women and children to come in. 18863. What I am putting to you is this, that if you could take an active part at that stage, why did you not continue the active part and give instruction, or go yourself to other decks, or round the other side of that deck, to see if there were other people who might find a place in your boat? - I presumed that there were people down below who were sending the people up. 18864. But you knew there were hundreds who had not come up. That is your answer, that you presumed that there were people down below sending them up? - Yes. 18865. And does it follow from that that you presumed that everybody was coming up who wanted to come up? - I knew that everybody could not be up. 18866. Then I do not quite see the point of the answer? - Everybody that was on the deck got