Page 35 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18
P. 35
16557. (The Attorney-General.) To clear out - why? - It was very evident the ship was sinking. 16558. That you were to shift for yourselves - to do the best you could? - Yes; words to that effect. 16559. Do you remember whether at that time you were called up? - Yes; Mr. Phillips took the ‘phones when the Captain had gone away and he started in to work again. 16560. That was after the Captain had come in and told you to shift for yourselves? - Yes. 16561. When did he get to work again? - Of course I could not read what Mr. Phillips was receiving, but I could read what he was sending, and I judged that the “Carpathia” and the “Frankfurt” had both called up together, and the “Frankfurt” had persisted in calling and was interfering with Mr. Phillips in reading the “Carpathia’s” message. The Commissioner: The one message was blurring the other. 16562. (The Attorney-General.) I did not know whether your Lordship heard it. (To the Witness.) Did Phillips say anything to you about it? - Yes; he expressed his opinion of the “Frankfurt” and then told him to keep out of it, to stand by. 16563. He told the “Frankfurt” to keep out of it and stand by? - Yes. 16564. Did he then communicate with the “Carpathia”? - Yes. 16565. To the best of your recollection, what was it he said? - To the best of my recollection he told the “Carpathia” the way we were abandoning the ship, or words to that effect. 16566. After that did you do anything further? Did you try to call any further ships? - Mr. Phillips called once or twice more, but the power was failing us and I do not think we were getting a spark, as there were no replies. 16567. Why was that? - The power was failing us. 16568. (The Commissioner.) Where did you get your power from? - From the engine room. 16569. From the main engines? - Yes. 16570. (The Attorney-General.) The power was decreasing from there, and you could not get sufficient power to generate your spark? - That is so. 16571. Did you and Philips leave? - Yes, we left the cabin. 16572. What did you do? - We climbed up on top of the Marconi cabin and the officers’ quarters. 16573. That was right on the boat deck? - Yes. 16574. Do you recollect at all whether at that time there were persons on the deck? - Yes, there were. 16575. Many? You could not tell? - I could not tell. 16576. After you got on to the roof, what did you do? - They were trying to fix up a collapsible boat that was up there, and I went to help them. 16577. That was on the top of the officers’ quarters? - Yes. 16578. You went to help them? - Yes. 16579. Did you get it down from the top deck to the boat deck? - Yes. 16580. With all the men who were assisting? - Yes. 16581. What happened to it then? - It got swept off. 16582. That was the collapsible? - Yes. 16583. When it got swept off, did it float? - Yes. 16584. Do you remember at all whether this was on the port or starboard side? - On the port side. 16585. It was on the port side you got the collapsible? - It was at the side of the forward funnel on the top of the officers’ quarters. 16586. What happened to you - did you get into the collapsible? - Yes. 16587. Was it floating all right when you got into it? - It was upside down. 16588. Had it capsized? - Yes.
