Page 36 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

16589. When you say you got into it, was that after the “Titanic” had sunk? - No, it was before the “Titanic” had sunk. 16590. How did you come from off the boat deck? - I was swept off with the boat. 16591. Was the water then rising all the time? - Yes. 16592. And eventually you were swept off and the water was rising? - Yes. 16593. And as the collapsible boat was swept off into the water you also were swept off; is that correct? - Yes, we went over together. 16594. (The Commissioner.) Just let me understand exactly where that collapsible boat was; was it in front of the forward funnel? - It was on the port side of it, right alongside of it. The Attorney-General: Your Lordship will recollect there are the two emergency boats on each side. 16595. (The Commissioner.) Which is the collapsible boat? The Witness: This one (Pointing on the model.) 16596. Am I to understand that at this time the water was flush with that deck? - Yes - no, it was flush was A deck; we pushed it over from that deck on to A deck. The Attorney-General: That is exactly what Mr. Lightoller explained. 16597. (The Commissioner - To the Witness.) Then the water was flush with the boat deck? - Yes. 16598. And swept this boat off into the sea and you with it? - Yes. 16599. (The Attorney-General.) Let us be quite clear about it. Do you know which is the A deck? - I have always been given to understand the boat deck was the A deck. 16600. That is what I thought was your impression. The collapsible boat you are speaking of was the one which was on the port side on the deck house. Is that right? - On the deck house, yes. 16601. (The Attorney-General.) Your Lordship will remember there is an emergency boat, then a collapsible, then one on the top and the same on the starboard side, and that makes the four Englehardt collapsibles. (To the Witness.) That one which was on the port side you got down from the deck-house on to the boat deck, as we call it, and then the water washed it off? - Yes. 16602. And washed you off? - Yes. The last I saw of Mr. Phillips he was standing on the deck- house. 16603. (The Attorney-General.) My learned friend reminds me, my Lord, that this is dealt with by Mr. Lightoller, at page 318, Question 14035, and this is what he said about it: “I called for men to go up on the deck of the quarters for the collapsible boat up there. The afterend of the boat was underneath the funnel guy. I told them to swing the afterend up. There was no time to open her up and cut the lashings adrift. Hemming was the man with me there” - (we are to call Hemming) - “and they then swung her round over the edge of the coamings to the upper deck, and let her down on to the boat deck. That is the last I saw of her for a little while.” (To the Witness.) You do not recollect in such detail, I understand? - No. 16604. You told us the collapsible boat capsized. Did you get on to the collapsible boat? - I swam away from it. 16605. Why? - I do not know. 16606. Then what happened to you? - I joined it again later on, three-quarters of an hour to an hour I should estimate, and I climbed on top of it. 16607. You got back again, or, at any rate, you got to the same collapsible boat you say three- quarters of an hour to an hour afterwards? - I should estimate the time to be that. 16608. (The Commissioner.) Had you a lifebelt on? - Yes. (After a short adjournment.)