Page 41 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

16699. I presume what you said was true? - Yes. 16700. (The Commissioner.) Then what you stated just now must be a mistake? - What was that? 16701. That this man had finished his work about 9 o’clock. - I said he could not have finished sending the batch of telegrams before 9. At the same time Cape Race would have a number of telegrams to transmit to him as was proved by the “Californian” The “Californian” said she heard Cape Race sending him telegrams. 16702. (Sir Robert Finlay.) You know Phillips was engaged in communicating with Cape Race right on from half-past 8 to 10 minutes before the collision? - Apparently so, yes. 16703. Well, have you any doubt about it? - No. I do not think so. I am judging by the amount of work that was got through. 16704. He was engaged during these hours from half-past 8 to 10 minutes before the collision in communicating with Cape Race these trade and private messages? - Yes. 16705. We shall be able to get all those messages, I suppose, from the Marconi Company? - Yes. 16706. There is one other point. You told us that the ship to which you overheard the message repeated from the “Californian” was the “Baltic”? - Yes. 16707. Have you any reason to doubt the correctness of what you said? - I have since; but at the time I was sure of it, as far as my memory served me. 16708. Still, as far as your memory serves you, it was the “Baltic”? - Yes. The Commissioner: Do you want to ask anything more, Mr. Solicitor? The Solicitor-General: There is one thing I am not quite clear about. I understand my friend is going to recall these two officers. It does not arise in any way out of cross-examination. It is the message which he does know of from the “Californian.” I do not myself quite follow at present what it was that he did with it, according to his own recollection, and it might be important. The Commissioner: He took it to the bridge and gave it to an officer. 16709. (The Solicitor-General.) That means he wrote it down on a piece of paper? The Witness: Yes. 16710. (The Commissioner.) And put it in an envelope? - No, that particular message was not put in an envelope. The Solicitor-General: May I ask about it? The Commissioner: Yes. Re-examined by the SOLICITOR-GENERAL. 16711. This is the message from the “Californian”? - Yes. 16712. And it refers to the three icebergs, and gave the latitude and longitude? - Yes. 16713. Did you personally hear the message? - Yes. 16714. Did you write it down? - Yes. The Commissioner: Which message are you now talking of? The Solicitor-General: The only one that he says he remembers - the one from the “Californian,” which says they had passed three icebergs and gave the latitude and longitude. 16715. (The Commissioner.) I understood he got that twice. (To the Witness.) Is not that so? - No, the first time I did not take it down. 16716. Yes, I know, but you received it. It came to your ears? - It came to my ears, yes. 16717. That is what I call receiving it? - I took no notice of it. 16718. And because you were busy you took no notice of it? - Yes. 16719. And that message contained, or there was comprised in it, the latitude and longitude where the ice was supposed to have been seen? - Yes.