Page 48 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

ship’s time would get to your ship about 11 o’clock. The Commissioner: Ship’s time? 16836. (The Solicitor-General.) Yes. (To the Witness.) Or something of the sort? - Yes. 16837. It was acknowledged at 9.44, New York time, and, adding two hours, will make it between 11 and 12? - Yes. 16838. You would have finished your morning watch by then? - I should. 16839. And you would be off duty? - Yes. I may incidentally mention the fact that I should be on the bridge between a quarter to 12 and a minute or two past 12 taking the noon position; I should be there with the Commander and the Chief and First Officers. 16840. But at any rate you did not hear anything of the “Caronia” message at that time? - Nothing. 16841. You did hear of the “Caronia” message at about a quarter to one, when you were relieving Mr. Murdoch while he had lunch? - About that time, yes. 16842. The next message in order of time that is suggested is the “Amerika” message, which merely goes through the “Titanic”? - Yes. The Solicitor-General: And that would go through apparently about 2 o’clock? Sir Robert Finlay: No; it ought to have been received about 2, but it could not go on till 8.30. It would be put up with other messages and transmitted after 8.30 to Cape Race. The Solicitor-General: You are quite right. It would be in the custody of the Marconi room at some time about 2, and presumably would be kept until they got into communication with Cape Race. Sir Robert Finlay: Yes. 16843. (The Solicitor-General.) When it arrived you were off duty. Assuming this evidence is right it would be in the Marconi room at 6 o’clock when you came on duty again? - Yes. 16844. You heard nothing of that? - Nothing. 16845. The next one is the message from the “Baltic” which, as I pointed out just now, would give the position of the ice at about 11 p.m.? - Yes. 16846. That message from the “Baltic” would get to your ship at about 1 o’clock? - I think so, 1 p.m. 16847. You would be off duty? - Yes. 16848. Do you observe that if you told Mr. Moody when you came on duty at 6 p.m. to calculate when he would meet ice, the “Baltic” message would be a later message in point of time than the “Caronia” message? - I see. 16849. Then the “Californian” message? - If I may interrupt you to make it a little clearer; when I gave Mr. Moody instructions (I think if I did not say it in my evidence, I ought to have done) I used words to the effect that would guide him to look for the earliest ice, to let me know at what time we should be up at the ice. He would naturally look at the easternmost. 16850. When you gave him instructions, as far as you knew there was only one ice message? - Yes. 16851. You did not know of two? - No. 16852. Then if I take the “Californian” message, it appears that that message passed at about half-past 7, ship’s time. That is right, Sir Robert, I think. Sir Robert Finlay: Yes. Of course, there is a conflict between the procès-verbal and the other witness. 16853. (The Solicitor-General - To the Witness.) You were on duty between 6 and 10? - Yes. 16854. So that that message, if it arrived at 7.30, would arrive during your evening watch? - Yes. 16855. But you are off duty at some time between 6 and 10, in order to get dinner? - Yes. 16856. What is the sort of time you are off duty? - Half-an-hour. I think that is 7.5 to 7.35, as