Page 53 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

was in at 7.30? - Yes, the stellar position at 7.30. 16935. The observations having been taken at 7.30? - Yes. 16936. In the absence of the Commander, would it have been your duty to open any message sent to the bridge? - I would have taken it to the senior officer of the watch, and let him open it. Very often on dark nights they tell us to take them inside, and we open them inside and tell them the contents of the message. 16937. But you have never heard of any such message from the “Mesaba”? - No, nothing at all. Examined by the SOLICITOR-GENERAL. 16938. You were one of the junior officers? - Yes. 16939. You are called the Fourth Officer. Do the Chief and First and Second Officers count as senior officers? - Yes. 16940. And one or other of those three, as I understand, is always responsible on the bridge? - Yes. 16941. So that you or any other junior officers would merely be there as subordinate to them? - That is true. 16942. You would never be in charge, I mean? - No, not at any time. 16943. Now I put to you the same question as I put to Mr. Lightoller. Can you tell us whether you know of more than one ice message? - Yes, the messages that I can recall are the “Caronia’s,” the “La Touraine,” and there was another ice message which came shortly after the “La Touraine.” I pricked the two of them off at the same time, but I cannot think where it was from. 16944. (The Commissioner.) “I recall the ‘La Touraine’ and another shortly after the ‘La Touraine’”? - Yes. 16945. “And the ‘Caronia’”? - And the “Caronia.” They are the only three messages that I can remember. 16946. Now can you remember anything about the message shortly after the “La Touraine”? - No, only this, that the ice positions which it gave were to the north of the track; they were in all three cases. The Commissioner: I am told the “La Touraine” was far away north. 16947. (The Solicitor-General.) I asked this witness the question before. Yes, it was a long way off. (To the Witness.) But you do not suggest that the “Caronia” message was so far away from your track as to be unimportant? - No, but it was to the north of the track. 16948. You say it was latitude 42, and latitude 42 is your turning point? - Yes, but that is longitude 47; that is two degrees east. The Commissioner: That would be 10 miles, would it not, north of the track? 16949. (The Solicitor-General.) As I make out, about that. (To the Witness.) But we have been told, Mr. Boxhall, that this ice tends to set from north to south? - Yes, with the Labrador current. 16950. So that it is coming down from the north in a southerly direction, and this is a message of ice in latitude 42? - Latitude 42, yes. 16951. About 10 miles north of the track you were going? - Yes. 16952. And a message is sent in respect of ice in that position two days before? The Commissioner: Is there to be any evidence as to the speed at which these bergs go south? The Solicitor-General: I do not know, my Lord. I daresay Mr. Boxhall can help us about it a little. 16953. (The Commissioner - To the Witness.) Have you any notion how quickly these bergs travel when there is no wind? - No, I have not. I cannot remember any details of the set of the current just at present.