Page 67 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

understand. Mr. Turnbull tells me that this procès-verbal, the second part of it, when times come, is accurate as regards times, but it is built up from the records of various ships. As your Lordship was told yesterday, the procès-verbals all go into the office, and they have pieced together the entries of different ships, so as to give us a chronological statement. The Commissioner: This paper is incorrectly headed “Procès-verbal of the s.s. ‘Carpathia.’” The Solicitor-General: It is, my Lord. The Commissioner: It is a mixture. The Solicitor-General: Yes; it is none the worse for that, only it is not accurately described as the “procès-verbal of the ‘Carpathia.’” I will take one instance which strikes one. Take: “12.28 am. - ‘Titanic’ calls ‘C.Q.D.’ His signals blurred and end abruptly.” I have in my hand the procès-verbal of the “Virginian,” and the “Virginian” gentleman apparently kept it right through this time. He did not break off like Mr. Cottam. Here, I see, “12.27” - The Commissioner: The “Virginian,” I suppose, was out of reach. The Solicitor-General: She did not, of course, get to her, but she could hear, and it reads, “12.27 M.G.Y.” (that, I think, means the “Titanic”) “calls C.Q.” - it says “C.Q.” here - “unable to make out his signal; ended very abruptly, as if power suddenly switched off. His spark rather blurred or ragged. Called M.G.Y. and suggested he should try emergency set, but heard no response.” The Commissioner: Very well. This document is evidently a shortened account of the messages received by different ships. The Solicitor-General: That is it. The Commissioner: After the time when this gentleman stopped recording in the procès-verbal of the “Carpathia.” The Solicitor-General: That is right. I think your Lordship may take it that where times of the clock are printed on the document they are actually copied from an entry. The Commissioner: From some information from some ship. The Solicitor-General: Yes, from one or other of the ships. Sir Robert Finlay: It is a document of very little value. The Commissioner: Well, that may be. At present, Sir Robert, I do not see, except as part of the story, that it is of any significance. It is after the accident. It is part of the story, but it is really of very little assistance in this Inquiry. 17148. (The Solicitor-General - To the Witness.) After that time did you continue to try to call up the “Titanic” from time to time? - I did, at frequent intervals. 17149. And, as we know, you did not get any further communication? - No. 17150. I do not think we need go through what follows. You had a number of messages, I see, to a number of ships finding that they also were going to the same spot? - Yes. 17151. And when was it you heard that the disaster had occurred? I suppose you did not know till you actually came there and saw the boats? - No, I did not know that the “Titanic” had gone down. 17152. (The Commissioner.) There is this signal or extract, I do not know where it comes from: “Daybreak. ‘Carpathia’ arrives on the scene of the disaster.” What time is daybreak, New York time? - I cannot remember, I am sure. 17153. (The Solicitor-General.) You must have taken enough interest to see the boats when they came in sight? - Yes. 17154. Had day broken? - No, it was not daybreak; it was pretty dark when the boats were picked up. Day broke just after that, just after we had picked the first boat up. The Commissioner: It does not matter. 17155. (The Solicitor-General.) I do not think it matters at all. (To the Witness.) And the boats were picked up, as we know? - Yes.