Page 76 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

17288. What did you do next? - I kept the look-out again. 17289. You were approaching the berg meanwhile? - Yes. 17290. Are you able to give us the distance, or about the distance, the berg was from your ship when you first saw it? - No. 17291. And except for what happened you have nothing to guide you as to the time either, have you? - No. 17292. We must get it from the events. Did you notice any change in the heading of your vessel after you gave this report? - After I rang them up on the ‘phone and looked over the nest she was going to port. 17293. You were looking over the nest. Were you still on the starboard side of the nest? - No; my place is on the port, but I went to starboard to telephone. 17294. Did you remain there when you dropped the telephone, or did you go back to your own place? - I went back to my own place again. 17295. It would be on the port side of the crow’s-nest? - On the port side. 17296. You saw her head turn to port, I think I understood you to say? - Yes. Was the vessel still turning to port when she struck the berg, can you tell us? (After a pause.) 17297. (The Commissioner.) Do not say you can if you cannot? - She went to port all right, and the berg hit her on the starboard bow. 17298. (The Attorney-General.) She went to port. Do you mean she had a slight turn to port? - Well, going to port. 17299. She was still going to port when the berg struck her? - On the starboard bow. 17300. When you saw the vessel strike you felt it, did you; could you see it? - Certainly. 17301. What did you see when that happened? Your vessel, as I understand you, was going to port. Then you say she struck an iceberg. Tell us what you saw. You were in the crow’s-nest, watching it were you not? - Yes. 17302. Did you see any ice come on the deck? - Yes, some on the forecastle head and some on the well deck. 17303. Could you tell how high, at all, the berg was? - No, I could not. 17304. You could not tell us in feet, of course, or measurement in that way, but can you give us any idea; was it as high as you were? - Just a little bit higher than the forecastle head. 17305. (The Commissioner.) Now someone can tell me how high from the water was the forecastle head? - I do not know. The Commissioner: No, you cannot; but someone can. The Attorney-General: About 40 to 50 feet, I think. Sir Robert Finlay: About 55 feet, my Lord. 17306. (The Commissioner - To the Witness.) This berg that you struck must have been higher than the forecastle head because ice fell from it on to the forecastle head and on to the well deck, so I suppose it must have been higher than the forecastle head. That would be so, would it not? - Yes. 17307. Now, how much above the forecastle head did this berg stand, about. Can you show me in this room, I mean. If you cannot, do not try? - No, I do not know. The Commissioner: It is far better to say you do not know. 17308. (The Attorney-General - To the Witness.) You will tell me if you can? - I cannot say; I do not know. 17309. Was it as high as you were on the crow’s-nest? - No, it was not. 17310. Not as high as that? - No.