Page 8 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

The Solicitor-General: Your Lordship sees the office wants such message for the sake of steamers. The Commissioner: Yes. The Solicitor-General: It is the centre of information, and this is an ice message, sent by a ship which has seen ice in the Atlantic to the American office which distributes news in the Atlantic. That is the point. I am going to ask the witness what the practice is as to this message being taken advantage of by the ships through which it passes. The Commissioner: I should like to hear it. The Solicitor-General: I am not going to press it, Sir Robert. Sir Robert Finlay: I do not know what his means of knowledge are, of course, but we are not before a jury. 16140. (The Solicitor-General - To the Witness.) Let me get one further fact of confirmation in order to make sure whether this message was, in fact, sent through the “Titanic.” Have you communicated with Cape Race and found out where they got the message from? - I have, I have a cable from them this morning. 16141. In your pocket? - Yes. 16142. What do you find from that? - This is what they say in reply to my question of yesterday. 16143. (The Commissioner.) Read your question first? - “Wireless station, Cape Race, Newfoundland. Cable immediately if you received telegram dated 14th April, addressed Hydrographic Office, Washington, from s.s. ‘Amerika,’ via ‘Titanic,’ and say whether direct from ‘Titanic,’ or through other ship. -Expands.” 16144. What is the answer? - Then I sent another one a few minutes afterwards. “Re previous telegram, cable verbatim service entries and text message originating steamship ‘Amerika,’ via ‘Titanic.’ Cape Race addressed Hydrographic, Washington.” 16145. (The Solicitor-General.) Now, what is the answer? Both your telegrams are answered in one document, are they? - Yes, they are. 16146. Let me hear what it is”? - Expands, London, from Cape Race. Received direct from ‘Titanic,’ 14th April, steamship ‘Amerika,’ via ‘Titanic’ ‘Amerika’ passed two large icebergs in 41 deg. 27 min. N., and 5 deg. 8 min. W. on the 14th April.” The Commissioner: Very well; that at present satisfies me that this message did reach the Marconi operator on the “Titanic,” and was read by him and was transmitted to America, and there it stops. The Solicitor-General: There it stops, as your Lordship says. 16147. (Sir Robert Finlay.) Can you give us the time when that reached Cape Race? - No, they do not state the time. 16148. (The Commissioner.) They do state the day? - They do state the day, the 14th of April, and that they received it direct from the “Titanic”; so it may be assumed that it was received immediately. 16149. (The Solicitor-General.) Now, let us get from you what is involved in passing the thing through the “Titanic.” The message as sent from the “Amerika,” as the procès-verbal of the “Amerika” shows to the “Titanic.” Has it to be read there and written down? - That message is a private message from the Commander of the “Amerika” to the Hydrographic Office, in Washington. It concerns nobody else. 16150. Would you mind answering my question, if it is an intelligible one. I understand from you that it is a message that is sent from the “Amerika” through the “Titanic”? - Yes. 16151. Does that involve its being read by the operator on the “Titanic,” and written down? - Oh, yes, of course. The Commissioner: You say, “Of course.” Are you sure about it? - It must be so, my Lord.