Page 124 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

Yes. 21804. Since you have been sailing to New York do you remember sailing on any other tracks than the tracks referred to in the agreement of 1898? - No. 21805. Are they always followed? - They are always followed by our ships, so far as I remember. 21806. Now, I want to ask you with reference to ice reports. Since the Marconi system has been installed have you received ice reports by wireless telegraphy? - Innumerable ones. 21807. Giving the position in which the ice is when they first telegraph to you? - Yes. 21808. When you are approaching an ice region, that is to say, the position in which ice has been reported to you, do you take any precautions? - I take precautions according to the weather. 21809. Supposing the weather is clear? - We keep an ordinary look-out, which is always an excellent one. 21810. Do you mean the ordinary look-out in the crow’s-nest? - Yes, and on the bridge; and I personally stay round. 21811. You do not put anybody in the bows? - Not in clear weather. 21812. Not in clear weather or fine weather? - Clear weather must be fine. 21813. Do you mean not when you can see clearly, but when you have a smooth sea? - I do not take the sea into consideration at all. It is as long as the weather is clear. 21814. Did you proceed at the same rate of speed? - At the same rate of speed. 21815. You made no alteration? - No alteration. 21816. Is that the practice in your Line, so far as you know? - It is the practice all over the world so far as I know - every ship that crosses the Atlantic. 21817. To make no alteration in speed, notwithstanding that you may have been advised of the presence of ice? - Ice does not make any difference to speed in clear weather. You can always see ice then. 21818. The experience of the “Titanic” shows you cannot always? - There were abnormal circumstances there which nobody has ever experienced before. 21819. But you said you can always see it? - In clear weather I am talking of. 21820. Now I want to ask you, at night - supposing you are steaming at night, and it is reported that along the course you are following you will come into an ice-field, according to your view would you make any reduction in the rate of speed? - None, till I saw the ice. 21821. None till you saw the ice? - No. 21822. If you saw it too close it would be too late? - But you would not see it too close in clear weather. 21823. What? - You would not see it too close in clear weather. That is my experience. 21824. Of course, I am only asking you according to that. Is this right then? Supposing the weather is clear, and a proper look-out is being kept, you would be able to see ice at sufficient distance to enable you to avoid it? - Certainly. 21825. That is what you mean? - That is what I mean. 21826. Whatever your rate of speed? - Whatever my rate of speed. 21827. And supposing you have an iceberg which is 60 to 80 feet high from the sea level, how far off do you think you would see that on a clear night? - Six or seven miles, I should say. I have seen it 10 miles. 21828. What is it that you see; what is it first calls your attention to the fact that there is an iceberg there? - You see a light there; the ice is light. 21829. You mean light against the horizon? - It is like looking at that piece of paper on the wall; you can see the brightness. 21830. Colour - something which attracts your attention? - The brightness of it attracts your