Page 125 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

attention. 21831. And is that the way you distinguish it at night? - That is the way you distinguish it any time; you see the colour of it. It is differentiated from land in the daytime. 21832. Have you ever been very close to an iceberg yourself? - Not in clear weather. I have steamed in between them. They have been scattered all over about the course on either bow, and I have gone on my course steering between them, at nighttime. 21833. I should assume that was in the daytime from what you tell me? - At nighttime approaching Belle Isle. 21834. (The Commissioner.) Going full speed? - Going full speed. 21835. (The Attorney-General.) What is your full speed? - 18 knots; the “Laurentic” was 18 knots. 21836. That was on the Canadian service? - Yes. 21837. Of the White Star Line? - Of the White Star Line. 21838. (The Commissioner.) That is in the track North? - Yes, by Belle Isle. 21839. (The Attorney-General.) Where you would meet more ice and expect to meet more ice than on this track? - Yes. 21840. Is that your invariable practice? - Everybody’s invariable practice, as far as I know. The Commissioner: No, not everybody’s, because we have had evidence about the Canadian Pacific boat, I think it was. Sir Robert Finlay: Not on this point, my Lord. Mr. Scanlan: It is page 194, my Lord. The Attorney-General: Oh, certainly, we have had evidence about it. The Commissioner: I think the Master of the “Mount Temple” stated that he had standing directions never to go - Sir Robert Finlay: I think it was not to enter field ice, and that is why I said, “Not on this point.” The Commissioner: Very well. Sir Robert Finlay: It is on page 194. The Witness: May I say, in his evidence at Washington, he said he stopped when he came to the ice? Therefore he saw it before he stopped. The Attorney-General: It is Question 9263. You see I asked this witness these questions particularly about icebergs. The particular question to which your attention is directed is 9263. That does relate to field ice. I am going to ask you a question about that now. I think so far as the evidence goes we have had no evidence that steamers are stopped because they see icebergs. Sir Robert Finlay: Or are warned of them. The Attorney-General: Or are warned of them; but they do stop if they are warned of field ice or see field ice. The Commissioner: They stop before they come to the field ice. The Attorney-General: What I am referring to is this answer by Mr. Moore, the Captain of the “Mount Temple”: “We are not to enter field ice at any time, no matter how light it may appear.” That is what I had in my mind. Sir Robert Finlay: I think it stops there - they are not to enter field ice - because it is given more in detail in our rule, which was issued to vessels using that track, the Northern track, to Canada, and it was pointed out that even if there is a lane it may very likely be a lane which does not go very far. It is no use to enter the ice. The Attorney-General: It does not really stop there, it goes further. The next is: “When you got warning there was ice ahead, what precautions did you adopt? (A.) I simply steered down. I went down further to the southward,” and he says his highest speed was about 11 knots. Sir Robert Finlay: He is asked, “Did you decrease your speed? (A.) Not at all; it was