Page 141 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22
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22051. “And that during the day he” - that is the “Titanic”? - Yes. 22052. The operator - “was very busy with Cape Race. Time of communication, 7.50 p.m. New York time (9.40 ship’s) sending ice report, after which he went on working to Cape Race again”? - That is so. 22053. That is subscribed by you? - Yes. 22054. Then is this a copy of your log with regard to these messages on the “Mesaba”? (The document was handed to the Witness.) - Yes, that is simplified. 22055. That is what? - It is the log simplified. There are no technical words in that. I have taken out the technical words. 22056. (The Attorney-General.) Is that the same as what you call procès-verbal, only in ordinary language? - Yes, but that is not the original. Sir Robert Finlay: This is not the original, but a copy. The Commissioner: It is not even a copy. 22057. (The Attorney-General.) It is a translation. The Witness: Yes, it is a translation. The Commissioner: A paraphrase of it. 22058. (Sir Robert Finlay.) The only other entry I will read is the one opposite the hour 7.50 relating to this message: “Exchanged. T.R.’s with s.s. ‘Titanic’ bound West, sent ice report, standing by while ‘Titanic’ calls Cape Race.” What does “standing by” mean? - “Standing by” means keeping on the instruments waiting for him to finish calling Cape Race. 22059. That he was in communication with Cape Race, and you were kept waiting while he went on communicating with Cape Race - is that it? - No, not necessarily. I sent that message, and when I said “standing by” - that should read as waiting for a reply. I had had a received signal from the “Titanic,” but I was waiting for a probable reply from the Captain. 22060. I see, it is quite right as it stands - “standing by while ‘Titanic’ calls, Cape Race”? - Yes. 22061. That means that you were kept waiting. You got no answer from the Captain and you waited for some time while the “Titanic” was working with Cape Race? - Calling Cape Race. 22062. And the answer never came? - The answer never came. 22063. (The Commissioner.) I thought an answer did come then? - Yes, but that was the operator’s. 22064. And you waited for the answer to come, possibly expecting - I do not know - that an answer would come from the Captain of the “Titanic”? - Yes, sir. 22065. It did not come from the Captain? - It did not. 22066. It came from the operator? - I should have had that in any case, but I thought that the Captain of the “Titanic” would have some news to communicate to us. 22067. (Sir Robert Finlay.) I think the two messages are here. The “Received thanks” came from the operator? - From the operator. 22068. As soon as you sent your message? - As soon as I sent my message. 22069. Then you kept on waiting, thinking that there might be a message from the Captain of the “Titanic”? - Yes, to the Captain of the “Mesaba.” 22070. And that never came? - That never came. The Commissioner: That rather bears out the view that I am at present disposed to take about the “Mesaba’s” message - that it never left the Marconi room on the “Titanic” at all. 22071. (Sir Robert Finlay.) Yes, my Lord. (To the Witness.) Just one other question. You said something about combining two messages into your message to the “Titanic”? - That is so. 22072. What were the two messages which you combined? - They were both reports of ice. 22073. Have you got them? I want to see them? - No, I have not. I copied them out on a special form, and got the Captain’s authorisation to send them, and then I destroyed the two pieces of
