Page 95 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 23 - 26

23753. You have heard the distance at which it is said that this iceberg was first seen on the “Titanic.” Do you know it? - I do not know it. 23754. At any rate not further than half a mile. The exact distance I agree is difficult to state, but not further than half a mile it is said to have been. The Commissioner: I should have said not so much. 23755. (The Attorney-General.) I am putting it at the extreme purposely. That is the extreme distance at which it is put. (To the Witness.) Suppose it was a little less than half a mile, can you account for the look-out man not having seen it if it was a clear night? - No. 23756. And supposing it was a clear night, no haze, ought the look-out men in the crow’s-nest to have seen it? - They should have done, I should imagine. 23757. And if the iceberg is 60 to 80 feet high from the water level, at what distance do you think it ought to have been seen? - My experience would be that you would see it at least two miles. 23758. At least two miles? - Yes. 23759. (The Commissioner.) Then ought not the men on the bridge to see it? - Yes. 23760. They ought to see it? - Yes. 23761. At the same distance? - Yes. 23762. Have you seen black ice? - No, my Lord; I have not seen black ice, but the ice varies considerably in its appearance. 23763. Have you seen many icebergs? - Yes, my Lord. 23764. And you have never seen a black iceberg? - No. Examined by Mr. SCANLAN. 23765. If there is any difficulty at all in seeing ahead at night, would it be in accordance with your practice to double the look-out? - Yes. 23766. You think that would be the proper thing to do? - If there was any haze at all, yes, immediately. 23767. Apart from haze, if there was what has been described here as a flat calm and the conditions were such that it would be more difficult than on an ordinary clear night to see an iceberg ahead, would you double the look-outs? - Not in perfectly clear weather. 23768. If it is calm is it more difficult to see an iceberg? - I have not found it so. 23769. (The Commissioner.) Do you think it is more difficult to see an iceberg when the sea is flat and with the weather quite clear? Do you think the flat sea prevents you from seeing an iceberg as readily as you would do if the sea were rough or rippled? - No. 23770. You do not believe in that? - No. 23771. (Mr. Scanlan.) If any condition of the weather prevented you from seeing clearly you would double the look-out? - Decidedly. 23772. If at night ice was reported ahead of you in the track which you were taking would you double the look-out? - No; not if it was clear. Then you do not agree with the last Witness? The Commissioner: What did the last Witness say? Sir Robert Finlay: The last Witness is in a different trade. Mr. Scanlan: I think he said if the weather was clear, if ice was reported to him at night, he would put a man on the stem head. Sir Robert Finlay: No, he said the opposite. The Commissioner: What he said was he would tell the officer and the man on the look-out to be alert. The Attorney-General: It is not quite what this Captain has said, but I think my friend is right,