Page 99 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 23 - 26

Yes; the watch is mustered on the bridge, the officer inspects them, and instructs them specially to keep their eyes open. 23816. In your experience is the practice of all as regards speed, though ice has been reported, the same that you have stated, to keep up speed? - Yes, to maintain speed until the ice is seen. 23817. What do you think of binoculars for the look-out men? - I do not think they are any advantage at all. In the North Atlantic trade they would not be of much use because they are so easily blurred. Re-examined by the ATTORNEY-GENERAL. 23818. There is only one thing I want you to explain to us a little more fully. According to the view that you have expressed, you may have passed dark bergs quite close without seeing them? Is that right? - Well, it would be possible. 23819. It would follow from your evidence? - We are not looking out for the ice that is out of the steamer’s particular track. 23820. According to your view, an iceberg that had capsized might present a dark blue appearance? - Yes, that is as I saw it in the daylight. I could not say what it would look like at night. 23821. You have never seen such a thing at night? - No. 23822. You have never seen this dark coloured iceberg at night? - No; some are certainly more effulgent than others. 23823. When you saw this one which you have spoken of which had capsized, how high was it out of the water? - I should say it was 60 feet high. 23824. I suppose it is not a rare thing for an iceberg to capsize? - No; as soon as they lose their gravity they turn over. 23825. And if the ice is melting in coming further South there comes a point at which it does capsize? - Yes. 23826. And, of course, in the night if it is going to present a dark appearance like that such as you have described you said in the daytime, it would be particularly dangerous? - Yes. 23827. So that it would be necessary if you expected to meet icebergs at that time of night to proceed with great caution, would it not? - By my experience I have always been able to see them on a clear night. 23828. You see the difficulty from what you said that strikes me is that of course in all your experience you have always been able to see those that you have actually seen; but there may have been some that have passed you that you have not seen? - It is quite sure there have been some pass which I have not seen. 23829. It has been your good fortune that you did not strike them or they strike you? - Yes, but they would not be on my track. 23830. I do not quite follow. Do you mean that you would not expect to see one in your track? - Oh yes, I should be on the alert for it. 23831. It does come to this, does it not, that you would be on the alert looking out for these icebergs which you could see? - Yes. 23832. (The Commissioner.) Do you believe there are icebergs that you cannot see? - No, my Lord. The Commissioner: Will some one describe to me - perhaps you can do it, Sir Robert - how an iceberg capsizes and what comes up on the surface after it has capsized? Sir Robert Finlay: From some cause or other, breaking off the ice below it gets top-heavy, it turns over, and what was previously under water is presented above. The Commissioner: Does it ever happen when that takes place that the ice which is under the