Page 114 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 27 - 31

anything to anybody about the ship being doomed?” and he says, “The Captain did remark something to me in the earlier part of the evening after the order had been given to clear the boats. I encountered him when reporting something to him and he was enquiring about the men going on with the work, and I said, ‘Yes, they are carrying on all right.’ I said, ‘Is it really serious?’ He said, ‘Mr. Andrews tells me he gives her from an hour to an hour and a half to live.’ That must have been some little time afterwards. Evidently Mr. Andrews had been down.” Therefore, my Lord, the Captain a very short time after the collision, at any rate some time after the collision, knew that the “Titanic” was not going to survive. Now, my Lord, in reference to the knowledge of the “Carpathia,” it will be found from Bride, whose evidence on that subject appears at page 393, Question 16795. I asked him, “Do you remember how long it was after the collision when you learned that the ‘Carpathia’ was coming to your assistance? - (A.) The ‘Carpathia’ was the second boat to answer our call. (Q.) Can you remember how long it was after the collision? - (A.) No, I could not tell you; it was within a very short space of time after we sent out our first distress signal.” The Commissioner: When was that? Mr. Harbinson: That would be, my Lord, about half an hour after the collision, as far as my recollection serves me, and he says it was shortly after they sent out their first distress signal. The Attorney-General: I think 12.25 was the first C.Q.D message. Mr. Harbinson: That would be three-quarters of an hour. I asked him, at Question 16797, “And you took the message that the ‘Carpathia’ was coming, to the Captain ?” And his answer was “Yes.” My Lord, I think with that knowledge in the possession of the Captain, if there had been conveyed to the passengers the seriousness of their situation and the fact that assistance was near at hand, at any rate was on its way, the lifeboats would have been properly filled and a greater number saved. I think such information ought to have been given, and especially to these third class passengers, who, as your Lordship knows, were in a different position, both as regards environment and as regards previous experience of the sea, from the cabin passengers. The Attorney-General: May we get that time right? 12.15 is the message to the “Mount Temple,” receive from the “Titanic,” and 12.25 is the message from the “Titanic” to the “Carpathia,” which the “Carpathia” received. Sir Robert Finlay: My Lord, I would submit that the four following questions and answers ought to have been read. I think my friend stopped at Question 16797 on page 393? Mr. Harbinson: Yes. Sir Robert Finlay: Question 16798 and the following questions are these: - “(Q.) Now do you know if the Captain communicated the substance of your message to any of the officers or to the crew? - (A.) I passed the word myself as I went to find the Captain. (Q.) To whom did you pass it? - (A.) To anybody I happened to come close to. (Q.) Did you pass it to any of the officers? - (A.) Not to my knowledge. (Q.) But you gave it out that the ‘Carpathia’ was coming to your assistance? - (A.) Yes.” Mr. Harbinson: Yes, that is quite right, Sir Robert. My submission is that the Captain had the knowledge, and that the knowledge should have been communicated. That is my respectful submission. Now, my Lord, there is a question which has been dealt with, and I do not wish to take up any time dealing with it in detail, and that is regarding the despatch of these lifeboats not adequately filled. The fact remains. But might I refer just to one piece of evidence in connection with that, and that is to the evidence of Fifth Officer Lowe at page 368, Question 15906? “(Q.) Is it not the function of lifeboats on a steamer, as far as possible, to take away the full complement of passengers? - (A.) Yes, but I was going on the idea that the gangway doors were going to be opened and to take people from there. (Q.) And that was why you lowered the boats from the boat deck when they were not altogether full? - (A.) Certainly; we were not going to load a boat