Page 165 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 27 - 31

which I have before me, if I may show it to your Lordship. (Handing same to the Commissioner.) Then if your Lordship will also observe at the same time as that smaller chart is before you the position of the "Titanic" when the "Baltic's" message was received, reckoning in the same way back from the corner where she turned at 5.50, you get the "Titanic" at the time she received the "Baltic's" message at 45.40 W., 42.35 N. She was a little further to the Southward, and of course a good deal further to the West. The Attorney-General: Have you the Titanic’s time? Sir Robert Finlay: Yes, the "Titanic's" time was 1.42. Now, my Lord, the message sent from the "Baltic" is set out at page 377, Question 16176. It will, of course, also be in the collection of the various Marconigrams which has been printed for the convenience of the Court. The Attorney-General: It is not in the proces-verbaux, it is in "received and sent messages." Sir Robert Finlay: I almost think it might be more convenient to take it from the shorthand notes. The Commissioner: Perhaps it is. Sir Robert Finlay: "Captain Smith, 'Titanic.' Have had moderate variable winds and clear fine weather since leaving. Greek steamer 'Athenai' reports passing icebergs and large quantities of field ice today in latitude 41.51 N., longitude 49.52 W. Last night we spoke German oil-tank steamer 'Deutschland,' Stettin to Philadelphia, not under control, short of coal, lat. 40.42 N., long. 55.11 W. Wishes to be reported to New York and other steamers. Wish you and 'Titanic' all success. - Commander." That is the message sent by the "Baltic." The third message is the message sent by the "Californian"; that was sent a good deal later. The "Caronia" message reporting ice two days before, on the 12th April, was sent, as I said, at 9 a.m. on the Sunday. The "Baltic" message was sent at 1.42 in the afternoon, and the "Californian" message, the first message from them, which was given to the officers was at half-past 7 or 7.25 - it is variously given - on the Sunday. It was a message sent to the "Antillian" and overheard by the Marconi operator on board the "Titanic." That message your Lordship will find at page 201, Question 8943: "To Captain, 'Antillian,' 6.30 p.m. apparent time, ship; latitude 42.3 N., longitude 49.9 W. Three large bergs five miles to Southward of us. Regards. Lord." As I said, Captain Lord, in his evidence, gave the latitude as 42.5 N., but the telegram puts it at 42.3 N. I do not think for my purpose it makes any difference. It would make two miles difference, of course. The "Titanic" at the time she got that message at 7.30 p.m. would be in 48.12 W., 41.52 N. With regard to the "Caronia" message and the "Baltic" message the receipt is admitted by the officers and admitted on all hands. With regard to the first message from the "Californian," no officer has spoken of it, but Bride, the Operator, says he did take it on to the bridge, and, of course, there is no contradiction; so that it may be taken that message was received on the bridge. Bride, your Lordship may recollect by mistake - some confusion I should think with the New York time - put it at 5.30; it really was 7.30 or 7.25. Bride did say 5.30, but that must be a mistake. On the evidence, it stands that Bride gave it to someone, we do not know to whom, some officer on the bridge, at 7.25 or 7.30. The Commissioner: I think Bride says it is the only telegram that he had any recollection of. The Attorney-General: Yes. Sir Robert Finlay: With regard to all the other messages, that from the "Mesaba," which warned about that great oblong which your Lordship remembers is drawn on a chart which was handed up by my friend the Attorney-General, showing the great oblong which was first delineated by the Solicitor-General in the course of the case - The Commissioner: Do you suggest, Mr. Attorney, that I ought to take into consideration any other telegram than the three which Sir Robert Finlay has referred to. The Attorney-General: No, my Lord, we cannot carry them further than they have been carried. They got to the Marconi room, but this is as far as we can take them.