Page 22 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 27 - 31

25280. (Sir Robert Finlay.) Yes, my Lord. (To the Witness.) Were you bound West? - Bound East. 25281. Did you send a wireless message to the “Canada”? - I believe so. 25282. You do not recollect it? - No, I cannot recollect it. I believe we did. The Commissioner: Then it comes to nothing. Sir Robert Finlay: It comes to nothing. (The Witness withdrew.) ANDREW BRAES, Sworn. Examined by Mr. BUTLER ASPINALL. 25283. Are you a retired master mariner? - Yes. 25284. You hold an Extra Master’s certificate? - Yes. 25285. Have you commanded steamers of the Allan Line for the last 17 years? - Yes. 25286. Have you heard the evidence of the last four Witnesses? - Yes. 25287. Is your practice when you may be meeting ice at night similar to their practice? - Just the same. I never slowed down so long as the weather was clear. Examined by Sir ROBERT FINLAY. 25288. And did you hold your course? - Yes, I kept my course. 25289. You kept your course and your speed? - Yes. 25290. In your experience is that the universal practice in the Atlantic? - I never knew any other practice. (The Witness withdrew.) EDWARD WILDING, Recalled. Further examined by Mr. BUTLER ASPINALL. 25291. Have you prepared a diagram which shows the turning curves of the “Titanic”? - I have got the results of some of the turning circles - in the first place of two circles which were made off Belfast Lough, one of them with both engines at full speed ahead, and the rudder put hard-a-starboard and the ship’s head turning to port; and the other one with the helm put hard-a- port, the ship turning to starboard and the starboard engine reversed to full speed astern. Both of those curves were at speeds of between 18 and 20 knots. (Handing same to the Commissioner.) I have also got the results of circles made with the ship, steaming at different speeds, the engines being kept at the same speed going ahead and the helm put hard-a-starboard and the ship turning to port, the speeds being 11 knots, 19 ½ knots, and 21 ¾ knots, and I have plotted the three different circles in comparison. (Handing same to the Commissioner.) 25292. Does that complete the information? - No, there is a little more information that I think the Court wishes to have. Since the accident, we have tried the “Olympic” to see how long it took her to turn two points, which was referred to in some of the early evidence. She was running at about 74 revolutions, that corresponds to about 21 ½ knots, and from the time the order was given to put the helm hard over till the vessel had turned two points was 37 seconds. 25293. (The Commissioner.) How far would she travel in that time? - The distance run by log