Page 230 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 27 - 31

the officer of the watch. (Q.) What ship was this? - (A.) The “Minnehaha.” (Q.) What line does she belong to? - (A.) The Atlantic Transport. (Q.) Is she a mail boat? - (A.) No, sir. (Q.) (Mr. Scanlan.) As you have been stationed both in the crow’s-nest and in other lines on the bows, I want you to give us your opinion as to whether it would be easier to see the iceberg if you were stationed at the bows than in the crow’s-nest. (The Commissioner.) He has given you an answer to that which I believe to be quite true, that he does not know,” and there the matter ends. Then Question 2668 on page 78 Mr. Harbinson says this: “(Q.) I think you said that off the banks of Newfoundland on previous occasions there has been an additional man in the bows - an additional look-out? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) How many times in your experience? - (A.) In the Navy they have extra look-outs on each side of the foc’sle, and may be aloft as well. (Q.) But you yourself have seen it on boats you have been previously employed on? - (A.) Yes.” On the banks of Newfoundland they are liable to a vast amount of fog there. I think that is all in Lee’s evidence which has any bearing at all upon this point. Then Poingdestre at page 86. He is an A. B. and he says in answer to Mr. Scanlan in Questions 3153 to 3159: “(Q.) Well, you have done look-out duty, I think you said? - (A.) I have. (Q.) On the forecastle head? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) On what kind of ships? - (A.) On the Royal Mail boats, and also on the ‘Oceanic’ and the ‘Teutonic.’ (Q.) And those are ships which have crow’s-nests as well? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) On those boats has it been the practice to have, as well as the look-out man in the crow’s-nest, a look-out man at the forecastle head? - (A.) Yes, and the White Star liners always do have one. (Q.) From your experience, is the forecastle head a good place from which to keep a look-out? - (A.) Well, it is. (Q.) (The Commissioner.) Is it better than the crow’s-nest? - (A.) No, my Lord. (Mr. Scanlan.) Would it be better for icebergs than the crow’s-nest? - (A.) No.” Then if your Lordship will turn to page 89 it would appear he was referring to the practice in hazy weather. It is Question 3335. The Commissioner: What is the meaning of 3157? It is quite contrary to my notion of the practice of the White Star Line. Sir Robert Finlay: Quite contrary. But he is referring, I think, to hazy and foggy weather. The Commissioner: It may be, but I am sure it is quite contrary to the general practice. Sir Robert Finlay: It is, my Lord. I think it is dispelled on turning to page 89, where he explained what he really meant at Question 3335, he is asked by my friend Mr. Laing this question: “(Q.) Now, when you say that in the White Star Line they have a man forward in the forecastle head as a look-out as well as in the crow’s-nest, do you mean in dense fogs? - (A.) No, in any hazy weather whatever. (Q.) In foggy weather? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) Then they have a man forward on the look-out? - (A.) Yes, they generally put two extra men on the look-out.” The Commissioner: Yes, that explains it. Sir Robert Finlay: Your Lordship says: “There was no fog on this night, was there?” and the Witness says, “No, my Lord.” That removes the misapprehension which his first answer might have been calculated to create. Then there were one or two answers in the evidence of Mr. Lord, the captain of the “Californian.” I do not know whether I read those answers in his evidence when I was referring to him on another point. It is on page 163, Question 7041. The Commissioner: It has been read to me by somebody, but I cannot tell whether you read it. Sir Robert Finlay: Then I probably read it, my Lord. I endeavoured to read anything which related at all to the matter when I was going through the evidence. The Commissioner: But what I want is to have it on the Note. It is sufficient to indicate the Question. Sir Robert Finlay: It is Question 7041. That is what he did. It runs on Question 7056 on the same page. Question 7056 brings it rather to a point. (Q.) “Did you find it better for detecting