Page 34 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 27 - 31

25388. They might have used the one or the other. I see. Just tell us how you received that? - I was just in bed, as a matter of fact, and the First Marconi Operator came to my cabin and came right up to me and woke me - well, I was not asleep, as a matter of fact - and told me he had just received an urgent distress signal from the “Titanic” that she required immediate assistance; that she had struck ice, and giving me her position. I immediately ordered the ship to be turned round. 25389. That is the wireless which your Lordship sees. “Titanic” said, “Come at once, we have struck a berg; it’s a C.Q.D. O.M., position 41.46 N., 50.14 W.” The position in which the “Titanic” was when she struck the berg, according to that message, would make her approximately, not exactly to a mile, about 58 miles from you when you got the call? - Yes, the true course was N. 52 deg. W., 58 miles from me when I turned her round. 25390. At what speed could you travel? - Ordinarily about 14. We worked up to about 17 ½ that night. That was about the highest speed we made that night. 25391. You gave instructions at once, I understand? - I immediately sent down to the Chief Engineer and told him to get all the firemen out and do everything possible. 25392. And those orders were continued - that is to say, those instructions were carried out until the time you arrived at the position indicated by the message? - Yes. 25393. When you got to the position indicated can you tell us first of all, did you pass any ice? - I was passing ice. May I put it in my own words? 25394. Yes, do? - At 20 minutes to 3 I saw the green flare, which is the White Star Company’s night signal, and naturally, knowing I must be at least 20 miles away, I thought it was the ship herself still. It was showing just for a few seconds and I passed the remark that she must still be afloat. Naturally before this I had got the wireless message that the engine room was filling, so I felt it was a case of all up. 25395. That was the last message you ever got? - The last message I received was that the engine room was filling, probably not exactly in those words, but to that effect. 25396. You are quite right, we have the exact message. It has been read? - That was 20 minutes to 3. The Attorney-General: If your Lordship will look at page 8, the message in the middle: “Last signals heard from ‘Titanic’ by ‘Carpathia’ - ‘Engine room full up to boilers.” The Commissioner: I want to know, or perhaps the Captain will tell me: What do you read that as meaning - “full up to boilers”? I think we have had that message before? The Attorney-General: Yes. The Commissioner: But I do not know whether anyone can tell me exactly what the message means. What is “full up to boilers”? The Attorney-General: Your Lordship will see, as throwing a little light on it, if you look at the preceding page, the last message but one on page 7: “1.35 a.m. ‘Titanic’ time; ‘Baltic’ hears ‘Titanic’ say, ‘Engine room getting flooded.’” Then this message apparently is 10 minutes after. The Commissioner: Yes, but what does “full up to boilers” mean? Sir Robert Finlay: The suggestion was made that “engine room” there must have been used in a loose sense - it did not refer to the engine room proper, but to the boiler section. The Commissioner: That may be, and I think that is right, but what does “full up to boilers” mean? Does it mean the water was above the boilers or under the boilers? Sir Robert Finlay: Well, it reached the boilers. The Commissioner: Reached a set of the boilers? Sir Robert Finlay: I think so. The Attorney-General: Including all the boiler sections? Sir Robert Finlay: Yes. The Commissioner: It is suggested to me, Mr. Attorney, that it means this, that the water had