Page 42 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 27 - 31

25506. You had not seen those till daylight? - No, we had not seen those till daylight; they were too far away. 25507. As I understand, from what you tell us, you saw six bergs from a quarter to 3 to 4 o’clock? - Yes, we passed those to get up to the position. 25508. The number of icebergs of which you have told us, you did not detect at all in the night? - Well, we passed a lot of them on our way to the position; we must have done, because they were astern of us; they were all round us. 25509. That is what made me ask you the question; because it would seem to indicate you were in amongst the icebergs without knowing it? - Yes, we had not the faintest idea. 25510. And, therefore, they were not easy to pick up by the eye? - No, they were very hard to pick up, as a matter of fact. 25511. We know the one you have told my Lord in detail about was only a quarter of a mile off; were the others close to you? - Do you mean the others that we saw? 25512. No; what I want to know is this: When it got daylight, as I understand you, there were a number of icebergs all round you? - Yes. 25513. Of which really you had only seen, so far as you know, this one which you had starboarded to avoid, when you were going to pick the boat up? - Yes. 25514. You had only detected that one in the night? - No, those that we saw on our way to the position were included in those we could see at daylight. We must have passed some of those on our way, because they were right in the course which we had come. 25515. Did I understand there were six altogether that you saw? - Yes, that we knew of. 25516. I am dealing with the number of icebergs you saw. From a quarter to 3 to 4 o’clock you picked up with the eye six icebergs? - Yes. 25517. When it cleared up and got daylight, and you were more or less in the same place, you found yourself surrounded by icebergs? - Yes. 25518. You have told us there were a great many, and some of them 150 to 200 feet high? - Yes. 25519. But the point I wanted to be quite clear about was that these icebergs must have been close to you without your seeing them? - They must have been, yes. 25520. I wanted to know if you could tell us how far off the nearest one was, leaving out the one which was only a quarter of a mile from you, of which you have told us in detail? How far off was the nearest berg, so far as you can tell us, of 150 to 200 feet high when full daylight came and you could see plainly? - Somewhere about three or four miles. 25521. That would be about the closest? - Yes, that would be about the nearest. 25522. That would seem to indicate that it must have been particularly difficult to pick them up by the eye that night? - Under certain circumstances, yes. Of course, it all depends what you are looking for. If you know what you are looking for, you pick them up better than a man who does not know what he is looking for. 25523. Was there anything, so far as you know, peculiar in the atmospheric conditions that night? - No, I never saw a clearer night. It was a beautiful night. 25524. So far as you could see, you ought to have been able to pick them up easily, or comparatively easily? - Comparatively easily, yes. 25525. If you are looking out for them? - If you are looking out for them. 25526. If you are not particularly directing your attention to picking up icebergs, you might not see them, although they are close to you? - That is so. May I give you one more instance? 25527. Yes, do. - We starboarded for this iceberg, which we saw ahead. When daylight broke and we were picking up the passengers from the first boat, I was looking round and 200 yards on my port quarters I saw a lump of ice twenty feet long and ten feet high, which we had not seen at all.