Page 48 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 27 - 31

(The Witness withdrew.) The Attorney-General: May I just remind you of this. I only want to do it, so that my friends, particularly Sir Robert Finlay, may know. Sir Ernest Shackleton said this in dealing with the temperature point: “If there was no wind and the temperature fell abnormally for the time of year, I would consider I was approaching an area that might have ice in it.” If there was no wind, that is the point. Then he explained it more in detail. It is page 720. We are calling these Witnesses at the request of my friend, my Lord. The Commissioner: I was under the impression that the evidence was finished. The Attorney-General: Yes, so were we. ARTHUR ERNEST TRIDE, Sworn. Examined by Mr. BUTLER ASPINALL. 25618. You hold a Master’s certificate? - Yes. 25619. And have you been in the Atlantic trade for the last eighteen years? - Yes. 25620. And are you at present in command of the “Manitou”? - Yes. 25621. She is one of the Red Star Line that was spoken of by the last Witness? - Yes. 25622. You heard the last gentleman’s evidence. Is your practice as to reducing speed the same as the practice of the various other Masters in that fleet? - Yes. (The Witness withdrew.) Sir Robert Finlay: I am glad to say that after the examination of the correspondence and the logs, the statement such as your Lordship asked for with regard to other vessels has been agreed upon. The statement that was produced the other day has been altered in some respects after examining the logs, and we are now agreed that it is accurate. It will save a good deal of trouble. The Attorney-General: I will hand in a summary. I have not seen it yet. I see that the letters are summarised in a short table. The Commissioner: What letters are these? The Attorney-General: These are the replies that were received to the Board of Trade circular letter of the 6th June, which is the letter I read to your Lordship on the last occasion, when we had some discussion as to what was the answer received from the two German lines, as to the course pursued by them, and sailing directions. At that time your Lordship will remember, you indicated that they could not be put in unless my friend Sir Robert allowed them to be put in; he had the right to object. He objected then only for the purpose of considering the documents which he had not then seen. He has now seen them, and we have agreed upon the summary, and we have agreed upon the documents which are now being handed up to the Court. (The same were handed in.) Sir Robert Finlay: There is only one addition I want to make. Your Lordship will see that under the head of “White Star Line” in this statement in the margin is “Logs not sent.” The logbooks are in Court, and at the service of the Court. I have them here, and I will hand them up now. The Commissioner: Do not encumber my table with a number of things which it is not necessary for me to have. The Attorney-General: I quite agree. My friend can refer to them without handing them up. The Commissioner: I get them here, and then very often I do not know what they have been