Page 49 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 27 - 31

handed in for. Sir Robert Finlay: I entirely sympathise with that point of view. The Attorney-General: We may treat them as in, and my friend can refer to any part of them if he wishes. The Commissioner: And you will understand I shall not refer to any part of them unless you draw my attention to them. Sir Robert Finlay: I do not know that it will be necessary to refer to them. I only wish it to be understood the logbooks are here. Sir Robert Finlay: May I indicate what this table is? I think one has been handed up to each of the Assessors as well as your Lordship; the first, “Particulars of vessels in neighbourhood of disaster,” you have first there in the summary, the Leyland Line. There is the “Californian” - of course that is already dealt with in the Enquiry - “Instructions to Commanders of vessels: The Commanders must run no risk which might by any possibility result in accident to their ships.” That is a summary. The letter is actually here in the documents, but your Lordship really has got enough of it when you have that summary, which is an agreed summary. Then there are the logbooks, showing what has happened with regard to them. Then if you take the Anchor Line, the next one, “No vessels in actual vicinity but ‘Caledonia’ was warned by wireless of field ice; course altered to southward to avoid it. Sighted ice 9th April.” “Instructions to Commanders: Course to be altered on ice being seen or reported. In the event of fog, speed to be reduced. No book of Instructions and Regulations sent; log not sent,” and so forth. The Commissioner: Where does the Anchor Line trade to? The Attorney-General: I think it is Glasgow to New York - Glasgow to the United States, certainly. I am told that they also trade to the Canadian ports, and that we do not quite know what track she was on. The Commissioner: I thought so. That would make a difference. The Attorney-General: I see what is in your Lordship’s mind, and it may be necessary to enquire into it. Of course, these are the general instructions which are given to the Commanders of both. The Commissioner: I think the Instructions, so far as they refer to ice, would apply more particularly to the voyages to Canada. The Attorney-General: I agree, my Lord, to the extent that you would more probably meet ice on that voyage. The Commissioner: For instance, in the Leyland Line, which I do not believe goes to Canada at all, there are no such words. There are no specific references to ice. The Attorney-General: No. The Allan Line, which is a Canadian Line, specifically does mention it. The Commissioner: Yes, that is another Canadian Line. The Attorney-General: Your Lordship will remember that the White Star Line also itself has special regulations with regard to entering ice on the Canadian Line. The Commissioner: Yes. And then the Canadian Pacific, again. The Attorney-General: They do not seem to make any special reference to ice. The Commissioner: I think so. We had the Master of the “Mount Temple.” I agree this summary of the letter does not mention it, but the Master of the “Mount Temple” told us he had express directions, either to slow down - Sir Robert Finlay: I think your Lordship will find it in the letter appended. The Commissioner: However, I think you can leave this with me, Mr. Attorney. th The Attorney-General: Yes, certainly. I see it is a letter of 11 June: “I have no knowledge of what other Shipmasters do” - this is the manager of the Canadian Pacific Line writing - “but our Masters know that they must not enter even light field ice or touch ice of any kind.” That bears