Page 169 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 32 - 36

them, but I do not want to do it unnecessarily, as I am very anxious to get to a conclusion. I think your Lordship really has them sufficiently. That deals with the orders that were given with regard to the boats, and with the summoning of the passengers to the deck. Then there is a third step which was taken, which was to send up distress signals and to use the Morse flashlight. The evidence as to that is in Rowe’s evidence on page 419, Questions 17657 to 17684. He says that rockets were sent up. It comes at the end of Question 17657. It gives in detail what happened. The particular question with regard to the evidence of the time they were sent up, is at the end, Question 17684. On the same page, 419, there is the evidence about the Morse signaling, Question 17660; and then at 17684 is the sending up of the rockets from about a quarter to 1; he says he noticed it till about 1.25. Boxhall's evidence with regard to it is on pages 356 and 357, Questions 15394 to 15420. He is asked about the steamer: “(Q.) Could you see how far off she was? - (A.) No, I could not see, but I had sent in the meantime for some rockets, and told the Captain I had sent for some rockets, and told him I would send them off, and told him when I saw this light. He said, Yes, carry on with it. I was sending rockets off and watching this steamer. Between the time of sending the rockets off and watching the steamer approach us I was making myself generally useful round the port side of the deck. (Q.) How many rockets did you send up, about? - (A.) I could not say, between half a dozen and a dozen, I should say, as near as I could tell. (Q.) What sort of rockets were they? - (A.) The rocket distress signal.” Then he describes their effect: “(A.) You see a luminous tail behind them and then they explode in the air and burst into stars. (Q.) Did you send them up at intervals one at a time? - (A.) One at a time, yes. (Q.) At about what kind of intervals? - (A.) Well, probably five minutes; I did not take any times. (Q.) Did you watch the lights of this steamer while you were sending the rockets up? - (A.) Yes.” I may have to recur to that in connection with the “Californian” incident later. At present all I wanted to do was to call your Lordship’s attention to what steps were taken. Then besides that, there are the wireless messages which were sent which appear in the Marconi procès-verbal, of which your Lordship already has the information - I mean the C. Q. D. and the S. O. S. messages, which were sent all round. No doubt everything was done that was possible by wireless telegraphy in order to attract the attention of vessels. I think the first signal sent, from the procès-verbal, was 12.15 a.m. to the “La Provence.” If your Lordship has the Marconi records it is only necessary to call attention to the time at which the first message was sent, which was 12.15 a.m.; “‘La Provence’ receives ‘Titanic’ distress signals.” Then also at 12.15 a.m.: “‘Mount Temple: ‘Titanic’ sending C.Q.D., says require assistance, gives position”; and at 12.25 the “Carpathia” receives the message. That is on the same page. The first is “La Provence” receives “Titanic” distress signals at 12.15, then the “Mount Temple” hears the “Titanic” at 12.15 sending the C.Q.D., and then I went on to 12.25, when the “Carpathia” received the signal. I think to that your Lordship must add the evidence of Mr. Cottam, which is at page 405, which shows that the message sent immediately by the Captain of the “Carpathia,” Captain Rostron, was that he was turning round and coming to the assistance of the “Titanic.” It does not appear in the procès-verbal, because Mr. Cottam explained he did not write it down. You find that at page 405, Question 17107 - I might begin at 17105 - he says he confirmed the message before reporting it to the bridge: “I asked him if he intended me to go straight away to the bridge and get the ship turned round immediately, and he said, ‘Yes, quick.’ (Q.) Did you go to the bridge? - (A.) Straight away, yes. (Q.) You reported it to your Captain? - (A.) To the officer on watch first, and, from him, to the Captain. (Q.) Then what was done about the ‘Carpathia’? - (A.) She was turned round immediately. (Q.) And made for the position? - (A.) And headed for the position, yes. (Q.) Then you, I suppose, would go back to the Marconi room to your instrument? - (A.) Yes I did; I went right away. (Q.) Up to this time had you sent the ‘Titanic’ any news of where you were? - (A.) No, not up to then. I went straight away back to the