Page 170 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 32 - 36

cabin and sent our position. (Q.) Who gave you your position? - (A.) The Captain gave me our position. (Q.) Then you were in a position to tell the ‘Titanic’ where you were? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) And did you tell her that you were coming to her assistance? - (A.) I did.” The Commissioner: What time was that? The Attorney-General: That is 12.35 ‘Titanic’ time. We have had it at some time that that was the time it took place. Bride gave us the time and I will give you the reference. The Commissioner: Bride tells us when he received it? The Attorney-General: Yes, it is at page 388, Question 16517: “What was the message from the ‘Carpathia,’ so far as you can recollect it? - (A.) She transmitted her position and told us she had turned round and was coming along as fast as she could. (Q.) To your assistance? - (A.) Yes.” Then at Question 16523 he says he reported that to the Captain and Mr. Phillips remained in the room. The Commissioner: That does not give the time. The Attorney-General: No, my Lord, he has said the time, but for the moment I have not the reference. At Question 16511 you will see: “You have told us you came up at 12 o’clock and that then you heard this conversation.” The only importance of that was that, of course, it must be at some period after that that he is on deck, because he comes back there at 12 o’clock. This is very near it on page 393, at the end of his evidence, Question 16795, “Do you remember how long it was after the collision when you learned that the “Carpathia” was coming to your assistance? - (A.) The “Carpathia” was the second boat to answer our call. (Q.) Can you remember how long that was after the collision? - (A.) No, I could not tell you; it was within a very short space of time after we sent out our first distress signal. (Q.) And you took that message to the Captain, you told us? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) Now, do you know if the Captain communicated the substance of your message to any of the officers or to the crew? - (A.) I passed the word myself as I went to find the Captain. (Q.) To whom did you pass it? - (A.) To anybody whom I happened to go close by. (Q.) Did you pass it to any of the officers? - (A.) Not to my knowledge. (Q.) But you gave it out that the “Carpathia” was coming to your assistance? - (A.) Yes. The Commissioner: Where do you get the 12.35 from? The Attorney-General: 12.25 is the time given of the message being received by the “Carpathia” from the “Titanic.” The Commissioner: I thought 12.35 was the time when the “Titanic” received the message; I thought you said so. It would be the same time, I suppose. I mean to say, when the “Carpathia” sends a message to the “Titanic,” the “Titanic” receives it at the same moment. The Attorney-General: Yes, 12.25, you have got quite definitely that call was received from the “Titanic” by the “Carpathia.” Then you know what happened is that Cottam goes to the bridge. The Commissioner: He went to the bridge and spoke to the Captain, and the Captain said: “Let them know our position, and tell them we are coming.” The Attorney-General: Yes. The Commissioner: That could not have taken more than a few minutes. The Attorney-General: I do not reckon it more than a few minutes. I put it at the very latest at 12.35. That is how I get to the time. The Commissioner: Evidently Bride cannot tell us exactly, but it must have been very shortly after. The Attorney-General: It is within a few minutes, certainly. I do not want to take too close a time; I put it at 10 minutes, so as to make it quite safe. The Commissioner: At about 20 minutes to 1 they would receive the “Carpathia’s” message. The Attorney-General: Yes. The Commissioner: It is a good hour after the accident.