Page 57 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 32 - 36

coolness, he waited until the sea had done its work with the great majority of people, and then put back and picked up a few of the survivors. But to suggest, as some questions which were put suggested, that there was inhumanity in not pushing into that crowd of drowning people in the hope of saving them, is, I submit, a course based upon ignorance of the fundamental conditions that attend on the endeavour to save people who are struggling in the water when, if you push your boat among them, the only result will be that those in the boat are added to the roll of victims. On the whole, my Lord, I submit that the discipline on board the ship was perfect. The Company, of course, are not concerned with the passengers’ behaviour. But the passengers behaved, taking them, as a whole, most admirably, and this tremendous catastrophe is one of those things that must happen every now and then, and do happen without any fault on the part of those concerned. I respectfully ask the Court that the White Star Company and their officers should be acquitted of all blame in connection with this appalling calamity. The Attorney-General: I was calling the attention of my friend to another wireless message, to which I shall direct attention when I come to address you, which has not yet formed the subject of discussion. It has been mentioned. In virtue of what your Lordship said at an earlier stage, it has not been thought necessary to go into it in detail. I think, in consequence of my friend’s observations yesterday, it is of some importance now - the one I am referring to - I have called my friend’s attention to it, so that, if he desires to say anything, it may be said. It is the message from the “Norddam.” The Commissioner: Will you remind me what it was? The Attorney-General: “Congratulations on new command. Had moderate Westerly winds, fair weather, no fog, large ice reported in latitude 42 deg. 24 min. to 42 deg. 45 min., and longitude 49 deg. 50 min. to 50 deg. 20 min.” That is acknowledged by the Captain on page 5 of the telegrams received and sent. The Commissioner: What is the date? The Attorney-General: It is the 14th. The Commissioner: What time? The Attorney-General: Sent at 2.31, but any question as to the date is, I think, satisfactorily solved by seeing that the answer is received from the “Titanic” 3.29 p.m. The Commissioner: That is the “Titanic’s” time. The Attorney-General: That is the “Titanic’s” time. The Commissioner: And whereabouts on the chart does that telegram indicate it? The Attorney-General: It is to the Northward of the “Caronia” indication. Has your Lordship the chart that I handed up of the Marconi Company? It is the enlarged North Atlantic chart. Will your Lordship look at mine. (Handing same.) The Commissioner: How many miles to the North of the spot of the “Titanic” disaster is this ice indicated. Sir Robert Finlay: It is a good many miles North, my Lord; I am having it taken out exactly. The Commissioner: Then I want to know whether it is E. or W.? Sir Robert Finlay: I think, my Lord, it will be found - I am having it measured exactly - to be 38 miles - The Attorney-General: That is what I make it. Sir Robert Finlay: The most Southerly point, to the North of the scene of the disaster. This was reported on the afternoon of the Sunday, so that it could not possibly have got - The Commissioner: Is it this, that one may say that deductions ought to have been drawn from the telegram. The Attorney-General: That is the point.