Page 74 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 32 - 36

The Commissioner: But you know it is as necessary it seems to me, to have that table, as it is to have the log. Mr. Dunlop: Yes, my Lord, but the log was put in and the deviation book was not. The Commissioner: Why did not he come provided with the other book? Mr. Dunlop: My Lord, I will deal with that later. He did not come provided with anything. He did not even come with his logbook - the logbook had to be sent for - he came as a witness to give evidence on other matters, entirely. The Commissioner: Where is this table at present? Mr. Dunlop: My Lord, we will communicate with Liverpool and ascertain where the table is. The Commissioner: You had better telegraph for it. Mr. Dunlop: We will telegraph for it, my Lord. The Commissioner: So that we may have it here tomorrow morning. Mr. Dunlop: If it can be got, my Lord, it will be got. If I may continue, your Lordship has the noon position, your Lordship also has the latitude communicated to the “Antillian” and the “Titanic” by wireless telegraphy at 6.30 in the evening. Your Lordship also has the observation, taken by the Chief Officer, of the Pole Star, at 7.30, all agreeing in the latitude 42.5 North, which is only consistent with a course of about West true; and the vessel at that time is steaming full speed, making something between 11 and 12 knots, and from the 7.30 position she runs until 10.21, when she stops owing to the ice. There is no record in the log of any alteration of course between 7.30 and the time when she stopped, nor is there any suggestion that she did alter her course, between these times. My Lord, these were recorded at the time in the scrap log according to the evidence and copied into the log from the scrap log. They appeared in the scrap log long before the “Titanic” was lost - several hours before the “Titanic” was lost and, therefore, before there was any inducement whatever to those on board the “Californian” to make their log appear as if their vessel was further North than she in fact was. It was not suggested to the Master or the officers of the “Californian,” nor are there any grounds for the suggestion, that the log before your Lordship has been “cooked.” The log on the face of it appears to be a perfectly genuine log. The Attorney-General: I think you are putting that too high - you say there is no suggestion. Mr. Dunlop: No question was put, my Lord, to the Master. The Commissioner: Just a moment, please. The scrap log is gone. Mr. Dunlop: The scrap log is gone, and the explanation of that was given by the witnesses when they were asked about it. The Commissioner: And as far as I remember it was given in a way that satisfied me that it had gone. Mr. Dunlop: Yes, your Lordship was satisfied at the time. The Commissioner: Yes, I thought so. The log places the latitude when the bergs were passed two miles further North, and therefore two miles further away from the “Titanic” than the message places them. Mr. Dunlop: That is so, and the explanation of that is this - The Commissioner: Why should you make your log show a position two miles further North? Mr. Dunlop: The explanation, my Lord, of that is this, that the bergs were passed at 6.30. At 7.30 the observation was taken which enabled them to check their latitude. At 7.30 they found their latitude to be 42.5 North. The Commissioner: That was the Pole Star observation. Mr. Dunlop: That was the Pole Star observation at 7.30. 6.30, an hour before, was the time when they passed the icebergs and when they communicated the position of these icebergs to the “Titanic” and the “Antillian” they communicated 42.3 North. The Commissioner: They did.