Page 78 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 32 - 36

showing her green light. The sidelight which the witnesses from the “Californian” in fact saw, or said they saw, was the red light. That is the Third Officer, Question 8228; the Second Officer, 7814; and Gibson, 7425. It may be said that the “Titanic” may have opened her red light after 11.40, when she struck the iceberg, but that is not borne out by the evidence. According to the evidence, she starboarded about two points before she struck the berg, and after her engines were stopped, according to the evidence of her officers, her head did not alter its position at all. The effect of starboarding would not be to open the red light to any vessel to the northward of the “Titanic’s” position. Therefore, both before the “Titanic” struck the berg and after, if she had been within sight of the “Californian,” it is the green light and not the red light which the witnesses from the “Californian” would have seen. The Commissioner: Have you this in your mind. Question 6759: “By this time had you been able to detect her sidelights at all? - (A.) I could see her green light then.” Mr. Dunlop: Yes; that is the evidence of the Master. The Commissioner: Yes, Captain Lord. Mr. Dunlop: Yes, Captain Lord; but the Third Officer who saw her up till 12; the Second Officer, and Gibson, who saw her from 12 till about 2, described the red light; they never saw a green light. The Commissioner: Then one or other must be mistaken? Mr. Dunlop: One or other must be mistaken, but the weight of the evidence is that it was the red light or different vessels. The Commissioner: Or the “Titanic” swinging? Mr. Dunlop: No, it could not be the “Titanic” swinging, because Captain Lord is referring to a period before the “Titanic” struck the iceberg. The Commissioner: He said about half-past 11, did he not? Mr. Dunlop: He says here at 11 o’clock; he keeps her in view until she stops, about 11.30. During the time she is approaching him she is showing a green light; that is his evidence. The evidence of the others is that she was not showing her green light, but was showing her red light. The Commissioner: She would show her green light, I suppose, before the collision? Mr. Dunlop: Yes. The Commissioner: But after the collision we cannot tell what she showed. Mr. Dunlop: Yes, my Lord, according to the evidence; the evidence is she starboarded two points for the iceberg. The Commissioner: Yes, but you do not know what happened to her after that? Mr. Dunlop: According to the evidence of Boxhall the Fourth Officer, Question 15419: “She did not swing at all after the engines were stopped.” He was asked that question whether her head did fall off either to starboard or port, and the answer was no; her helm was starboarded, and after the engines were stopped, her heading did not alter. The Attorney-General: There is some evidence about it which I think your Lordship has in mind. That is Rowe’s evidence on page 419. Mr. Dunlop: As far as I can see there is no reliable evidence from any witnesses - The Commissioner: I do not know what that means. Mr. Dunlop: There is no evidence from anyone on the bridge. The Fourth Officer was the man who after the collision happened ascertained the “Titanic’s” position with a view to communicating by wireless telegraphy with other vessels. He was the person who, if the vessel did alter her heading, would be the person most likely to know, and he was asked specifically the question. He said: no, she did not alter her heading after the engines were stopped. After that time the alteration of heading was to port, under a starboard helm, an alteration which could not possibly open the red light to any vessel to the northward of her. But I am not so much concerned with the sidelight seen after the “Titanic” struck the iceberg as the sidelight which was