Page 100 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

the first one, and I reported it to the Second Officer, and we looked out for more to see if we could see any more - and we saw two more. 7592. (The Solicitor-General.) You say you saw the first one? - Yes. 7593. Do you mean you saw it with your naked eye? - Yes. The Commissioner: Did any of the boats of the “Titanic” fire Roman candles? 7594. (The Solicitor-General.) Yes, my Lord, Roman candles. (To the Witness.) If it was twenty minutes to four it was not very far off the beginning of dawn, was it? - No, dawn was just breaking. 7595. Had it got any lighter? - Yes. 7596. Could you see when you saw this flash at all how far away you thought it was? - It was right on the horizon. 7597. What sort of a light was it? You called it a rocket? Was it a flash; did you see it go up into the sky? - Yes. 7598. What colour was it? - White. 7599. And you called Mr. Stone’s attention to it, did you, and then there were two more seen? - Yes. 7600. I understand that is after Mr. Stone had spoken on the tube to the Captain? - Yes. 7601. Do you say he did not report these three further lights to the captain at all? - No. 7602. When you saw these three further lights did you get your glasses on to the place? - Yes. 7603. Could you see any sign of a ship? - No. 7604. No sign of a masthead light? - No. 7605. No sign of a sidelight? - No. 7606. Nothing except these flashes? - That is all. 7607. Is that right? - Yes. 7608. Then I think you went off your watch at four o’clock? - A quarter to. (After a short adjournment.) 7609. (The Solicitor-General.) There is very little more I want to ask him, my Lord. (To the Witness.) I want to be quite sure first of all that I have got accurately the message that you were told to give to the Captain after the ship had disappeared about five minutes past two. Just tell us again exactly, what it was the Second Officer told you to tell the Captain? - To call the Captain and tell him that the ship has disappeared in the S.W., that we were heading W.S.W., and that she has fired altogether eight rockets. 7610. When the ship disappeared she had got a little on to your port bow? - Yes. The Commissioner: Will you ask him what he understood by the word “disappeared”? 7611. (The Solicitor-General.) Yes, my Lord. (To the Witness.) You say you were told to report that the ship had disappeared. What. did you understand by “disappeared”? - We could not see anything more of her. 7612. (The Commissioner.) Did it convey to you, and did the man who was speaking to you, in your opinion, intend to convey that the ship had gone down? That is what I understand by disappearing. Did you understand him to mean that? - No, my Lord. 7613. What did you understand him to mean that she had steamed away through the ice? - That she had gone out of sight. 7614. Oh, yes. A ship goes out of sight when she goes down to the bottom. What did you understand by the word “disappeared”? - That is all I could understand about it. 7615. A ship that had been sending up rockets; then you are told to go to the Captain and say, “That ship which has been sending up rockets has disappeared.” What did you understand the Second Officer to mean? Did not you understand him to mean that she had gone to the bottom? -