Page 104 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

7703. Did you find that you could see perfectly well with the glasses at that time of night? - Yes. 7704. When you signaled the Morse signals, what did you say to this ship? - I gave her the calling up sign. Examined by Mr. HARBINSON. 7705. You said you thought this was a tramp steamer? - Yes. 7706. Why did you think so? - She had no appearance at all of a passenger boat. 7707. What time did it first dawn on you that this was a tramp steamer? - As soon as I looked at her. 7708. What time did you look at her first? - About a quarter or twenty past twelve. 7709. Who first attracted your notice to this boat? - I asked the Second Officer were there any steamers around. 7710. What did he say? - He said, “There is one on the starboard beam.” 7711. Did he say anything else? - No. 7712. Had you glasses at that time? - No, I did not look at it with the glasses then. 7713. Could you see it then without the glasses? - I could see this white light. 7714. Only this white light? - That is all. The Commissioner: All he saw was the lights, nothing else. 7715. (Mr. Harbinson.) Only the white light? - Yes. 7716. Why did you get your glasses? - I saw the light was flickering. I thought she was calling us up. 7717. And then you got your glasses and directed them on the boat? - Not before I called her up. 7718. You called her up first and got no reply? - Yes. 7719. And when you looked through the glasses what could you see beyond the masthead light? - Her red sidelight and a faint glare of light on her after deck. 7720. Did you mention what you had seen to Mr. Stone, the Second Officer? - No. 7721. Did you tell him about this glare of light on the after deck? - No. 7722. Was he looking at this boat through those glasses at the same time? - Not then. 7723. When did he commence? - I went off the bridge at 25 past. 7724. And it was while you were away that you say he turned his glasses on the boat? - I do not know. 7725. At any rate, when you came back he told you that she had fired rockets? - Yes. 7726. Did he say anything else beyond the fact that she had fired rockets? - He told me that he reported to the Captain and the Captain had told him to keep calling her up with the Morse light. 7727. Did you again call her up with the Morse light? - Yes. 7728. (The Commissioner.) What was it made you think it was a tramp steamer? You saw nothing but the lights? - Well, I have seen nearly all the large passenger boats out at sea, and there was nothing at all about it to resemble a passenger boat. 7729. What is it you expected to see? - A passenger boat is generally lit up from the water’s edge. 7730. This boat was apparently lit up, you know; there was all this glare of light. However, that is all you can say? - Yes. 7731. (Mr. Harbinson.) Did the glare of light that you saw on the afterpart of this boat seem to be a pretty considerable distance from the masthead light? - Yes. 7732. It seemed to be a pretty considerable distance? - Yes. 7733. So that she seemed to be a big steamer? - Well, a medium size steamer.