Page 109 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

7858. When did it occur to you? Did it occur at some later time to you? - Yes. 7859. When? - After I had heard about the “Titanic” going down. 7860. So throwing your mind back after that information then you thought they were distress signals? - I thought they possibly might have been distress signals. 7861. (The Commissioner.) From the “Titanic”? - No, not necessarily. 7862. After you had heard that the “Titanic” went down, then it occurred to you that those might have been distress signals? - Yes. 7863. From the “Titanic”? - Not necessarily. They may have been from some other steamer. I did not think that vessel was the “Titanic.” 7664. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) Your vessel had stopped, had she not? - Yes. 7865. That was on account of the danger from ice? - Yes. 7866. Did that fact help you at the time to come to some conclusion as to what these signals meant - danger from ice you know, I suggest, followed by distress signals? - I kept the ship under close observation, and I did not see any reason to suppose they were sent as distress signals from this ship. 7867. You communicated the fact to the Captain? - Yes. 7868. Through the speaking tube? - Yes. 7869. I think you said you left it to him to judge. Did he answer back? - Yes. 7870. What was his answer? - He asked me, “Are they Company’s signals?” 7871. What was your answer? - I said, “I do not know, but they appear to me to be white rockets.” 7872. Is that all you told him? - Yes; that I had called her up on the Morse lamp. 7873. No, I do not want to break away from what passed between you and the Captain; you told the Captain, you mean? - Yes. 7874. That you had called them up on the Morse lamp? - Yes, and received no answer whatsoever. 7875. When did you call her up on the Morse lamp - after the five rockets were seen? - Previously, and during the time that they were being sent up. 7876. Did that suggest anything to you - a ship showing five rockets, you signaling with your Morse lamp, and getting no answer? Did that suggest anything to you? - No, because I have often signaled ships before, and got no answer from them. 7877. Now, having given this communication to the Master, and having got his reply, did you continue to keep this vessel under observation? - Yes. 7878. Did the Master, when you had this communication through the tube, tell you to go on Morsing this vessel? - Yes. 7879. And did he tell you that you were to send him any news and give him any information that you had got? - When I received any information to send the Apprentice down to him with it. 7880. That is Gibson? - Yes. 7881. Was Gibson on the bridge at this time? - No, he did not see the first of the rockets. 7882. He came later, did he? - Yes. 7883. When he came, did you give Gibson any information? - I told him what I had seen. 7884. What did you say to him? - I told him I had seen those white rockets from the ship and that I had told the Captain about it. 7885. Did you say anything more to Gibson than that? - I told him the instructions I had had from the Master, and he at once went to the Morse lamp and called up the ship again. 7886. Did he get any reply? - None. 7887. Did you speak to Gibson about the meaning of these five rockets? - No, I did not. 7888. (The Commissioner.) Had not you and Gibson a conversation about them as to what they meant? - No.