Page 110 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

7889. If Gibson says he had such a conversation, he is wrong? - We had no conversation about rockets then at all. Later on we talked about them. 7890. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) After Gibson had come, and while he was there, did you see more rockets? - Yes. 7891. How many? - Three, in the direction of this steamer. 7892. In quick succession? - About the same period as the others. 7893. The same class of rocket as before? - Yes. 7894. Did anything pass between you and Gibson when those rockets went up? - Not as regards the rockets, no. 7895. Are you sure of that? You see you have got this vessel under observation; she has shown five, you have communicated with the Captain, he has asked you to give him more information and to send Gibson down; there is Gibson, and up go the three rockets: did not you say something to Gibson about the rockets, or Gibson say something to you? - He remarked to me once that he did not think they were being sent up for fun, and I quite agreed with him. 7896. That was my phrase, but at any rate you agreed with him. Now, just tell us a little more in detail what passed between you about this. Did either you suggest to Gibson or did Gibson suggest to you that that ship over there is probably in trouble and wants assistance? - No. 7897. Are you sure? - I made no remark about that at all, about the ship being in distress, the whole time. 7898. Did it never occur to you? - It did not occur to me after what the Captain said. 7899. But what had the Captain told you which would force your mind to the conclusion that that is a vessel which is not in distress? - He emphasised the fact about company’s signals. 7900. But you knew they were not company’s signals, did you not? - I said I did not think so. 7901. (The Commissioner.) You did not believe they were company’s signals? - I had never seen company’s signals like them before. 7902. Then what did you think they were? - I did not think what they were intended for; white rockets is what I saw them as. 7903. Wait. You did not think they were company’s signals? - No. 7904. You did not think they were being sent up for fun? - No. 7905. What did you think? - I just thought they were white rockets, that is all. 7906. That you know because your eyes told you of it, but what did you think they were being sent up for? - Naturally, the first thought that crossed my mind was that the ship might be in trouble, but subsequent events showed that the ship steamed away from us; there was nothing to confirm that; there was nothing to confirm that the rockets came from that ship, in the direction of that ship. That is all I observed. 7907. You did not think they sprang out of the sea? - No. 7908. Where did you think they came from, if they did not come from that ship? - Possibly from a greater distance past the ship. 7909. You thought they came from some other ship? - Possibly. 7910. Have. you ever said that before to anybody? - I told the Captain so. 7911. That you thought they came from another ship? - Possibly they might have come from another ship. 7912. Did you tell that to the Captain? - Yes, afterwards. 7913. When afterwards? - The next day. 7914. Have you ever said that to anyone before today, that you made that observation to the Captain? - Not that I know of. 7915. Then you tell us now for the first time in the witness-box. Has anyone ever suggested that these rockets possibly came from another ship, except you today in the witness-box? - From another ship from the one we had under observation?