Page 113 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

Not by any means. 7961. (The Commissioner.) Can you give me an idea of the speed at which she was steaming away when these lights gradually disappeared? - No, it would be very difficult to express an opinion. 7962. Cannot you express any opinion? - I should say that at different times she was going at different speeds. 7963. Well, what speeds? What was the greatest speed? - I could not say. 7964. She was in a sea covered with ice? - Yes. 7965. You could not make any way; at all events you did not make any way at this time; you were standing stationary?- Yes. 7966. You thought she was steaming away? - Yes. 7967. In the same condition of water that you were lying in? - Yes. 7968. Did you really think so? - I did. The only confirmation I had of it was the bearings of the compass. Two ships remaining stationary could not possibly alter their bearings. 7969. You were swinging round? - We were slowly swinging. 7970. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) When you saw her disappear, did you think something had happened to her? - No, nothing except that she was steaming away. 7971. Did you make any report to the Captain about this disappearance? - When I sent Gibson down at two o’clock I told him she was disappearing in the S.W. 7972. (The Commissioner.) Did you say to Gibson “Tell the Captain she is disappearing,” or did you say “Tell the Captain she has disappeared,” which did you say? - I could not have said that she had disappeared, because I could still see her stern light. I saw this light for 20 minutes after that. 7973. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) After she had disappeared, did you not make any report to the Captain? - No. 7974. Are you sure? - Not until about 20 minutes after that again. 7975. Well, you did, you see? - I thought you meant at that moment. 7976. I beg your pardon. Twenty minutes later you reported to the Captain. How? - About 2.40 by means of the whistle tube. I blew down again to the Master; he came and answered it, and asked what it was. I told him the ship from the direction of which we had seen the rockets coming had disappeared, bearing S.W. to half W. the last I had seen of the light. 7977. In view of the fact that when you saw her stern light last you thought nothing had happened to her, why did you make this report to the Captain? - Simply because I had had the steamer under observation all the watch, and that I had made reports to the Captain concerning her, and I thought it my duty when the ship went away from us altogether to tell him. 7978. (The Commissioner.) But why could not have you told him in the morning? Why wake up the poor man? - Because it was my duty to do so, and it was his duty to listen to it. 7980. It was of no consequence if the steamer was steaming safely away? - He told me to try and get all the information I could from the steamer. I got none and I thought it my duty to give him all the information I could about the steamer. 7981. Were you anxious about her? - No. 7982. Was he anxious about her? - No, as far as I could judge from his answers and instructions. 7983. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) I want to take you back. You remember those 20 minutes you told me you were talking to Gibson - not all the time, but you and he were from time to time having a conversation about the ship, after the eight rockets, that was between 1.40 and 2 o’clock; it was 20 minutes? - Yes. 7984. Did anything of that sort pass? Did you say something of this sort to Gibson: “A ship is not going to fire rockets at sea for nothing”? - Yes, I may possibly have passed that expression to