Page 124 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

bridge. 8202. Was that before the lights appeared to go out? - No, that was after. 8203. (The Commissioner.) You said something about the lights of the ship going out. When did they go out? - At 11.40. 8204. Was the Captain standing with you? - No, my Lord. 8205. At that time? - No, my Lord. 8206. Had he gone away? - He had not been on the bridge again since about 10.35. 8207. You went on the bridge after he had told you to signal with the Morse light? - Yes. 8208. And you did signal and then, as I understand, the Captain came on to the bridge? - Not until after I was Morsing. I was actually Morsing when he came up. 8209. Very well, he came up and he remarked to you, “She does not look like a passenger steamer”? - That is so. 8210. And you said, “It is”? - Yes. 8211. Now you said something about the lights going out; what was it? - Well he said to me, “It does not look like a passenger steamer.” I said, “Well, she put her lights out at 11.40” - a few minutes ago that was. 8212. Then had she put her lights out before the captain came on the bridge? - Yes, my Lord. 8213. When did she put her lights out? - At 11.40. 8214. And you told the captain this, did you? - Yes. 8215. What did he say to that; did he say anything? - When I remarked about the passenger steamer he said: “The only passenger steamer near us is the ‘Titanic.’” 8216. He said that, did he? - Yes, my Lord. 8217. (Mr. Rowlatt.) What makes you fix the time 11.40 for her lights going out? - Because that is the time we struck one bell to call the middle watch. 8218. Do you remember that bell was struck at that time? - Most certainly. 8219. Did the steamer continue on her course after that? - No, not so far as I could see. 8220. She stopped? - She stopped. 8221. Was that at the time when her lights appeared to go out? - That was at the time that her lights appeared to go out. 8222. Were the lights you saw on her port side or her starboard side? - Port side. 8223. I want to ask you a question. Supposing the steamer whose lights you saw turned two points to port at 11.40, would that account to you for her lights ceasing to be visible to you? - I quite think it would. The Commissioner: Mr. Rowlatt, at 11.40 the engines were stopped on the “Titanic.” Mr. Rowlatt: Yes, my Lord. The Commissioner: I do not know whether that would cause a large number of lights to go out. They had a supplemental dynamo. Mr. Rowlatt: I think the only evidence about lights going out was that at some time after this the lights in a particular stokehold went out for a short time. The Commissioner: Oh, yes, I know that, but is it not the fact that at some time the lights in the ship, except the lights in the alleyways and the working parts of the ship did go out. Mr. Rowlatt: I do not remember that there is any evidence of that; I do not know how it would be. I do not know whether those who sit with you could indicate whether it would necessarily follow the engines stopping. I should imagine the engines stopping would not put the lights out. The Commissioner: Did that emergency apparatus working the electric light supply the whole ship with electric light? Mr. Rowlatt: I am not in a position to answer that question at the moment. The Commissioner: Did it, Mr. Laing? Mr. Laing: No, my Lord; the emergency dynamo does not supply the whole of the lights.