Page 127 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

lights out or shut them out? - At that time it was my impression she had shut them out, but I remember distinctly remarking to him that she had put them out. 8260. (The Commissioner.) That means that she had shut them out? - Yes. 8261. That is what you intended to convey? - Yes. 8262. That she had shut them out? - Yes. 8263. By changing her position? - By changing her position. The Commissioner: Is that right, Mr. Rowlatt; is that the answer you expected? Mr. Rowlatt: I was asking for information, my Lord, because I thought he had said before that he thought she had put her lights out because of the time of night. The Commissioner: I think he did say something of that sort. Mr. Rowlatt: I thought he did, and I asked for information to get it clear. 8264. (The Commissioner - To the Witness.) Did you say that you thought she had put her lights out because of the time of night? - I did say that, I think, my Lord. 8265. Then which is it to be, that she shut them out because she was changing her position, or that she had put them out because, in your opinion it was bed-time on board the ship? - Well, at the time the lights disappeared I thought in my own mind she had put them out because in the ships I was accustomed to before I joined this company it was the custom to put all the deck lights out, some at 11, some at 11.30, and some at midnight - all the deck lights except those absolutely necessary to show the way along the different decks. But when I saw the ice I came to the conclusion that she had starboarded to escape some ice. 8266. You came to the conclusion then, did you, while you were on the bridge? - Yes, my Lord. The Commissioner: It comes to this, Mr. Rowlatt, at first he thought the lights had been put out, but when he reflected about it and observed she changed her position he thought she had shut her lights out, which is a different thing. 8267. (Mr. Rowlatt.) I do not know that he said he observed that she changed her position. (To the Witness.) This vessel was stopped at this time, was she not? - Yes. Mr. Rowlatt: He accepted my suggestion, my Lord, that if the vessel did change her course it might shut her lights out; it would shut her lights out. The Commissioner: I think you are right. What he said was the change of two points to port might, or, as he said, would, obscure the lights. Mr. Rowlatt: We know she changed two points - the vessel we are talking about changed two points. The Commissioner: Would a change of two points such as we know took place on the “Titanic” cause the two white masthead lights to alter their relative positions? 8268. (Mr. Rowlatt.) Yes. (To the Witness.) Would that be so? - Yes, it would, but I do not think at that distance the difference would be perceptible. 8269. It would bring them a little nearer together? - Yes, a little nearer together. 8270. Did you notice anything of that sort? - No, I did not. 8271. You went off the bridge? - Yes. 8272. Where did you go? - The Marconi house. 8273. Is the Marconi operator, Mr. Evans? - Yes. 8274. Did you find him there? - I did. 8275. Was he asleep? - He was asleep. 8276. He had gone to bed? - He had gone to bed, yes. 8277. Did you wake him up? - Yes. 8278. And have some conversation with him? - Yes. 8279. What passed? - The only thing I remember asking him was “What ships have you got, Sparks?”