Page 133 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

8429. Did you get good sights? - Perfectly good sights. Mr. Clement Edwards: Six o’clock, my Lord; it is in his logbook. Examined by Mr. ROBERTSON DUNLOP. 8425. In the logbook it is stated that when you stopped your ship in the ice the position of the ship was 42º 5’ N. and longitude 50° 7’ W. Is that accurate? - Well, it is bound to be accurate if the captain put it in. The Solicitor-General: This witness would not know, would he? 8426. (Mr. Robertson Dunlop.) You were on duty from 10.20 when you started until 12.15? - Yes. 8427. The position of your vessel had been signaled to the “Titanic” at 6.30. Did you know that? - No. 8428. Did you take part in ascertaining the position of your ship at noon on the 15th? - Yes. 8429. Did you get good sights? - Perfectly good sights. 8430. And the position which you found was 41º 33’ N.; and the longitude, do you remember what it was? - No. 8431. 50° 9’ W. Do you know how far it was you had steamed between noon and the time you left the wreckage? - On the Sunday or Monday? 8432. On the 15th, on the Monday. You take your position at noon on the Monday shortly after leaving the wreckage, and I want you to help me to fix the position of this wreckage? - In reference to our noon position? 8433. Yes; you have the noon position. How far do you think you had traveled from the time that you got on your way after searching round the wreckage until your noon position? Do you think it would be about five miles? - No, more than that; about 11. That is in distance. 8434. You would be in the same latitude then as the wreckage was found? - That I could not say. 8435. Do you know your course? - At 10.30 we altered the course to N 60° W by compass. 8436. If the “Titanic” was in latitude 41° 33’, which is the position she has given, and the position in which the wreckage was found, and your vessel was, as stated in the log, in latitude 42° 5’, the “Titanic” would be some 33 miles to the southward of the position where you were lying stopped? - If she stopped in 41° 33’ and we were in 42° 5.’ 8437. Yes? - Yes, about 30 miles. 8438. And if the “Titanic” was 30 miles to the southward of the position where you were stopped, I do not suppose you could see any navigation lights at that distance? - No, none whatsoever. 8439. Nor indeed any rockets at that distance? - I could not say about rockets, but I should not think it was likely. 8440. If this vessel which you did see was only some 4 or 5 miles to the southward of you, do you think she could have been the “Titanic”? 8441. (The Commissioner.) That is a question I want this witness to answer. (To the Witness.) Speaking as an experienced seaman and knowing what you do know now, do you think that steamer that you know was throwing up rockets, and that you say was a passenger steamer, was the “Titanic”? - Do I think it? 8442. Yes? - From what I have heard subsequently? 8443. Yes? - Most decidedly I do, but I do not put myself as being an experienced man. 8444. But that is your opinion as far as your experience goes? - Yes it is my Lord. Mr. Robertson Dunlop: That would indicate that the “Titanic” was only 4 or 5 miles to the southward of the position in which you were when stopped.