Page 140 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

8592. What made you think they might be distress signals? - Because they were rockets. 8593. They were from the description just what you would expect if they were distress signals? - They were white rockets. 8594. And did Mr. Stone tell you he had reported to the captain? - He told me he had reported to the captain, yes. 8595. At 4 o’clock - of course it was still dark - did you take the glasses and scan the surrounding water? - Yes. 8596. Did you see anything? - Yes, I saw a steamer to the southward. 8597. At 4 o’clock in the morning? - Yes. 8598. What was it you saw at 4 o’clock in the morning? - I saw two white masthead lights and a few lights amidships. 8599. Did you ask Mr. Stone whether this steamer you saw then was the one he had seen? - Yes. 8600. You did? - Yes, I did, and he said he had not seen that steamer before. 8601. So that, according to him, it was not the same steamer? - Well, he did not know; he said he had never seen that steamer till I pointed it out to him. 8602. Now, just think a moment. Did not you ask Stone if he had thought that was the ship that had fired the rockets? - Yes, I believe I did. 8603. You think you did? - Yes. 8604. You gave a statement, you may recollect, to the Receiver of Wrecks? - Yes. 8605. And when you asked Mr. Stone that question what did he say in reply? - He said, “I do not know; I do not think I have seen that steamer before.” 8606. I will put this to you. Is not this right? Did not you say, “I asked Stone if he thought this was the ship that had fired rockets, and he said” - that is, Stone said - “he did not think it was.” Is that right? - I do not know. 8607. (The Commissioner.) Did you read the statement that you signed? - Yes. 8608. Just look at that paper and read from it what it was you signed. (A document was handed to the Witness.) Is that the paper you signed? 8609. (The Solicitor-General.) Is that your signature at the end? - Yes. 8610. Will you kindly read what you will find at the back of the first page and then on the top of the second page? The Commissioner: Read it out. 8611. (The Solicitor-General.) “This was 4 a.m.” Do you see that? - “He called the captain, and the latter asked him whether they were company’s signals. Stone replied he did not know. I asked him during our own talk were they distress signals, and he said he did not think they were. He said he had informed the captain on three occasions at intervals.” Go on. What I asked you to do was to read at the bottom of the page and the top of the next. The Commissioner: Mark it with a pencil. The Solicitor-General: Yes, I will. (To the Witness.) I beg your pardon. I was pointing to the wrong place. I think I have marked it now for you in the margin with pencil. (handing the document to the Witness.) 8612. (The Commissioner.) Now read it aloud. The Witness: “I looked to the southward and saw a light. On looking through the glass I saw two masthead lights and a lot of lights amidships, apparently a four-masted steamer. This was 4 a.m. I asked Stone if he thought this was the ship he had seen, and he said he did not think it was.” 8613. The Solicitor-General: He told you he did not think the ship you had pointed out was the ship that had fired the rockets? - Yes, he did not think it was. 8614. Did you call the captain a little later on? - Yes.