Page 144 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

8694. And I see that on the 14th April, twenty four hours later, you were 42º 5’? - Yes. 8695. You were going rather more southerly? - Yes. 8696. Of course, the ice came from the north, I suppose? - Yes. 8697. Does it set in a southerly direction? - Yes. 8698. So that in the course of those twenty-four hours you had made southerly some 39 minutes of latitude? - Yes. 8699. Before you next took the noon observation your vessel had stopped? - Yes. 8700. Because she stopped about 10.20 or 10.21, on Sunday evening? - Yes. 8701. And she had stopped because of the ice? - Yes. 8702. Who made the calculation to find out what her latitude was when she stopped? - The Captain gave the position at 10.21. 8703. The Captain did that? - Yes. 8704. Was there any reason that you know of why between noon on the 14th of April and the time when she stopped, she should have altered her course and ceased to go on more to the south? - No. 8705. There is no reason you know of? - No. The Commissioner: I would like to understand as I go along. Do your questions suggest this log has been doctored? 8706. (The Solicitor-General.) What I want to know is, how they arrived at the latitude which is put down, I presume, by dead reckoning at 10.20. I am right; it would be by dead reckoning you would get it? - Not only that; I had the Pole Star at half-past ten. 8707. (The Solicitor-General.) I am making no suggestion, but I want to understand, because there may be a mistake. What I notice is that at noon on the 13th April your latitude was 43º 43’ at noon on the 14th April it was 42° 5’, and yet when she stopped, 10 1/2 hours later than noon, about half-past ten, the latitude by dead reckoning is still given as 42º 5’? - Yes, but we were going more westerly then, I believe, from noon. 8708. Keeping on the same latitude since noon? - Yes. 8709. Could you tell me when you changed your course? Look at the log and tell me. Start from noon on the 14th April, Sunday. Can you tell me from your log when you changed your course? - N. 61° W. at noon. 8710. Is that altered at noon? - Yes. Mr. Robertson Dunlop: It altered at 9.40 and 9.55. 8711. (The Solicitor-General.) Would that keep you on the same latitude? - Yes. 8712. What do you mean by N. 61° W.? Is that magnetic? - That is compass. 8713. Do you know what the deviation of your compass is? - About 5 degrees, I believe - 5 1/2 degrees I believe it was. 8714. Which way? - W. 8715. Then if you allow for the deviation what does your course come to be then? - About W. 8716. And is that from noon? - Yes. 8717. In the log for the 14th April where the course might be indicated the entry is “various.” Is that so? - The 14th April? 8718. Am I wrong? - On the 15th April it is “various” in the morning. 8719. Now turn back to the 14th; what about it there? - That is the course for the previous 24 hours. 8720. When you make your noon observation? - Yes; a summary for the 24 hours. 8721. Now, I should like to follow this. As far as your memory serves you, did you enter into that logbook everything that you found on the scrap log sheet? - Yes. 8722. You observe there is nothing at all in your logbook about seeing distress signals? - Yes. 8723. Is there anything? - No, nothing.