Page 145 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

8724. Nothing at all? - No. 8725. No reference to any of these events of the night at all? - No. 8726. (The Commissioner.) Does that convey to you that there was no reference to those events in the scrap log? - Yes, my Lord. 8727. (The Solicitor-General.) Give us your views. Supposing you were keeping the scrap log on a watch when you were in ice, and supposing you saw a few miles to the southward a ship sending up what appeared to you to be distress signals, would not you enter that in the log? - Yes - I do not know. 8728. (The Commissioner.) Oh, yes you do? - Yes, I daresay I should have entered it, but it was not in our scrap logbook. 8729. (The Solicitor-General.) That is not what I asked you. What I asked you was - apply your mind to it - supposing you had been keeping the scrap log in those circumstances and you saw distress signals being sent up by a ship a few miles from you, is that, or is not that, a thing you would enter in the log? - Yes. 8730. (The Commissioner.) How do you account for it not being there? - I do not know, my Lord. 8731. It was careless not to put it in, was it not? - Or forgetful. 8732. Forgetful? Do you think that a careful man is likely to forget the fact that distress signals have been going on from a neighbouring steamer? - No, my Lord. The Commissioner: Then do not talk to me about forgetfulness. 8733. (The Solicitor-General.) The scrap logbook is intended to be kept at the time, is it not, as the things happen? - Yes, Sir, but they generally write them up at the end of the watch. 8734. And you were there at 4 o’clock at the end of the watch? - Yes. 8735. And Mr. Stone told you then at 4 o’clock that he had seen these signals? - Yes. 8736. (The Commissioner.) And they had been sending messages to the Captain about them? - Yes. 8737. (The Solicitor-General.) Three times? - Yes. 8738. And you were just going to take over the ship for the next watch and take charge of this same sheet of paper? - Yes. 8739. Did not it occur to you that it was odd that there was nothing entered on the scrap logbook? - I did not notice the scrap logbook at that time. 8740. You did not notice it? - No. 8741. You made entries on the same sheet of paper between four and eight o’clock, did not you? - Not till eight o’clock. 8742. At eight then? - Yes. 8743. Did not you notice it then? - I noticed there was nothing on it then. 8744. But by that time you had had the message that the “Titanic” had sunk? - Yes. 8745. Did not you notice it then? - I noticed there was nothing there. 8746. You did notice it? - Yes. 8747. Then you did at eight o’clock notice there was nothing in the scrap logbook about what had happened between midnight and four? - Yes. 8748. And you have told us, in your view, it would be right to make such entries? - Yes. 8749. Did you ever speak to the Second Officer about it? - No. 8750. Never? - No. 8751. (The Commissioner.) Or to the Captain? - No. 8752. Or to anybody? - No, my Lord. 8753. (The Solicitor-General.) This piece of paper, whatever it was in the scrap logbook for 15th April, would be used until midnight on the 15th, would not it? - Yes. 8754. Then would you write the entries into the logbook from the scrap logbook? - Yes.