Page 147 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

8782. Cannot you give us any idea of the pace? - I could not give you any idea. 8783. Just crawling through? - Just crawling through the ice. Examined by Mr. ROBERTSON DUNLOP. 8784. I want to ask you about this logbook. When do you write up the logbook? - As a rule between 8 o’clock in the morning and noon. 8785. Do you remember when you wrote up the log entry of 14th April, after you had stopped in the ice? - Yes, I wrote that up just before noon on the 15th. 8786. Do you write it up from your scrap log? - Yes. 8787. And then you say that after you have written it up from the scrap log you destroy the sheet of paper? - Yes. 8788. Tear it out of the book? - Yes. 8789. And is that the practice which you were following before April 14th? - Always. 8790. And the practice which you have since followed? - Yes. 8791. You have been asked some questions by my friend about the course you were steering. I think the course you steer across the Atlantic is changed from time to time? - Yes. 8792. You are sailing on the Great Circle? - Yes. 8793. I see that at 9.40 on the 14th April the course was altered to north 60 west, and again at 9.55 to north 59 west? - Yes. 8794. From time to time there is an alteration of course of about a degree one way or the other? - Yes. 8795. Is that in the ordinary course of navigation and apart from the presence of ice? - Yes. 8796. At 6.30 your log, if you look at it, records passing two large icebergs, and gives the latitude and longitude? - Yes. 8797. Is that the latitude and longitude of your ship at the time these icebergs were passed? - Yes. 8798. When did you get the observation of the pole star that enabled you to fix your position? - About half-past 7. 8799. P.m.? - P.m., yes. 8800. That is about an hour after you passed these icebergs? - Yes. 8801. Did you get your position before or after the ice was reported to the “Antillian”? - I do not know what time it was reported to the “Antillian.” 8802. Apparently we may take it from what was said just now that the wireless message was sent to the “Antillian” and received by the “Titanic” at 6.30? - Yes. 8803. Do you know what position was given to the Marconi operator? - No. 8804. He will tell us. Assuming the position given to the Marconi operator was latitude 42.3 north, I find in your log latitude 42.5 north? - Yes. 8805. What is the explanation of the two degrees’ difference of latitude? - Two miles on account of observation. 8806. Two minutes of difference - is that your explanation? - I had the star then. I thought the star was more accurate. 8807. Is the explanation this: That at 6.30 the latitude given to the Marconi operator was latitude by dead reckoning from your noon position? - Yes. 8808. But at 7.30, an hour later, you got an observation which enabled you to fix your actual position? - Yes. 8809. Which differed two minutes north of the position by dead reckoning? - Yes. 8810. And is that observation at 6.30 recorded in your log of this star an accurate one? - Yes. 8811. Is there any room for doubt about the accuracy of that position there? - No.