Page 160 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

9120. What basis had you for saying she was near you? - The strength of the signals. 9121. You also state that when you gave a message to the ship of your own line you gave your position? - Yes. 9122. You commenced the message by giving your position? - Yes. 9123. When you gave the final message to the “Titanic” did you commence that message by giving your address, so to speak - your position then? - No. 9124. Would the “Titanic” be able to judge from the distinctness of your message that you were near them? - Yes; you cannot judge a distance accurately. 9125. What impression did you have as to the distance the “Titanic” was from you? - Well, he had very good signals, very clear signals, and he has got a good power. 9126. Would that indicate roughly a certain number of miles - that you must be within a certain number of miles? - By the strength of the signals I should say he was not more than 100 miles off us in the afternoon. I heard him working a long time before I got him. 9127. When you were speaking to him at night, when you gave the message that you were surrounded by ice, what I want to know is, could he form an idea that ice was very near him? The Commissioner: The ice? 9128. (Mr. Scanlan.) That he was not far from the position of which this gentleman was speaking. (To the Witness.) In whose employment are you? - The Marconi Company. 9129. Are you liable to come to your machine any time you are called upon by the officers of the ship? - Well, personally I would myself, but we have no instructions to that effect to my knowledge. We are under the command of the Captain. 9130. (The Commissioner.) Do you sign on with the ship’s officer’s? - Yes. Examined by Mr. HARBINSON. 9131. You cannot work day and night? - No. 9132. If there had been another operator on this boat to have taken your place when you went to bed at 12 o’clock? - Half-past 11. 9133. He would have got this C.Q.D. signal sent out from the “Titanic”? - Yes. Examined by Mr. LEWIS. 9134. Do I understand you are on the ship’s articles? - Yes. 9135. I take it only as a matter of form? - To bring us under the Captain’s control. 9136. To what extent has he control over you? - The Captain has command over everybody in the ship, has he not? - That is why we have to sign on. 9137. To what extent can he interfere with your duties as an operator? You are in the employ of the Marconi Company? - Yes. 9138. Do you receive instructions from them when engaged, as to your duties? - Well, we have instructions as to our hours; if we want to get into communication with the land, we generally stop up later. 9139. I am not asking the instructions from time to time. I want to know whether you are given instructions when you are first employed as to your duties and so forth - when you are first employed by the Marconi Company? - We are told to take orders from the Captain. 9140. There are certain duties laid down; I presume they give you certain instructions. Do not you have instructions as to your duties on board ship? - Not to my knowledge. 9141. There are no printed instructions issued? - There is one about calling the C.Q. at even hours, so that you can always get somebody at that time. 9142. Are you allowed to get into communication under ordinary circumstances with a ship