Page 171 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

spared? - Certainly. 9375. Did you have your regulation number of A. B.’s on your boat, as required by the Board of Trade? - Yes. 9376. None extra? - None extra - at least, I do not think so. 9377. Do you intend putting on extra men now? - We have more than the Board of Trade calls for. 9378. With these extra boats do you intend to put on extra men? - I do not know; we have 16 able seamen. Examined by Mr. LAING. 9379. Have you had a long experience in the North Atlantic trade? - Twenty-seven years. 9380. And do you run to Montreal in the summer and St. John’s in the winter? - Yes. 9381. Have you ever tried using binoculars for your look-out? - No. 9382. Is that a new idea to you? - Yes, it is. 9383. With regard to yourself, on this voyage did you get a Marconi notice that ice was about? - Yes. 9384. Was it fine clear weather? - Yes. 9385. Did you keep your speed? - I did. 9386. I suppose in time you saw ice? - I saw no ice at all until I went back to the “Titanic’s” assistance. 9387. You saw nothing until you turned to go South? - Until I turned to go North and East. 9388. Was the ice further south than you had known it? - I never knew it to be so far south before. Not in my whole experience of 27 years, I never knew it so far South. 9389. And you are constantly running backwards and forwards? - For 27 years. 9390. With regard to your ship, how many passengers can she carry when you are full up? How many are you allowed to carry? - I do not know. There is no limit put on. We were to have taken 2,200 from Antwerp this last voyage. 9391. (The Commissioner.) Passengers? - Yes, my Lord. 9392. Then it was contemplated that you might have passengers and crew to the extent of 2,300, or something like that? - Passengers alone, my Lord. 9393. And crew? - We carried, I suppose, about 160 crew. 9394. That would be nearly 2,500? - Yes. 9395. And the lifeboat accommodation would not be increased? - No. 9396. (Mr. Laing.) With regard to the look-out, do you put a man on the look-out on the forecastle head in foggy weather? - Yes. 9397. And hazy weather? - Yes. 9398. Weather in which you blow your whistle; is that what you mean? - Even when we do not. When it is really necessary to blow the whistle we always put a man in the crow’s-nest, and when we meet ice we put a man forward on the look-out on the forecastle head. 9399. That is in hazy weather? - Yes. 9400. Do you usually carry one man in the crow’s-nest? - At nighttime; not in clear weather in the daytime. 9401. In the daytime you do not have a look-out at all? - We have an officer on the bridge. 9402. But you do not have a man in the crow’s-nest or one on the forecastle head? - No. 9403. But at night you have, as a rule, a man in the crow’s-nest? - Yes. 9404. But, if it is hazy weather, a man on the bow as well? - Yes. 9405. Your instructions seem to be that you are not to enter field ice? - Not to enter it on any account.