Page 174 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

the “Titanic” being in distress? - 12.11 a.m. 9452. Just read your account, as you have it there, of that message. - “Titanic” sending C.Q.D. Answer him, but he says, “Cannot read you, old man. Here my position, 41º 46’ N. 50º 14’ W. Come at once, have struck berg.” I advised my captain. 9453. I have before me a document which suggests that he told you he could not read your message. - He did not get my call, but he knew it was somebody calling him, answering his C.Q.D., so he sent his position right away. 9454. That would mean that he told you what the latitude and longitude was? - Yes. 9455. And asked your ship to come at once as he had struck an iceberg? - Yes. 9456. Did you give the message to your captain straight away? - I gave it to the night steward and he took it up. 9457. That is 11 minutes after midnight your time. Is your next entry 10 minutes after that? - Yes. 9458. That would be 21 minutes after midnight? - Yes. 9459. What was it you heard then? - I have got down here, “‘Titanic’ still calling C.Q.D. is answered by the ‘Carpathia’ and says ‘struck iceberg come to our assistance.’ Sends the position.” 9460. Does that mean that you could overhear the “Carpathia” answering the “Titanic”? - Yes. 9461. And could you also overhear the message that the “Titanic” was sending to the “Carpathia”? - Yes. 9462. Did you hear the same latitude and longitude repeated by the “Titanic” to the “Carpathia”? - Yes. 9463. That is 12.21. Then five minutes after that, 12.26, is your next entry “‘Titanic’ still calling C.Q.D.”? Have you noted there about that time that you had turned your ship’s course? - Yes. 9464. And started to their help? - Yes; that was about 15 minutes after we got the signal. It may have been sooner. 9465. At any rate by that time you had turned round? - Yes. 9466. Then 8 minutes after that, I think that will be 12.34, just over half-past 12? - Yes. 9467. Did you hear the “Frankfurt” answering the “Titanic”? - Yes. 9468. That is the North German-Lloyd boat? - Yes. 9469. Did you hear the “Titanic” giving her position to the “Frankfurt”? - Yes. 9470. Now, have you got your record of what he said? - Yes. “‘Titanic’ gives position and asks, ‘are you coming to our assistance?’ ‘Frankfurt’ replies, ‘What is the matter with you?’ ‘Titanic’ says, ‘We have struck iceberg and sinking. Please tell captain to come’; and then ‘Frankfurt’ replied, ‘O.K. Will tell the bridge right away.’ Then the ‘Titanic’ said, ‘O.K., yes, quick.’” 9471. (The Commissioner.) What does “O.K.” mean? - All right. 9472. (The Solicitor-General.) It spells “Orl korrect.” (To the Witness.) That was the first time you had overheard a message from the “Titanic” that she was sinking? - Yes. 9473. Just about 25 minutes to 1? - That is it. 9474. Then following on that, I think another 8 minutes later, did you hear her calling S.O.S.? - Yes. 9475. Is there any difference from the point of view of urgency between this C.Q.D. call and the S.O.S call? - Myself, I should say that C.Q.D. would be more quickly jumped at than S.O.S.; C.Q.D. got a good name in the time of Jack Binns, and the public know C.Q.D. is a distress call. The Commissioner: Can you tell me what it means? The Attorney-General: Yes. “Save our souls.” 9476. (The Solicitor-General.) They are both used, are they? - Yes.