Page 219 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

and giving a bit of a tremble that the bow had fallen off. I might be wrong. 10554. But that was your conclusion from it? - Yes. 10556. I suppose your opportunities for observation were not very good at this time? - No. That part was practically under water then. 10557. When the afterpart gave this tremble, where were you then? - In the water; right before the forward funnel. 10558. Did you notice whether the lights of this afterpart were still lighted or not? - There were lights burning then. 10559. Could you see that? - Yes. 10560. After you had been in the water for some time did you see a black object? - Yes, I saw a black object. 10561. How long do you think you were in the water before you saw that? - It seemed a very long time. 10562. Was it a long time? - It seemed a lifetime to me. 10563. Did you swim towards it? - I did my best. I never swam in my life; but I kept myself up with the lifebelt, and I made my way the best I could towards it. 10564. Do you mean you cannot swim? - Yes. 10565. Then the lifebelt saved you? - The lifebelt saved me. 10566. Did that black object prove to be a collapsible boat? - Yes. 10567. I think it was half submerged, was it not? - Yes, submerged with the weight of men on it. 10568. How many people were there on it? - I should say there were 16 or 17 on it. 10569. You used the expression “with the weight of men on it.” Were they men or were they some women? - They were all men then, Sir. The women we had on it were picked up after I got aboard of it. 10570. Did you get on to that collapsible boat? - I did. 10571. Did you remain on it? - I remained on it. 10572. Did you pick anybody up in that boat? - When I was there I saw them pick two up, a woman and a gentleman - a very big gentleman. 10573. You have spoken of the men on this boat. Were they passengers, or were they crew of the ship, or staff of the ship? - They were mixed up; there were some stewards, some firemen, and the rest passengers. 10574. Could you tell me how many were passengers out of the 16 men? - There was one fireman that I knew. I do not know whether there were any more or not. 10575. Do you know how many were passengers? - I know there were three stewards, and I know there was one fireman. I do not know how many more. 10576. (The Commissioner.) Do you know whether any of the 16 that you saw were passengers? - Oh, yes, Sir. 10577. How many? - You could not very well pick them out. I should say 10 or 12 of them were passengers. 10578. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) I believe next day, to go on a little further, you first of all were picked up by No. 14 boat? - Yes. 10579. And taken to the “Carpathia,” were you not? - Yes. 10580. Do you know a man called Joughin, the Chief Baker of the “Titanic”? - Yes, I do. 10581. He has been here, and he has told us that he swam to a collapsible boat that was in trouble, after he had been in the water for some time, and they refused to take him in. Do you remember that incident happening? - That is another collapsible boat altogether. Mr. Aspinall: That is not your collapsible boat? The Commissioner: You gave me, Mr. Aspinall, or the witness did, the number of the boat that