Page 227 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

could not tell you; I have not the slightest idea. 10782. Or of any other members of the crew that were in the boat? - Let me see. Yes, William Wilton was one. 10783. He was a steward? - Yes. Macmicken. [A. McMicken.] 10784. What was he? - A steward. Tessenger, [A. Thessinger.] Mr. Wheat and myself. That is all I can answer for. I cannot answer for the others because they were new men on the ship. 10785. Was the last name you mentioned a steward, too? - Mr. Wheat was the assistant. 10786. I thought you mentioned another name? - Tessenger. He was a bedroom steward on E deck. The other men were strangers to me; I cannot think of their names. 10787. (The Commissioner.) Macmicken, Tessenger, and who else? - Wilton, Macmicken, Tessenger, Mr. Wheat, and myself. They were the only men I can remember. The fireman’s name I do not know; the two sailors’ names I do not know, and the other stewards I do not know, because they were strangers to the ship. They never came from the “Olympic” to the “Titanic” with us. 10788-10789. (Mr. Raymond Asquith.) That means, including yourself, there were ten members of the crew in this boat? - Nine, do you not make it? 10790. I thought I made it ten, but it does not matter? - Five stewards, one fireman, two sailors, and the assistant second steward at the helm. 10791. But you have not counted yourself? - Yes, I am counting myself as one of the five. 10792. That makes nine. You have told us there were also nine children? - There were 74 to 78, counting nine children ranging up to six years of age. 10793. Were all the rest women, or were there some male passengers? - There were two second class ladies, one second class gent, one first class lady, and the rest were all third class ladies. 10794. The rest were all third class ladies? - Yes. 10795. How do you come to know that? - Well, I do know; I cannot tell you why, but I do know. They were all third class people bar the four I have mentioned, bar the crew which was nine. 10796. You mean you could distinguish the first from the third, and that you counted them? - I cannot distinguish altogether, but I know when I got on board the “Carpathia” I found out they were third class. 10797. That is what I wanted to know. What did you do when you got into the boat in the water with people in it? Did you row away from the ship? - No, we had a bit of difficulty in getting away. 10798. What difficulty did you have? - The after fall would not run clear in the first place - it took three men to get the stern of her away from the flush of the water running from the ship’s side. 10799. After you got free, did you row away from the ship? - Yes. 10800. How far away? - To the best of my ability a quarter of a mile. 10801. Were you within sight when the ship went down? - We watched all proceedings. 10802. Did you see a light while you were in the boat? - A supposed light do you mean? 10803. Well, I do not know whether it was a supposed light or not. Did you see what you thought was a light? - Yes, we thought there was a ship’s stern light. 10804. Was it a white light or a coloured light? - It was a reddish light. 10805. And you thought it was the stern light of a ship? - Yes. 10806. Could you say in which direction it was with regard to the “Titanic”, whether it was on the port or the starboard side of the “Titanic”? - Well, when I say it was the stern light of a ship, I should suppose she was going the same way as ourselves. 10807. On which side of the “Titanic” was it? - Starboard.