Page 229 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

Examined by Mr. HOLMES. 10838. Are you quite certain about the order in which these boats were lowered, Nos. 3, 5 and 7? - I have told you to the best of my ability; I am open to contradiction. 10839. Do you know a man named Jewell? - No. 10840. He has told us that No. 7 was the first boat in the water on the starboard side? - I beg to differ. 10841. At all events you are satisfied that 5 and 3 were in the water before No 1? - Yes. 10842. When No. 11 was lowered, was No 13 still on the davits? - No; No. 13 was being lowered when we were on the water’s edge. 10843. About the same time? - About the same time. 10844. And before you were lowered, did you get any order from the officer on deck what you were to do? - In what way do you mean? 10845. What you were to do when you got into the water? - No orders at all. Examined by Mr. COTTER. 10846. When you got the boat lowered how far did you pull from the ship’s side before you stopped? - A matter of about a quarter of a mile. 10847. Can you give us any idea of the time which elapsed between the lowering of No. 11 boat and when the ship struck? - No; I will not make any stated time, for I do not know. 10848. You cannot give us any idea at all? - I will not attempt to, because I do not know. 10849. Did you see the ship sink? - Yes. 10850. Did you row back again? - No. 10851. You simply rowed away? - We did not row at all; we stood off about a quarter of a mile. From the time we left the ship to the time she sank we were a quarter of a mile away watching all proceedings. 10852. How many women were in that boat? Can you give us any idea? - Well, I say there were 74 to 78. 10853. Women? - No, all told. 10854. I mean how many women? - Well, I will allow you to abstract it; there were nine crew and one second class passenger. 10855. A second class gentleman? - Yes. 10856. That is 10? - Yes. 10857. That makes 64 passengers? - Yes, counting nine children; I do not know what they were. 10858. Can you tell us in what order your boat reached the “Carpathia” the following morning? Were you the first or the last? - Now you have got me guessing. I should say we were the last but three or four in. 10859. Were there any complaints in your boat before you got to the “Carpathia”? - Yes. 10860. Can you tell us what the complaints were? - Yes, they complained about being crushed up so much, and they could not sit down properly, and other people complained because they had to stand all night. 10861. Any complaint against the conduct of the men? - Yes. 10862. What? - Because we smoked. Examined by Sir ROBERT FINLAY. 10863. You were told to collect the women. That order was given to you on the boat deck? -