Page 230 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

Yes. 10864. Where did you collect the women and children from? - All round the boat deck. 10865. They were on the boat deck already? - Yes. 10866. Then you collected them there and took them down to A deck? - We collected all we possibly could. That would amount to, say 40. I cannot be right to perhaps five or seven. 10867. Who helped you to do that? - A man by the name of Wilton. (The Witness withdrew.) The Solicitor-General: What we propose to do, with your Lordship’s concurrence, is this. There are two witnesses that one or other of my friends would like to have in the box, and they both give, so far as we can judge, important evidence, a man named Wheat and the Quartermaster Wynn. Then when we have called those two, as far as we can see at present, we shall have exhausted this class of evidence so far as regards survivors who came across in the “Lapwing.” [Lapland] I have made inquiries from my friends representing different interests, and as far as I can understand, they none of them suggest that any of the others who have come across in the “Lapwing” [Lapland] would be helpful. Then you will have the officers and other gentlemen later. I am leaving out of my reckoning at the moment any further witnesses who deal with boat No. 1. As your Lordship knows, there is a reason for dealing with that separately, and we are arranging to take that tomorrow. I hope it will be possible to deal with these two quite shortly. JOSEPH THOMAS WHEAT, Sworn. Examined by the SOLICITOR-GENERAL. 10868. Is your name Joseph Thomas Wheat? - Yes. 10869. Were you assistant Second Steward? - Yes, assistant Second Steward. The Commissioner: Does that mean a second class steward? 10870. (The Solicitor-General - To the Witness.) Does that mean a second class steward or not? - No. 10871. Just tell me who your superiors are in your own department? - The Chief Steward, the Second Steward, and the Purser. 10872. And you would come fourth, as it were? - Well, after the pursers; there are a number of them, quite a number of pursers abroad. 10873. You mean the purser rating; I see. Putting aside the purser rating, you have the chief steward and the second steward? - Yes. 10874. Was the chief steward saved? - No. 10875. Was the second steward saved? - No. 10876. At the time when this accident happened were you in your bunk? - No, just about to turn in. 10877. You were just going to turn in? - Yes. 10878. Did you hear the collision? - Yes, I heard a noise. 10879. As you judged it at the time, what did you think it was? - Well, I thought she had cast one of her propeller blades. It sounded to me like that. 10880. Have you been on a ship where that has happened? - Yes. 10881. And you thought it was that? - Yes, I thought it was the same thing. 10882. We must find out where your room was? - On F deck down by the Turkish baths. 10883. Is it the port or starboard side? - Port side.