Page 27 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

The Attorney-General: Your Lordship will find this dealt with at page 38 - I mean the question which you asked before about the proper order of the signals and orders. It is summarised at Question 993. The Commissioner: Yes, the question beginning “You told us what happened.” The Attorney-General: Yes. “First of all the signal of the three bells” - I think I am summarising what he said - “then the telephone message, then it was repeated to the First Officer, ‘Iceberg right ahead’” - that is because another officer received the telephone message - “then the First Officer went to the telegraph to give an order to the engine room, and gave you the order ‘hard a-starboard’? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) At any rate, up to his going to the telegraph as I follow you, there was no change of speed?- (A.) No, Sir. (Q.) What that order was you do not know? - (A.) No, Sir. (Q.) Then ‘hard a starboard’ and you immediately put up your helm?- (A.) Hard a-starboard. (Q.) Right over? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) What is it, 35 degrees? - (A.) Forty degrees. (Q.) Then you got the helm right over? - (A.) Right over, Sir.” The Commissioner: “Then she comes round two points and then strikes.” The Attorney-General: Yes. “Is that right? - (A.) The vessel veered” - round to port - “veered off two points” was his expression. It is in the Quartermaster’s evidence. Re-examined by the ATTORNEY-GENERAL. 5837. There are two matters I want you to help us upon, if you can. You told us the time when you got the order all the watertight doors were open. That was at quarter to one? - Yes. 5838. But I do not think you told us what time it was when you went up on deck? - When we left the engine room? 5839. Yes. - Twenty past one. The Attorney-General: I do not think your Lordship has that? Mr. Laing: Yes, I think so. The Attorney-General: My friend says he thinks you have that. The Witness: That was the time we left the engine room. Then we did not go straight up to the boat deck then. 5840. Can you give us any idea how long it was between that 20 past one and your getting on to the boat deck? - We had to go and get the lifebelts after that. From the time I got the lifebelts and all do you mean? 5841. Yes. You left the engine room at 1.20; you got eventually to the boat deck, and I want to know about what time it was you got on the boat deck? - About twenty to two I think it was when I got on to the boat deck. 5842. How long after you got to the boat deck was it till you got on to the davits and down the falls? - About a quarter of an hour, between a quarter of an hour and twenty minutes. 5843. That would bring it to about five minutes to two? - Yes. The Commissioner: When he dropped into the water. The Attorney-General: Yes. And we know it was about quarter-past two when she sank. That helps us now to see what was happening during this time, from 11.40 onwards. The Witness: I think that was the only boat that took any of them out of the water. We pulled in between six and eight, I think it was, after she sank. 5844. Yes, you are quite right, we have the evidence about it. I am not only asking you about it because we have had it from other witnesses. But you are quite right; they did do it. Now there is one other matter, correct me if I am wrong, but I think you said you went to the third-class cabin to get the lifebelts? - Yes. 5845. That must have been some time between 20 minutes past one and 20 minutes to two? - Yes.