Page 44 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

Examined by Mr. COTTER. 6226. Are there any bulkhead doors in the alleyway outside your room? - One immediately outside. 6227. Is that forward or aft? - Forward of my room. 6228. And the water was coming from forward? - The water was coming from forward. 6229. So that if that bulkhead door had been closed it might possibly have kept the water out? - The door was not closed, but just about that time I saw two men coming and they said they were going to close it, but I did not see it closed. 6230. Was it closed after they said that? - I do not know; I walked upstairs. 6231. You went up on deck? - Yes. 6232. Your boat you told us was No. 10, and you were in charge? - That is the one I was sent to. 6233. You said that boat was a yard and a half from the ship’s side. Was there any difficulty in getting the women into that boat? - Yes. That was through the list to port. Under ordinary conditions there would be no difficulty. 6234. But the boat was slung away from the ship through the list? - Yes. 6235. Did you assist to get some women into the boat? - I assisted to get most of them. 6236. You said you went down to the next deck to bring or try to force women up. Will you tell us - did you do that? - Yes. 6237. Who did you bring up? - I brought up two children and the mother - and a mother and a child, and other stewards were bringing up other women. 6238. What did you do with the children when you put them into the boat? - Handed them into the boat or dropped them in. 6239. Threw them in? - Threw them in. 6240. And what did you do with the mother? - We wanted to throw her in, and I think she preferred to try and step in. 6241. What happened? - She missed her footing. 6242. What happened then? - This steward named Burke got hold of her foot and she swung head downwards for a few minutes, but she was got into B deck. Somebody caught her into B deck - no, A deck. 6243. Did you ever see her again? - No. 6244. The children were saved? - The children were saved. 6245. You said that you never went into your boat. Why did not you go, seeing that you were in charge? - I would have set a bad example if I had jumped into the boat. None of the men felt inclined to get into the boat. 6246. You simply stood back to assist the women and children to get in? - We stood back till the officers should give us the word, and we never got it, so that we never jumped for the boat. 6247. When you found your boat had gone you said you went down below. What did you do when you went down below? - I went to my room for a drink. 6248. Drink of what? - Spirits. The Commissioner: Does it very much matter what it was? Mr. Cotter: Yes, my Lord, this is very important, because I am going to prove, or rather my suggestion is, that he then saved his life. I think his getting a drink had a lot to do with saving his life. The Commissioner: He told you he had one glass of liqueur. 6249. (Mr. Cotter.) Yes. (To the Witness.) What kind of a glass was it? - It was a tumbler half- full.