Page 51 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

6387. Did you think that something was wrong? - I thought so when the ship stopped suddenly. 6388. Did you notice anything further with the engines? - Not until she went full speed astern. 6389. You did notice that? - I noticed that and the electric bells going in the fidley. The Commissioner: Does he say full speed astern? 6390. (The Attorney-General.) Yes, that is what he said. (To the Witness.) You noticed the engines had been reversed? - Yes. 6391. I am not sure whether it was after that or at the same time that you heard the electric bells go to close the watertight doors? - The same time. 6392. What did you do then? - I immediately got up and dressed and went on deck. 6393. Were there lifebelts in your cabin? - Yes. 6394. Provided for everyone? - Yes, eight. 6395. Eight lifebelts for eight people? - Yes. 6396. Did you take any with you when you went on the boat deck? - Not then I did not. 6397. You went on the boat deck? - I went right up the stairs on to the boat deck. 6398. Was there any sign of excitement or agitation on the boat deck? - None whatever. 6399. What did you do then? - I walked right along the boat deck right forward and passed in on to A deck and down the stairs to each deck. 6400. What do you mean by each deck? - A, B, C, D, and E. 6401. Till you got to your deck? - Yes, eventually, and I spoke to several of the stewards on watch and asked them what was the matter, and they thought everything was correct. There was no excitement anywhere. As I passed down on each deck I saw groups of people, but there was no panic and no excitement; you would have thought it was the closing up of the public rooms we met at every night. People were grouped round talking, and nothing more that I saw. I went right down through B and C deck down to D and E deck back through the saloon to the pantry, and I stopped talking to the watchman there, and I passed down to E deck again to my room. 6402. To your room? - To my own room, back again. As there was nothing doing and no excitement we thought everything was right. 6403. You thought everything was going to be all right? - Yes. 6404. Did you know you had struck an iceberg? - I heard. 6405. When you got on the boat deck? - Yes. 6406. But you did not think it was anything serious? - No, nobody thought so. 6407. Nobody thought so? - No. 6408. Then you went back to your cabin? - Yes. 6409. Did you go to bed again? - No I stood talking to my two mates that I had left behind, and advised them to get up and dress in case we should be wanted. 6410. You told us you passed along these decks. Did you see any passengers? - On each companionway, I did, in groups. I recognised some that I knew. 6411. You have said there was no excitement. Did that apply as well to the passengers as to the stewards, the persons to whom you spoke? - Yes. 6412. What was the next thing that happened when you got back to your cabin? - I was there perhaps 10 or 15 minutes when the chief bedroom steward came down and said the order was, “All hands on deck for the lifeboats,” and the bedroom stewards were to see the passengers out of their rooms with their lifebelts and lock the rooms up. 6413. Did you then go up to the boat deck? - Yes. 6414. Did you take your lifebelt? - Yes. 6415. Does that mean that each one took one lifebelt? - We each took our own. 6416. (The Commissioner.) When you say “we,” you mean the three? - Yes. 6417. (The Attorney-General.) Did you notice any list in the vessel at that time? - Not at that time.