Page 54 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

6480. Had any of the boats been lowered on the starboard side by the time you got on to the boat deck? - No. 6481. They were all there. Then did you go along to each boat distributing provisions? - Yes. 6482. (The Commissioner.) Does this apply only to the starboard side or to the port side as well? - Only to the starboard; I never crossed to port. 6483. Does that mean that you distributed biscuits and bread to each one of the boats on the starboard side? - Yes, pretty well. 6484. (The Attorney-General.) If I follow the story it must be from No. 5, because No. 1 was already in the water? - Yes, No. 3 was down. 6485. But when you got to No. 5 you started? - Yes, I met the pantry men coming along with a case of biscuits and some bread. There were some five or six men came along. 6486. Is it your view that No. 1, the first boat on the starboard side, was in the water before any of the other boats were lowered? - Yes, on the starboard side. 6487. You got eventually to your boat, the aftermost boat on the starboard side? - Yes. 6488. That is No. 15? - Yes. 6489. Was she uncovered when you got to her? - Yes. 6490. What did you do? - The time I got there Mr. Murdoch had given orders to see the plug and rudder shipped and the tiller shipped, and everything ready, and then to call the men together into the boat. 6491. Mr. Murdoch was in charge then? - Yes. 6492. He was the officer superintending? - Yes. 6493. You say he called to the men to get into the boat. Will you tell us as nearly as you can what it was he said? - He said: “Some of you get into the boat.” About six went in and he said: “That will do; no more; lower away to A deck and receive any women and children there are.” 6494. “Lower away to A deck”? - Yes. 6495. Did you then go down to A deck? - I went along down the stairs to the boat and met her at A deck. 6496. Before she was lowered to A deck had she taken any passengers at all? - No, there were no passengers there. 6497. When you got to A deck was there an officer there? - There was someone in charge; I do not know who it was. 6498. Did you hear him give any orders? - To get all the women and children into the boat that we could find. 6499. Were there any passengers standing round on A deck at this time at the place where the boat was lowered to? - Yes, there were some. 6500. Women and children? - There were four or five women and children; four women and about three children. 6501. At this time had you noticed whether the vessel had any list? - Slightly. 6502. A list to which side? - To port. 6503. Can you give us any idea when it was you first noticed the list to port? - No, not particularly; not until I got down into the boat. I found she was pretty well up against the ship’s side. I did not notice particularly in getting the other boats out that she had a list. 6504. You mean not until you got to your own boat? - Not till I got down to A deck. 6505. You did not notice it particularly, at any rate, until then? - No. 6506. Did you get those four women and three children into the boat? - Yes. 6507. Were there any more? - No, they sent scouts around and shouted out for any more women and children and waited quite a while, but there were no more women and children to be found. 6508. Then when she got these four women and three children there was plenty of room still in