Page 72 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

6842. (The Attorney-General.) No, I am not going to leave it. (To the Witness.) Who was Mr. Stone? - The second officer. 6843. It was he who relieved Mr. Groves? - Yes, at 10 minutes past 12. 6844. Do you know whether the steamer was pointed out by Mr. Stone to Mr. Groves? - He told me afterwards that she was. 6845. And that it was a passenger steamer? - I never heard that. 6846. That he had said that it was a passenger steamer? - I never heard that. 6847. (The Commissioner.) You do not give answers that please me at present. You said just now as plainly as possible that you answered the third officer, I think it was, and said: “The only passenger steamer near us is the ‘Titanic.’” You now suggest that you do not remember whether you said that or not? - I do not recollect saying anything to him about it, my Lord. 6848. Could you have forgotten such a thing? - Well, I have heard so many stories about the “Titanic” since that I really do not know what I heard that night. 6849. (The Attorney-General.) But that would be rather an important matter, would it not, if you thought the steamer that was approaching you was the “Titanic”? - I never thought it. I saw a steamer. The Commissioner: This is exactly what you said: “I might have said that the only passenger steamer likely to be near us is the ‘Titanic.’“ 6850. (The Attorney-General - To the Witness.). You might have said that. That is what you said before. That is right, is it not? - I might have said it; I do not recollect it. 6851. Did you know the steamer had stopped from 11.40, whatever she was? - I know she stopped round about half-past eleven. The Commissioner: Will you remind me, Mr. Attorney, how the mysterious imaginary light bore from the “Titanic”? The Attorney-General: It is not very satisfactory. It is said by some witness two points on the port bow; by another a point on the port bow; and by another it is said to have been on the starboard or broad on the starboard. Nobody is very satisfactory about it. Of course, your Lordship will remember it is rather difficult to know after she struck the iceberg how she was heading. We have not any very definite or clear evidence how the “Titanic” was heading. We cannot tell. The Commissioner: Therefore, it comes substantially to nothing more than this: that there are witnesses from the “Titanic” who believe that they did see the white light of a ship? The Attorney-General: Yes, and one of them said he saw sidelights. Your Lordship will hear some further evidence about it. The Commissioner: Yes; one of them said he saw a sidelight. The Attorney-General: Yes. The Commissioner: It was a red light, was it not, the sidelight? 6852. (The Attorney-General.) Yes, quite right, my Lord. (To the Witness.) I think you did see your third officer signaling with a Morse lamp from the bridge? - I did. 6853. And that he got no reply? - He got no reply. 6854. Did it strike you as a curious thing that he got no reply. Did you think about it at all? - I did. It did not strike me as being very strange. 6855. You knew, of course, you were amongst ice? - Yes. 6856. And that the other vessel might also be amongst ice? - Yes. 6857. Have you an apprentice on your vessel called Gibson? - Yes. 6858. Do you remember his coming down into the chart room? - I do not. 6859. After 1.15, when you went to the chart room? - I have a recollection of Gibson opening and closing the chart room door some time between half-past 1 and half-past 4. 6860. You remember that? - I remember that.