Page 77 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

6986. Have you ever heard what the steamer was that according to you sent up rockets if it was not the “Titanic”? - No, I have never heard anything about it. 6987. We know from the evidence in this case that the “Titanic” did send up rockets for some considerable time? - Yes. 6988. So far as I understand from you, you do not know of any other steamer which, on that night, and about this time, sent up rockets? - I do not. 6989. Does not it strike you now that that steamer you saw sending up rockets must have been the “Titanic”? - No. 6990. Not now? - No, I am positive it was not the “Titanic.” 6991. Why are you positive it was not? - Because a ship like the “Titanic” at sea it is an utter impossibility for anyone to mistake. 6992. That must depend upon the distance you are from her? - Well, my distance, according to my estimate, is 4 to 5 miles. 6993. But might not she have been a good deal further off? - I do not think so. I do not think we would have seen her sidelights. 6994-5. Of course, if you saw her green light about 4 or 5 miles away, that would show to you that she must have been a pretty big ship, would it not? - It would not follow; there are so many steamers have electric lights now. You see sidelights a great deal further than you used to. 6996. If she was 4 or 5 miles away her light must have been at a high elevation from you, must it not, for you to see it? - A steamer something like ourselves, as I said before. 6997. I mean her sidelight must have been pretty high from the water if you could see it 4 to 5 miles distant? - The “Californian” is 40 feet above the water, and I said she was a steamer something like the “Californian.” 6998. Now let us understand where we are about it. Am I right in this, that you cannot suggest any other passenger steamer that was in that neighbourhood at that time - that is midnight - except the “Titanic”? - I only saw one steamer, passenger steamer, of any size that day, and that was the “Mount Temple.” 6999. I wish you would answer the question I am putting to you. Is the result of your evidence that you cannot suggest the name of any other passenger steamer that was in the neighbourhood of your vessel at about midnight on the 14th April? - No, I cannot. 7000. You cannot suggest any other steamer that sent up rockets at 1 o’clock or between 1 and 2 in the morning of Monday the 15th April, except the “Titanic”? - No, I have not heard of any. 7001. Did you receive a message from the “Virginian” at 6 o’clock that morning? - Yes. 7002. That the “Titanic” had struck a berg? - “Passengers in boats; ship sinking.” 7003. And it gave you the position? - Latitude and Longitude 41° 46’, 50° 14’. 7004. And did you at once start for that position? - I did. 7005. What course did you make? - I made from 6 until half-past anything between S. and S.W. I was pushing through field ice. 7006. That was of course in order to reach the position of the “Titanic”? - Yes. The Attorney-General: Has your Lordship got the chart before you? The Commissioner: Yes. 7007. (The Attorney-General.) That is very much the course that he would take to go from the spot that he has indicated just below the “J” to the spot of the figure “4” in the soundings which marks where the “Titanic” sank. (To the Witness.) The course that you were making was S 20° W., was it not? - No, I was endeavouring to make S. 16° W., as near as possible. 7008. S 16° W.? - Yes. 7009. Was that direction the one from which you had seen the rocket? - I did not see the rocket. 7010. Or from which you had heard the rocket had been seen? - I did not hear as to the bearing