Page 87 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

7235. Are you interested in messages received by the ship? - What is that? The Commissioner: What do you mean by “interested”? Do you mean, “Does he receive any money in connection with them?” Mr. Lewis: No. The Commissioner: What is it then? 7236. (Mr. Lewis.) I am anxious to know when messages are being received, important messages, whether the captain is at all interested to find out what is happening. (To the Witness.) I understand you were in communication with the “Titanic”? - Yes. 7237. Would you consider it dangerous for the “Titanic” to be so close to the ice? - I did not know where the “Titanic” was. I never had her position. 7238. I understand you to say she may have been a long way away? - Anywhere. 7239. She may have been close? - She may have been close or away past. 7240. If she had been 19 miles away, would not her position have been dangerous? - I did not know. I did not know at all how far the ice extended. 7241. It may have extended that distance? - It was more than likely. 7242. If the “Titanic” had been close to it, it would have been extremely dangerous to the “Titanic”? - If they were not keeping a look-out. 7243. Particularly to a large steamer? - If they were not keeping a look-out. 7244. We know now that it has been in evidence that they did have a look-out. You heard that, I take it, did not you, that they did have a look-out on the ship? - Yes. 7245. Under those circumstances, seeing that there was a possibility of the boat being near, do you consider it reasonable that you should go off duty? - Perfectly reasonable. I was looking after my own ship. The Commissioner: These are answers that do not do you the least good, and they are not the answers that you want. 7246. (Mr. Lewis.) Very well, my Lord. (To the Witness.) Do you consider it reasonable, knowing that you were in communication with the “Titanic” that you did not make inquiries from the operator - that you went on till next day before knowing what the reply was from the “Titanic”? - He would give the message I knew, and if he could not give the message he would come back and tell me, I should have thought. 7247. You consider that reasonable? - I do. Examined by Sir ROBERT FINLAY. 7248. Just a very few questions: Who appoints and pays the Marconi man on board your boat? - The Marconi Company, I understand. 7249. Cape Race is the south-east point of Newfoundland, is it not? - Yes. 7250. Is it the great point for trade messages? - Yes, it is, I believe. 7251. Now with regard to your own vessel, where is the best point for a look-out, on the stem or the crow’s-nest, in your vessel? - The man in the crow’s-nest on a clear day would see a light further than a man on the foc’sle head of the ship would; but sometimes in hazy weather it is possible to see better from the foc’sle head than it is from the crow’s-nest. 7252. And with regard to ice, where would that be best seen from? - On a clear night I think you would see just as well from the crow’s-nest as you. would from the foc’sle head. 7253. You had one man only in the crow’s-nest? - One only. 7254. And one only on the stem? - On the foc’sle. 7255. As a matter of fact, I think you said that you saw the ice before either of them? - I reversed the engines myself before they reported it. Just as they were reporting it I had reversed the engines.