Page 98 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

7524. Looking at her through your glasses, what was there that you could see of her which made you think that? - Do you mean that her masthead light was not immediately over the other lights? - No, Sir. 7525. What was there to show you? - Her lights did not seem to look like as they did do before when I first saw them. The Commissioner: What was the difference? 7526. (The Solicitor-General.) Could you describe them at all, Gibson? - No, Sir. 7527. You have told us what the officer said to you. Did you think yourself when you looked at her through the glasses that something was wrong? - We had been talking about it together. 7528. (The Commissioner.) I should very much like you to tell me what you had been saying to the officer? - He remarked to me - 7529. I should like you to tell me what were you saying to each other? - He remarked to me that a ship was not going to fire rockets at sea for nothing. 7530. Who said that? - The Second Officer. 7531. A ship is not going to fire rockets at sea for nothing? - Yes. 7532. I daresay you agreed with him? - Yes. 7533. What took place after that between you and him? - We were talking about it all the time, Sir, till five minutes past two, when she disappeared. 7534. (The Solicitor-General.) Till five minutes past two, when she disappeared? - Yes. 7535. (The Commissioner.) Then do I understand from you that the Second Officer came to the conclusion that this was a ship in distress? - No, Sir, not exactly. 7536. What do you mean by “not exactly”? The second officer said to you, “A ship does not fire up rockets for nothing”? - Yes, Sir. 7537. Did not that convey to you that the ship was, in his opinion, in distress? - Not exactly in distress, Sir. 7538. What then? - That everything was not all right with her. 7539. (The Solicitor-General.) In trouble of some sort? - Yes, Sir. 7540. Just think for a minute about this conversation. Do you remember whether the Second Officer and you said anything about ice being dangerous? - No, Sir. 7541. You mean that nothing was said about that? - No. 7542. Your ship had stopped? - Yes. 7543. Because it was not safe. Just think a minute. Was not anything said between the officer and you about it? - No, Sir. 7544. Was anything said between the second officer and you as to whether this was likely to be a passenger steamer? - No. 7545. What did you think? - I thought she was a tramp steamer, and I told him so. 7546. You thought she was a tramp steamer, and you had seen her sidelight at what you thought was between four and seven miles away? - Yes. 7547. And you had seen a blaze of light in the afterpart? - A glare of light. 7548. Four to seven miles away? - Yes. 7549. And you thought she was a tramp steamer? - Yes. 7550. (The Commissioner.) Did you expect to see a glare of light on the afterpart of a tramp steamer? - Yes, Sir, on some of them. 7551. (The Solicitor-General.) That is until she disappeared at five minutes past two that you have spoken about? - Yes. 7552. What were the orders which the Second Officer gave you when she disappeared? - “Call the Captain and tell him that that ship has disappeared in the South-west; that we are heading West-south-west, and that she has fired altogether eight rockets.” 7553. Did you report that to the Captain? - Yes.