British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry
Day 11
Testimony of Frederick Sheath
Examined by the SOLICITOR-GENERAL.
13054. Is your name frederick Sheath?
- Yes.
13055. Are you a trimmer?
- Yes.
13056. Were you one of the people ordered into this emergency boat, No. 1?
- Yes.
13057. Do you remember the boat being lowered to the water?
- Yes.
13058. Did you hear any order given, as the boat was leaving the "Titanic," to Symons, who was in charge of the boat?
- No.
13059. You did not hear it?
- No.
13060. Where were you sitting in No. 1?
- The after-mid.
13061. Were you rowing?
- Yes.
13062. And the man called Symons was steering I think?
- Yes.
13063. I want to see where you were. Was anybody else on the same thwart with you?
- One lady, but I could not say who it was.
13064. Who was in front of you, next nearest the stern?
- One gentleman whose name I do not know and Pusey, a fireman.
13065. And after that again in the stern of the boat?
- There was a lady and a gentleman, and the coxswain Symons.
13066. You were on the second thwart from the stern?
- Yes.
13067. Do you know who was behind you?
- Only Taylor - that is all I know - a fireman.
13068. Taylor, who has given evidence here? There was another lady in the boat, was there not?
- Yes.
13069. Where was the other lady?
- Right aft.
13070. Do you mean nearer the stern than you?
- Yes, right aft.
13071. This is what we want to know. When the "Titanic" went down did you hear any talk or discussion in the boat as to what should be done?
- No.
13072. Nothing at all?
- No.
13073. Did you hear any orders given by Symons?
- No, only to pull away from the ship, that is all.
13074. You heard him say, "Pull away from the ship"?
- Yes.
13075. Was the ship still floating then, or had the ship gone down then?
- It was still floating, then, when we left.
13076. Still floating when he said that. Did you pull away from the ship?
- Yes.
13077. I asked you if you remembered when the "Titanic" went down: Did you see it go down?
- I saw it go down.
13078. When it went down what was your boat doing? Were you rowing, or resting on your oars?
- We were resting on our oars.
13079. What I want to know is, after the "Titanic" went down, what was done by your boat then?
- We pulled back again to the other boats.
13080. Did you hear any orders given as to what you should do?
- I was not taking much notice of what he was saying; I was looking after myself.
13081. When the "Titanic" went down did you hear any cries?
- Yes.
13082. Did the cries continue for some time?
- Yes.
13083. You say your boat went back to the other boats?
- Yes.
13084. Had these other boats left the "Titanic" before you or after you?
- Some of them left before we did.
13085. Then they had not gone as far away from the "Titanic" as you had?
- Well, we were all around; we all met one another. They must have gone as far away as we did.
13086. I just want to understand if you can help us. You say your boat went back. Do you mean it went back to where the "Titanic" had sunk?
- I could not say where she sank; I am no navigator.
13087. That is what you heard the last gentleman say?
- No, I never.
13088. Were you not here?
- No.
13089. Were you not here when the last man gave evidence?
- No; I was outside the curtains having a smoke.
13090. You say you heard the cries, and they went on for some time. Did you get near to any of the cries?
- I could not say about getting nearer any of the cries.
13091. You could not say?
- No.
13092. You do not remember any more conversation than that?
- No.
The Commissioner:
Does anyone want to ask this Witness any further question. Do you, Mr. Duke?
Mr. Duke:
No.
(The Witness withdrew.)