(The witness was duly sworn by the chairman.)
Senator SMITH.
What is your full name?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Alfred Crawford.
Senator SMITH.
And where do you reside?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
In Southampton.
Senator SMITH.
England?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
England; yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
How old are you?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Forty-one.
Senator SMITH.
What is your business or occupation?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Bedroom steward.
Senator SMITH.
How long have you been engaged in that employment?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I have been going to sea since 1881, sir.
Senator SMITH.
How long have you been employed on the White Star Line?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I have been on the White Star Line six years.
Senator SMITH.
What boats have you served on?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
On the Adriatic, the Olympic, and the Titanic.
Senator SMITH.
Always in the same capacity?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
What are your duties?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Attending to all the passengers requirements, cleaning their rooms and everything, sir.
Senator SMITH.
In any particular part of the
ship?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir; in one certain part. I was on B deck, right forward.
Senator SMITH.
That is where?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
In the fore part of the ship; in the bow part.
Senator SMITH.
That is on the second from the boat deck?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
The second from the boat deck; yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Forward?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Do you know any of the passengers in your part of this ship?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I know three ladies, Mrs. Rogers [Elisabeth Robert], Miss Rogers [Georgette Madill], and her niece [Elizabeth Allen]; also Mr. Stewart [Albert Stewart], that I had in my section, and there was a Mr. And Mrs. Bishop [Dickinson and Helen Bishop].
Senator SMITH.
Mr. and Mrs. Bishop?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Do you remember Mr. Bishop's initials?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No; I do not know what were his initials.
Senator SMITH.
Were those all?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
They were a newly married couple.
Senator SMITH.
The Bishops?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
He was a man about your age?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No; he was a man about 24, sir.
Senator SMITH.
A young man.
Mr. CRAWFORD.
A young man.; yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Were these all passengers in your section?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
All I had in my section. There were some other passengers up there.
Senator SMITH.
Do you remember them?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I do not remember their names, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Did you know Mr. and Mrs. Straus? [Isidor and Ida Straus]
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I stood at the boat where they refused to get in.
Senator SMITH.
Did Mrs. Straus get into the boat?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
She attempted to get into the boat first and she got back again. Her maid [Ellen Bird] got into the boat.
Senator SMITH.
What do you mean by "she attempted" to get in?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
She went to get over from the deck to the boat, but then went back to her husband.
Senator SMITH.
Did she step on the boat?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
She stepped on to the boat, on to the gunwales sir; then she went back.
Senator SMITH.
What followed?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
She said, "We have been living together for many years, and where you go I go."
Senator SMITH.
To whom did she speak?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
To her husband.
Senator SMITH.
Was he beside her?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes; he was standing away back when she went from the boat.
Senator SMITH.
You say there was a maid there also?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
A maid got in the boat and was saved; yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Did the maid precede Mrs. Straus into the boat?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Mrs. Straus told the maid to get into the boat and she would follow her; then she altered her mind and went back to her husband.
Senator SMITH.
Which one of the boats was that?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No. 8, on the port side.
Senator SMITH.
You mean the eighth boat to be lowered?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir; the starboard boats were lowered before ours were. We were on the port side; No.8 boat, on the port side.
Senator SMITH.
Who superintended the loading?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
The chief officer superintended it, and myself.
Senator SMITH.
And the lowering?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
And Capt. Smith.
Senator SMITH.
All those lifeboats on the port side?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Capt. Smith and the chief officer; Capt. Smith and the steward lowered the forward falls of the boat I was in.
Senator SMITH.
This was forward?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
How far from the bridge?
Mr. BURLINGHAM.
He said the forward falls, Senator; that is the forward rope, but it was the after boat on the port side.
Senator SMITH.
How far from the bridge?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
It was about 20 or 30 yards from the bridge, sir.
Senator SMITH.
And the captain of the boat personally superintended the loading and the lowering?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Of that one particular boat; yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Of this eighth boat?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Of No. 8 boat; yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Did he superintend the loading and lowering of any other boat there forward?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I think he went to No. 10 boat. I could not see that being lowered into the water. He gave us instructions to pull to a light that he saw and then land the ladies and return back to the ship again. It was the light of a vessel in the distance. We pulled and pulled, but we could not reach it.
Senator SMITH.
Then you didn't get back to the ship?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Where was the captain when you saw him last?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
He stood up on the deck there, where we were lowering away the falls. After we got from the boat deck I could not see him again.
Senator SMITH.
After you got below the boat deck?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
He remained on the boat deck?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes; sir.
Senator SMITH.
How many seamen or men of the crew were put into boat No. 8?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Four, sir; two were in and Capt. Smith told me to get in.
Senator SMITH.
Two were in?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Two sailors were in the boat at first.
Senator SMITH.
And Capt. Smith told you to get in?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir; myself and a cook got in. We were the last to get in the boat - there were so many ladies that there wasn't room for any more.
Senator SMITH.
How many passengers were in that boat?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I should say about 35, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Was that a regular lifeboat or one of these canvas collapsible boats?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir, it was a regular lifeboat.
Senator SMITH.
When you were lowered to the water, who assumed charge of this lifeboat?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
The man in the afterpart of the lifeboat, a sailor. [Thomas Jones]
Senator SMITH.
A sailor?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
And what was done?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
We all took an oar and pulled away from the ship. A lady - I don't know her name [the Countess of Rothes] - took the tiller.
Senator SMITH.
A lady took the tiller and the men took the oars?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Four men took the oars and pulled away.
Senator SMITH.
Did you know any of the women or men in that boat?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir; there were only ladies. There were no men, except four of the crew.
Senator SMITH.
What about Mr. and Mrs. Bishop?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
They weren't in that boat.
Senator SMITH.
What boat were they in?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I couldn't say what boat they got into. I saw them afterwards on the Carpathia.
Senator SMITH.
Did each of the boats forward on the port side have four men?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I think they did, sir, I couldn't say. I was out loading all the boats as we got along.
Senator SMITH.
So far as you observed, was there any struggle -
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir; none whatever.
Senator SMITH.
(continuing)
To get into the lifeboats, by men or women?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir; none whatever.
Senator SMITH.
Was the ship sinking at this time?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
She was making water fast at the bows; yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
And was there any noticeable suction?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
About the boat?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir; I do not think so.
Senator SMITH.
As she began to sink?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Just tell what you did from that time that you were lowered to the water.
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Kept pulling and trying to make a light, and we could not seem to get any closer to it. We kept pulling and pulling until daybreak. Then we saw the Carpathia coming up, and we turned around and came back to her.
Senator SMITH.
What time did the day break on Monday?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
About 4 o'clock, I should say, it began to get light.
Senator SMITH.
You were in the boat and pulling?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir; until the time we were picked up.
Senator SMITH.
From 1 o'clock until about daylight?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
When you were picked up, did the boat have the same number of occupants as when she left the Titanic?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
And all were saved?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
And all were saved; yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Where were you when this collision occurred?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I was right forward in B deck.
Senator SMITH.
Where is that?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Two decks underneath the boat deck.
Senator SMITH.
Tell what you experienced.
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I was on watch until 12 o'clock, and I was waiting for my relief to come up. I was to be relieved at 12 o'clock. I heard the crash, and I went out on the outer deck and saw the iceberg floating alongside. I went back, and there were a lot of passengers coming out.
Senator SMITH.
You went out on the outer deck?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
On which side?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
On the starboard side.
Senator SMITH.
And saw the iceberg?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I saw the iceberg going by.
Senator SMITH.
Was there any ice on the deck?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I did not go so far forward as that, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Was there anybody injured that you know anything about?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir, I went to all the ladies' cabins. They were all rushing out, and I told them I didn't think there was any immediate danger, and after the order was passed for the lifebelts, I tied the lifebelts on the ladies, and an old gentleman by the name of Stewart [Albert Stewart], and tied his shoes on for him.
Senator SMITH.
You say after the order was passed for the lifebelts?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
Who gave that order?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
The captain, I believe.
Senator SMITH.
How long after the collision?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
I should say about 30 minutes.
Senator SMITH.
Did you succeed in getting the lifebelts on?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
On all the ladies, and all the passengers; yes, sir.
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