Senator SMITH.
The day before the accident?
Mr. ISMAY.
The day before the accident. That, of course, is nothing near her full speed.
Senator SMITH.
During the voyage, do you know, of your own knowledge, of your proximity to icebergs?
Mr. ISMAY.
Did I know that we were near icebergs?
Senator SMITH.
Yes.
Mr. ISMAY.
No, sir; I did not. I know ice had been reported.
Senator SMITH.
Ice had been reported?
Mr. ISMAY.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
Did you personally see any icebergs, or any large volume of ice?
Mr. ISMAY.
No; not until after the accident.
Senator SMITH.
Not until after the wreck?
Mr. ISMAY.
I had never seen an iceberg in my life before.
Senator SMITH.
You never saw one before.
Mr. ISMAY.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Had you ever been on this so-called northern route before?
Mr. ISMAY.
We were on the southern route, sir.
Senator SMITH.
On this Newfoundland route?
Mr. ISMAY.
We were on the long southern route; not on the northern route.
Senator SMITH.
You were not on the extreme northern route?
Mr. ISMAY.
We were on the extreme southern route for the west-bound ships.
Senator SMITH.
What was the longitude and latitude of this ship? Do you know?
Mr. ISMAY.
That I could not tell you; I am not a sailor.
Senator SMITH.
Were you cognizant of your proximity to icebergs at all on Saturday?
Mr. ISMAY.
On Saturday? No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Do you know anything about a wireless message from the Amerika to the Titanic-
Mr. ISMAY.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Saying that the Amerika had encountered ice in that latitude?
Mr. ISMAY.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Were you aware of the proximity of icebergs on Sunday?
Mr. ISMAY.
On Sunday? No; I did not know on Sunday. I knew that we would be in the ice region that night sometime.
Senator SMITH.
That you would be or were?
Mr. ISMAY.
That we would be in the ice region on Sunday night.
Senator SMITH.
Did you have any consultation with the captain regarding the matter?
Mr. ISMAY.
Absolutely none.
Senator SMITH.
Or with any other officer of the ship?
Mr. ISMAY.
With no officer at all, sir. It was absolutely out of my province. I am not a navigator. I was simply a passenger on board the ship.
Senator SMITH.
Do you know anything about the working of the wireless service on this ship?
Mr. ISMAY.
In what way? We had wireless on the ship.
Senator SMITH.
Had you taken any unusual precaution to have a reserve power for this wireless?
Mr. ISMAY.
I believe there was, but I have no knowledge of that myself.
Senator SMITH.
Do you know how long the wireless continued to operate after the blow or collision?
Mr. ISMAY.
No, sir; I do not.
Senator SMITH.
Did you, at any time see the operator of the wireless?
Mr. ISMAY.
I did not.
Senator SMITH.
Did you attempt to send any messages yourself?
Mr. ISMAY.
I did not.
Senator SMITH.
Were you outside on the deck, or on any deck, when the order was given to lower the lifeboats?
Mr. ISMAY.
I heard Capt. Smith give the order when I was on the bridge.
Senator SMITH.
You heard the captain give the order?
Mr. ISMAY.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Will you tell us what he said.
Mr. ISMAY.
It is very difficult for me to remember exactly what was said, sir.
Senator SMITH.
As nearly as you can.
Mr. ISMAY.
I know I heard him give the order to lower the boats. I think that is all he said. I think he simply turned around and gave the order.
Senator SMITH.
Was there anything else said, as to how they should be manned or occupied?
Mr. ISMAY.
No, sir; not that I heard. As soon as I heard him give the order to lower the boats, I left the bridge.
Senator SMITH.
You left the bridge?
Mr. ISMAY.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
Did you see any of the boats lowered?
Mr. ISMAY.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
How many?
Mr. ISMAY.
Certainly three.
Senator SMITH.
Will you tell us, if you can, how they were lowered?
Mr. ISMAY.
They were swung out, people were put into the boats from the deck, and then they were simply lowered away down to the water.
Senator SMITH.
Were these lifeboats on the various decks?
Mr. ISMAY.
They were all on one deck.
Senator SMITH.
On what deck?
Mr. ISMAY.
On the sun deck; the deck above this (indicating on diagram). I do not think it is shown on this plan.
Senator SMITH.
That is, the second deck above yours?
Mr. ISMAY.
On this deck here, on the big plan (indicating).
Senator SMITH.
On the sun deck?
Mr. ISMAY.
Yes; on what we call the sun deck or the boat deck.
Senator SMITH.
They were on the boat deck, which would be the upper deck of all?
Mr. ISMAY.
The upper deck of all, yes.
Senator SMITH.
Was there any order or supervision exercised by the officers of the ship in loading these lifeboats?
Mr. ISMAY.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
I wish you would tell just what that was.
Mr. ISMAY.
That I could not say. I could only speak from what I saw for myself.
Senator SMITH.
That is all I wish you to do.
Mr. ISMAY.
The boats that were lowered where I was were in charge of the officer and were filled and lowered away.
Senator SMITH.
They first put men into the boats for the purpose of controlling them?
Mr. ISMAY.
We put in some of the ship's people.
Senator SMITH.
Some of the ship's people?
Mr. ISMAY.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
How many?
Mr. ISMAY.
That I could not say.
Senator SMITH.
About how many?
Mr. ISMAY.
I could not say.
Senator SMITH.
About three or four?
Mr. ISMAY.
The officer who was there will be able to give you that information, sir. My own statement would be simply guesswork. His statement would be reliable.
Senator SMITH.
In the boat in which you left the ship how many men were on board?
Mr. ISMAY.
Four.
Senator SMITH.
Besides yourself?
Mr. ISMAY.
I thought you meant the crew.
Senator SMITH.
I did mean the crew.
Mr. ISMAY.
There were four of the crew.
Senator SMITH.
What position did these men occupy?
Mr. ISMAY.
I do not know, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Were any of them officers?
Mr. ISMAY.
No.
Senator SMITH.
Or seamen?
Mr. ISMAY.
I believe one was a quartermaster. [George Thomas Rowe]
Senator SMITH.
One was a quartermaster?
Mr. ISMAY.
I believe so, but I do not know.
Senator SMITH.
You saw three of the boats lowered yourself?
Mr. ISMAY.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
And three of them loaded?
Mr. ISMAY.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
As they were loaded, was any order given as to how they should be loaded?
Mr. ISMAY.
No.
Senator SMITH.
How did it happen that the women were first put aboard these lifeboats?
Mr. ISMAY.
The natural order would be women and children first.
Senator SMITH.
Was that the order?
Mr. ISMAY.
Oh, yes.
Senator SMITH.
That was followed?
Mr. ISMAY.
As far as practicable.
Senator SMITH.
So far as you observed?
Mr. ISMAY.
So far as I observed.
Senator SMITH.
And were all the women and children accommodated in these lifeboats?
Mr. ISMAY.
I could not tell you, sir.
Senator SMITH.
How many passengers were in the lifeboat in which you left the ship?
Mr. ISMAY.
I should think about 45.
Senator SMITH.
Forty-five?
Mr. ISMAY.
That is my recollection.
Senator SMITH.
Was that its full capacity?
Mr. ISMAY.
Practically.
Senator SMITH.
How about the other two boats?
Mr. ISMAY.
The other three, I should think, were fairly loaded up.
Senator SMITH.
The three besides the one you were in?
Mr. ISMAY.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
They were fairly well filled?
Mr. ISMAY.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
Was there any struggle or jostling?
Mr. ISMAY.
I saw none.
Senator SMITH.
Or any attempt by men to get into the boats?
Mr. ISMAY.
I saw none.
Senator SMITH.
Were these women passengers designated as they went into the lifeboat?
Mr. ISMAY.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Those that were nearest the lifeboat were taken in?
Mr. ISMAY.
We simply picked the women out and put them in the boat as fast as we could.
Senator SMITH.
You picked them from among the throng?
Mr. ISMAY.
We took the first ones that were there and put them in the lifeboats. I was there myself and put a lot in.
Senator SMITH.
You helped put some of them in yourself?
Mr. ISMAY.
I put a great many in.
Senator SMITH.
Were children shown the same consideration as the women?
Mr. ISMAY.
Absolutely.
Senator SMITH.
Did you see any lifeboat without its complement of oarsmen?
Mr. ISMAY.
I did not.
Senator SMITH.
Did you see the first lifeboat lowered?
Mr. ISMAY.
That I could not answer, sir. I saw the first lifeboat lowered on the starboard side. What was going on on the port side I have no knowledge of.
Senator SMITH.
It has been intimated, Mr. Ismay, that the first lifeboat did not contain the necessary number of men to man it.
Mr. ISMAY.
As to that I have no knowledge, sir.
Senator SMITH.
And that women were obliged to row the boat.
Mr. HUGHES.
That is the second lifeboat, Senator.
Senator SMITH.
The second lifeboat; and that women were obliged to row that boat from 10:30 o'clock at night until 7:30 o'clock the next morning.
Mr. ISMAY.
The accident did not take place until 11 -
Senator SMITH.
Well, from after 11:30 o'clock at night until between 6 and 7 o'clock the next morning.
Mr. ISMAY.
Of that I have no knowledge.
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