(The witness was duly sworn by Senator Smith.)
Senator SMITH.
What is your full name?
Mr. GILL.
Ernest Gill.
Senator SMITH.
Where do you live?
Mr. GILL.
Liverpool, England.
Senator SMITH.
How old are you?
Mr. GILL.
Twenty-nine.
Senator SMITH.
What is your business?
Mr. GILL.
Second donkeyman on the steamship Californian.
Senator SMITH.
I want to read to you the following statement and ask you whether it is true:
I, the undersigned, Ernest Gill, being employed as second donkeyman on the steamer Californian, Capt. Lloyd [Lord], give the following statement of the incidents of the night of Sunday, April 14: I am 29 years of age; native of Yorkshire, single. I was making my first voyage on the Californian. On the night of April 14 I was on duty from 8 p. m. until 12 in the engine room. At 11.56 I came on deck. The stars were shining brightly. It was very clear and I could see for a long distance. The ship's engines had been stopped since 10.30 and she was drifting amid floe Ice. I looked over the rail on the starboard side and saw the lights of a very large steamer about 10 miles away. I could see her broadside lights. I watched her for fully a minute They could not have helped but see her from the bridge and lookout. It was now 12 o'clock and I went to my cabin. I woke my mate, William Thomas. He heard the ice crunching alongside the ship and asked, "Are we in the ice?" I replied, "Yes but it must be clear off to the starboard, for I saw a big vessel going along full speed. She looked as if she might be a big German." I turned in but could not sleep. In half an hour I turned out, thinking to smoke a cigarette. Because of the cargo I could not smoke 'tween decks, so I went on deck again.
I had been on deck about 10 minutes when I saw a white rocket about 10 miles away on the starboard side. I thought it must be a shooting star. In seven or eight minutes I saw distinctly a second rocket in the same place, and I said to myself, "That must be a vessel in distress."
It was not my business to notify the bridge or the lookouts; but they could not have helped but see them. I turned in immediately after, supposing that the ship would pay attention to the rockets. I knew no more until I was awakened at 6.40 by the chief engineer, who said, "Turn out to render assistance. The Titanic has gone down."
I exclaimed and leaped from my bunk. I went on deck and found the vessel under way and proceeding full speed. She was clear of the field ice, but there were plenty of bergs about.
I went down on watch and heard the second and fourth engineers in conversation. Mr. J. C. Evans is the second and Mr. Wooten is the fourth. The second was telling the fourth that the third officer had reported rockets had gone up in his watch. I knew then that it must have been the Titanic I had seen.
The second engineer added that the captain had been notified by the apprentice officer whose name, I think, is Gibson, of the rockets. The skipper had told him to Morse to the vessel in distress. Mr. Stone, the second navigating officer, was on the bridge at the time, said Mr. Evans.
I overheard Mr. Evans say that more lights had been shown and more rockets went up. Then, according to Mr. Evans, Mr. Gibson went to the captain again and reported more rockets. The skipper told him to continue to Morse until he got a reply. No reply was received.
The next remark I heard the second pass was, "Why in the devil they didn't wake the wireless man up?" The entire crew of the steamer have been talking among themselves about the disregard of the rockets. I personally urged several to join me in protesting against the conduct of the captain, but they refused, because they feared to lose their jobs.
A day at two before the ship reached port the skipper called the quartermaster, who was on duty at the time the rockets were discharged, into his cabin. They were in conversation shout three-quarters of an hour. The quartermaster declared that he did not see the rockets.
I am quite sure that the Californian was less than 20 miles from the Titanic, which the officers report to have been our position. I could not have seen her if she had been more than 10 miles distant and I saw her very plainly.
I have no ill will toward the captain or any officer of the ship, and I am losing a profitable berth by making this statement. I am actuated by the desire that no captain who refuses or neglects to give aid to a vessel in distress should be able to hush up the men.ERNEST GILL
Sworn and subscribed to before me this 24th day of April, 1912.
[SEAL.]SAMUEL PUTNAM,
Notary Public.
I will ask you, witness, whether this statement is true?
Mr. GILL.
Yes, sir; that is correct.
Senator FLETCHER.
What direction was the Californian going?
Mr. GILL.
We were headed for Boston, sir.
Senator FLETCHER.
In what direction were the rockets from the Californian when you first saw them?
Mr. GILL.
On the starboard side, forward.
Senator FLETCHER.
Was the Californian passed by the Titanic, her course being the same as the Titanic's course was originally?
Mr. GILL.
I think she must have passed the Titanic. The Titanic must have passed us first, because we were floating, and that would take a lot out of our way. We were a slower boat.
Senator FLETCHER.
After the Titanic struck the iceberg did the Californian pass by the Titanic?
Mr. GILL.
The only way I can account for this, we were stopped in the ocean, and it is not natural for a ship to keep her head all the time. She must have been drifting.
Senator FLETCHER.
How long after the rockets were sent up was it before the Californian got under steam and proceeded?
Mr. GILL.
I do not know what time she got under way, sir. It was somewhere about 5 o'clock, or in the vicinity of 5 o'clock.
Senator FLETCHER.
Was that about daylight?
Mr. GILL.
Yes, sir.
Senator FLETCHER.
Up to about that time the Californian was drifting?
Mr. GILL.
Yes, sir; with her engines stopped.
Senator FLETCHER.
And you saw the rockets along about 2 o'clock, or before 2?
Mr. GILL.
About 12.30; at one bell, sir.
Senator FLETCHER.
About 12.30 you began first to see the rockets?
Mr. GILL.
Yes, sir; at first, when I saw it was not very plain.
Senator FLETCHER.
Off on your starboard bow?
Mr. GILL.
Yea, sir.
Senator FLETCHER.
What kind of rockets were they? What did they look like?
Mr. GILL.
They looked to me to be pale blue, or white.
Senator FLETCHER.
Which, pale blue or white?
Mr. GILL.
It would be apt to be a very clear blue; I would catch it when it was dying. I did not catch the exact tint, but I reckon it was white.
Senator FLETCHER.
Did it look as if the rocket had been sent up and the explosion had taken place in the air and the stars spangled out?
Mr. GILL.
Yes, sir; the stars spangled out. I could not say about the stars. I say, I caught the tail end of the rocket.
Senator FLETCHER.
Did you see any lights on the steamer where the rockets were sent up?
Mr. GILL.
No, sir; no sign of the steamer at the time.
Senator FLETCHER.
You could not see any lights at all?
Mr. GILL.
No, sir.
Senator FLETCHER.
You did not see any Morsing from that steamer?
Mr. GILL.
No, sir.
Senator FLETCHER.
Did you hear any noise; escaping steam or anything of that sort?
Mr. GILL.
No, sir.
Senator FLETCHER.
There was not much noise on the Californian at that time?
Mr. GILL.
No, sir; not much noise on the ship.
Senator FLETCHER.
What sort of a night was it?
Mr. GILL.
It was a fine night.
Senator FLETCHER.
No fog?
Mr. GILL.
No, sir; a clear night; a very clear night.
Senator FLETCHER.
You estimate that the rockets went up not over 20 miles away from the Californian?
Mr. GILL.
It could not be 20 miles away, sir. I could not see 20 miles away. I seen the ship, and she had not had time to get 20 miles away by the time I got on deck again.
Senator FLETCHER.
As I understand, you never did see the ship, did you?
Mr. GILL.
No, sir; not without the one I seen, the big ship, that I told my mate was a German boat - not without that was the ship in question, the Titanic.
Senator FLETCHER.
You think it may have been the Titanic?
Mr. GILL.
Yes; sir. I am of the general opinion that the crew is, that she was the Titanic.
Senator FLETCHER.
When did you first see her?
Mr. GILL.
At four minutes after 12, exactly.
Senator FLETCHER.
How do you know that?
Mr. GILL.
Because at five minutes to 12 I was working with the fourth engineer at a pump that kicked, that would not work, and while we were interested in our work we forgot the time; and I looked up, and I said, "It is five minutes to 12. I haven't called my mate, Mr. Wooten. I will go call him." And I got to the ladder to climb out of the engine room and get on deck. That taken me one minute, to get up there.
Senator FLETCHER.
Was this ship moving at that time?
Mr. GILL.
I did not take particular notice of it, sir, with the rushing to call my mate. I went along the deck. It taken me about a minute going along the deck, to get to the hatch I had to go down, and I could see her as I walked along the deck. Suppose I am going forward, now; I could see her over there (indicating), a big ship, and a couple of rows of lights; so that I knew it was not any small craft. It was no tramp. I did not suppose it would be a "Star" boat. I reckoned she must be a German boat. So I dived down the hatch, and as I turned around in the hatch I could not see her, so you can guess the latitude she was in. As I stood on the hatch, with my back turned, I could not see the ship. Then I went and called my mate, and that is the last I saw of it.
Senator FLETCHER.
How long after that was it before you saw the rockets go up?
Mr. GILL.
About 35 minutes, sir; a little over half an hour.
Senator FLETCHER.
Did you observe the rockets go up in the direction this ship was as you first saw her, from where the Californian was?
Mr. GILL.
It was more abeam, sir; more broadside of the ship.
Senator FLETCHER.
In the meantime the Californian, as I understand, was drifting?
Mr. GILL.
Yes, sir.
Senator FLETCHER.
She was not under way at all?
Mr. GILL.
No, sir.
Senator FLETCHER.
Was the ship too far away when you saw the rockets going up, for you to see the lights on her?
Mr. GILL.
Yes, sir; no sign of the ship.
Senator FLETCHER.
What time was it when you heard these officers discussing this matter that was mentioned in this statement?
Mr. GILL.
Twenty minutes past 8 on Monday morning.
Senator FLETCHER.
Have you been discharged or dismissed by the Californian?
Mr. GILL.
No, sir. I belong to the ship now.
Senator SMITH.
Mr. Gill, did you ever see the North German-Lloyd ship Frankfurt?
Mr. GILL.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
You did not see it that night or day?
Mr. GILL.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
What made you think that this ship you saw, or thought you saw, was a German ship?
Mr. GILL.
Because the German ship would be heading to New York at about that time.
Senator SMITH.
Heading for New York?
Mr. GILL.
Or from New York. It is in that vicinity we meet those boats.
Senator SMITH.
I think that is all. You may
be excused; but hold yourself subject to the committee's orders.
(Witness Excused.)