Testimony of
John I. Lews
Senior Third Officer - ss Lusitania
continued.
BY MR. BETTS:
Q. Do you remember what time the sun came out first on the day of the disaster?
- No, I don't remember when it came out at all.
Q. Did you pay any particular attention to the weather before the disaster, the day of the disaster?
- Well, I noticed it was clearing up.
Q. Do you remember exactly when it did clear up?
- No, I was -- I might have been down below when it cleared up.
Q. What particular thing called your attention to the weather before luncheon?
- Going along the deck, walking on the top decks.
Q. On C deck, was that?
- Well, no, part on C deck and B, and part on D.
Q. You have spoken of a whistle signal being blown for drills, and you stated that that was a whistle that was to be blown in any emergency?
- Yes.
Q. Was that sort of whistle blown at the time of the torpedoing, do you know?
- No, I really don't remember hearing it.
Q. That signified that each man should go to a certain station?
- On to his proper station, yes.
Q. You spoke of no passengers being on F deck; did that apply to the third class as well as the first and second classes?
- The third class, yes.
Q. That is, of all three classes, there were none on F deck?
- No.
Q. Do you remember hearing the foghorn blow that morning after you went off watch?
- I didn't take any particular notice of it after I got off watch, but I know it was blowing when I was there all right, because it had the necessary in blowing it.
Q. Do you remember hearing it after you went off watch?
- No, I didn't take any notice of it after that.
Q. Do you remember how early in the morning it became foggy that day?
- Somewhere between five and half past; but there was intermittent fog all night, in fact.
Q. Did you take any particular notice of the land before the torpedoing occurred?
- No, not till I came up from my station.
Q. Then I think you said you went on your side of the ship?
- The starboard side of the ship, yes.
Q. And the first land that you saw on the starboard side was the lighthouse of Old Kinsale?
- Yes.
Q. How far away did you ordinarily see the lighthouse of Old Kinsale on a clear day?
- Well, I used to pass it within about 2 miles always, but I have never tried to see how far I could see it; two miles we used to pass it, 2 or 2-1/2 miles.
Q. You never took occasion to notice how far ahead of you you could see it?
- No, I didn't take particular notice.
Q. Did you ever take any notice to see how far off you could see the Galley Head Lighthouse from the steamer?
- No only whenever I could see Kinsale we used to try to find another point of land to get across bearing.
Q. When was the last time you took a cross bearing going up that coast?
- Well, I couldn't say when it was, but I have taken one or two; I might have been going out that voyage or coming home the voyage previous; it depended on whether I happened to be on the watch at that particular time.
Q. Did you ever take a cross bearing of Galley Head and Kinsale?
- Oh, I have done it, yes.
Q. How far away were you then?
- A matter of about three or four miles.
Q. About what angle would there be between the two bearings at that distance? I mean, as you took it?
- Well, that is hard to say; it depends on what particular point I was taking it from.
Q. Do you remember how large an angle there was, approximately?
- No, I couldn't tell you that.
Q. You don't remember whether you were ahead or between the two, or close to one or the other?
- If one was abeam I would take the cross bearing of the other point if I could see, just to check my 4-point bearing and the sextant angle, as well.
Q. Have you looked on the chart at the picture of Galley Head and the Old Head of Kinsale?
- Yes, I have seen them.
Q. The purpose of these cuts on the chart is to enable you to tell from the look of the land at a distance what point you are opposite?
- Yes.
Q. I notice that the picture of Galley Head, distant 12-1/2 miles on this chart -- which is WTT-4 -- shows the lighthouse projecting up above a head of land; is that correct according to your recollection?
- Isn't there land at the back part of the chart?
Q. There are some hills or mountains which seem to be quite a distance back of it.
- Yes.
Q. In clear weather should you say there was any difficulty in seeing that lighthouse at a distance of 12 miles away, leaving cut the question of mist for the time being?
- No, not on a clear day.
Q. Have you seen it that far away, yourself?
- I have never been that far away going backward or forward.
Q. Have you any idea how far away those hills are from this head where the lighthouse is?
- No.
Q. You don't know whether they appear as hills or whether they have a sharp outline?
- Well, it all depends entirely on what time of day it is, in fact; sometimes if it is at noon they appear hazy and at night they stand out clearer when the sun is just about tipping in the west.
Q. You have no idea how far away those mountains are?
- I couldn't tell you; I don't know.
Q. Is there any difference in looking at a lighthouse on Galley Head, so far as the ability to see it distinctly is concerned, whether you are looking at it abeam or from the west or from the east?
- Oh, yes, there would be a difference in looking at it.
Q. Which way does it stand cut most distinctly?
- Right practically abeam; I think it shows from the chart that it is somewhere to the northward and eastward.
Q. You think it would be clearer if you were 12 miles abeam than if you were 12 miles to the southeast of it?
- Maybe; it depends on the day.
Q. How about mid-day?
- On a perfectly clear day you ought to be able to see it.
Q. The picture of the Old Head of Kinsale at a distance of 12-3/4 miles rather surprises me, because the lighthouse looks smaller than it does on Galley Head. Can you put me right about that?
- Maybe it looks smaller there because it is on a piece of land just like a hill stuck in the water. It is quite prominent.
Q. And although I have read that it seems to be higher above the water than Galley Head, yet from this picture it does not seem to be. That is your recollection about it?
- Probably not in the picture, but it is quite clear, because you have only got the horizon as a background there.
Q. What color are those two lighthouses?
- That is a question that I can't answer, because we have a book of reference, and I don't assume to remember that, because there are too many lights to remember each individually.
Q. Capt. Turner has testified that he sighted Galley Head at about 12:40, and at 1:40 it would appear from this chart to be very much nearer, perhaps half the distance away that he says he sighted it at 12:40. Would you say that the conditions being approximately the same he ought to see Galley Head more clearly at 1:40 than he would at 12:40?
- I don't quite grasp the question. (Question read to the witness.) At 1:40, if he was nearer to it, he ought to be able to see it better.
Q. I suppose that the men who were on watch at that time on the bridge would know more about the conditions of these objects on the shore than you would, who were not particularly busied with that matter?
- I was not particularly interested in that matter no.
Q. And you were not particularly interested because you were not on watch?
- No, I was only interested to know where we were; that is all.
Q. Did you make up your mind about where you were?
- I made up my mind when I saw the Old Head of Kinsale.
Q. That was not till after the disaster?
- That was not till after the disaster. We were torpedoed and I happened to be standing on deck wondering if I could reach it.
Q. That was the first time you were really interested, after you were off watch, to find out where you were?
- Yes.
Q. You were not on the port side of the vessel until quite a while after that, after you went up on the starboard side?
- I was not on the port side at all after the torpedoing.
Q. So all your observations were taken from the starboard side, in everything that you saw?
- I made a mistake. I came up along the port side to my room.
Q. Then you went to the starboard side?
- Before I came up again on the second time, on the port side, after the torpedoing and came around to the starboard side.
Q. But the first time you noticed the land was when you were on the starboard side?
- No, I think I said I saw the loom of the land but didn't take any particular notice; I was going to get ready for luncheon.
Q. But the first particular notice that you took was when you got on the starboard side?
- The first time I ever did take very particular notice was after the ship was torpedoed.
Q. And that was when you were on the starboard side?
- When I was on the starboard side.
Q. How accurate have you found your cross bearings are?
- Quite correct.
Q. When you can get a good cross bearing doesn't that give you a position more accurately than anything else?
- It gives you the position that is accurate, but I never saw anything better than a 4-point bearing.
Q. On a cross bearing you don't have to take into consideration any currents or slip of the propeller, or any variation on the patent log?
- No, only the variation of your compass.
Q. And that you could get quite accurately on a vessel like the Lusitania with the instruments you had?
- Yes.
Q. And I assume you had the best type of instruments for taking observations and bearings on the Lusitania?
- Yes.
Q. How accurately did you find on the Lusitania that you could get your position by observation of the sun when the weather was clear?
- I never took an observation while I was on board of her.
Q. What officers usually did that?
- The senior officers.
Q. Do you know how accurately they get them?
- I couldn't tell you; I don't know.
Q. How accurately have you found in your own practice that you could get your position by an observation of the sun?
- Well, within a mile.
Q. Would that be a fair average?
- Oh, yes, a pretty good average.
Q. I think you had a regulation in the Cunard Company that required you to take an observation every day?
- The senior officers did that.
Q. You are not familiar with that regulation?
- .I am familiar with all regulations; those, the senior officers took.
Q. Are you with the Cunard Company now?
- I am.
Q. Are you still a junior officer?
- I am a chief officer in the Cunard Company.
Q. That would be a senior officer?
- Yes.
Q. You are familiar, are you not, with that rule or regulation?
- Yes.
Q. I notice No. 10 requires the position of the ship at noon on each day shall be carefully entered in the log and marked on the chart, and the height of the barometer and thermometer every four hours and the name of the lookout man who has been on duty each day should be entered in the log. Was that done, so far as you know, on the Lusitania?
- Yes.
Q. You will say that that position with reasonable certainty should be given within about one mile?
- Yes.
Q. Should you say anything less than that?
- Well, if you happen to be lucky you get it right on the dot.
Q. I notice No. 8 on page 34 provides that:
"The captain shall insist that the chief, first and second officers shall take daily observations and work up the ship's reckoning, and present the result to him as soon after noon as is practicable. This order is not intended to relieve the captain of these duties."
Was that rule observed, so far as you knew, on the Lusitania?
- Yes.
Q. Have you ever heard a boiler explode or a main steam pipe be fractured?
- I heard a donkey boiler explode once in a sailing ship.
Q. I am asking this to get at the sound of this report, or rumbling, I think you have described it. Was it anything like that sound?
- No, I couldn't say it was like the sound that I heard; that is the only boiler ever I heard explode, a donkey boiler.
Q. Tell, that was quite a large boiler, was it?
- I didn't take time to see; I jumped over the side.
Q. Was there the same sort of a shock when you heard the second rumble as when you heard the first report? Did you feel a similar shock?
- The ship vibrated just the same; it was just the same for the second report as for the first one.
Q. Was it a very severe shock or a slight shock?
- It was like a heavy clap of thunder in the distance.
Q. But you say there was quite a distinction between the first and the second sounds that you heard?
- Yes.
Q. The first one being a shock like a detonation?
- Yes.
Q. And the second being a rumble like thunder?
- Yes.
Q. Did that come within a few seconds of the first one?
- That came within a few seconds of the first one, yes.
Q. You say that second one seemed to be further aft than the first one?
- Yes.
Q. Was it due to the feel of it, or the hear of it?
- I was going by the sound.
Q. So far as the quivering was concerned, did you notice any difference?
- No, just the same quivering.
Q. I think it was No. 1 that you spoke of as finding down on the water when you got to the starboard side with one fall out further than the other, so that she was crosswise to the ship?
- Yes.
Q. Do you know why it was that the boat was lowered without any other people in it excepting the two seamen that were in it?
- Oh, I suppose somebody ran up and lowered it down without getting orders.
Q. Have you any idea how the passengers could have been gotten into that boat from the ship?
- They could not at that time, without going down the ladder.
Q. Was there any ladder there?
- Each boat is supplied with a ladder.
Q. Do you mean a rope ladder?
- Yes, a rope ladder.
Q. They would have to be hoisted up to the ship and made fast?
- That is, fast on to the rail of the ship.
Q. Was there a ladder fast in this case to the rail of the ship?
- Well, I couldn't tell you; I don't remember.
Q. You didn't stay there, so you don't know whether anybody got into the boat from the ship or whether they were picked up after and put into the boat?
- No, I saw them going into the boat when the boat was floating alongside of the ship, before I disappeared.
Q. Do you know how they got into the boat?
- Yes.
Q. How did they get in?
- They crossed over till it was floating level with the A deck.
Q. I thought you said it was lowered in the water when you saw it?
- Yes, but that was 5 or 6 minutes afterwards when I saw people getting into it.
Q. How far down was it from the deck of the ship when they got into the boat?
- I suppose the keel of it would be about 4 feet below the deck.
Q. When you first saw it was it in the water or was it being lowered down?
- It was in the water.
Q. It was down in the water?
- Yes.
Q. Where was it the last you saw it?
- Floating on the side level with A deck in the water.
Q. This was quite late when you saw it again?
- Yes.
Q. Was it on the same side then?
- Yes.
Q. You say that boat finally got away?
- I don't know; I didn't see it go away.
Q. How soon after the explosion did you see that boat down in the water?
- Well, I suppose it would be about 3 minutes; it would take me about 3 minutes to come up, considering everything.
Q. Then how far down from the boat deck was the boat as it was then in the water?
- I reckon it must be somewhere about the level of E deck, perhaps; that is only my supposition, but it was well down.
Q. That would be how far down below the boat deck, about?
- About 50 or 60 feet.
Q. Then the steamer had come down, the side of the ship had come down about 50 feet at the time you saw it again with people in it?
- Just the last moment when I saw it.
Q. Nobody, so far as you know, got into it in the meantime till the deck came down, so that they could get into the boat?
- I didn't see anybody getting into the boat.
Q. Were these two men who were in the boat when you saw it members of the crew?
- Yes.
Q. I notice that in the book that Mr. Lauriat wrote, I believe it was written while he was there in Great Britain after the disaster, he says (page 49): He speaks of seeing in the slip six lifeboats, inside the wharf at Queenstown.
He mentions the numbers 1, 11, 13, 15, 19 and 21; did you at any time notice the numbers of the boats after you got to Queenstown, the ones that were brought in?
- I never saw them in Queenstown; I didn't look for them at all.
It is agreed that this statement of Mr. Lauriat in his book may be taken as a part of his testimony about the lifeboats that he saw at Queenstown.
Q. Do you, yourself, know how many lifeboats you actually got away from the ship with passengers?
- No.
Q. Do you know what happened to Mr. 5 lifeboat on the starboard side?
- No, only what I heard.
Q. There is evidence in the case that No. 5 lifeboat was damaged by the torpedo explosion. Does that accord with your idea?
- I didn't see it -- quite likely.
Q. Was that one of your lifeboats in your section?
- One of my lifeboats in my section, yes.
Q. Did you make any efforts to lower or see any efforts made to lower it?
- Not No. 5; I didn't have time.
Q. Did you go past No. 5 and get into No. 3?
- Yes.
Q. Wasn't there some good reason why you didn't do anything to lower No. 5?
- Yes.
Q. Wasn't it really because it had been damaged by this explosion?
- No.
Q. What was the reason?
- Because the collapsible boat from underneath it had been shifted inboard and there was no passenger around No. 5 at all attempting to get into it, so I didn't bother with it; I only bothered with boats that people were trying to get into.
Q. You say you got on a collapsible boat. Did that boat have a canvas cover on, do you know?
- I was not on the back end of it; I didn't notice. I was only there half an hour or so; I didn't notice.
Q. Do you know what made the stem of the boat stick up like that?
- Probably it was water-logged, damaged.
Q. These collapsible boats had tanks in them, did they not?
- They did.
Q. For buoyancy to hold them up?
- Yes.
Q. You spoke of two boxes of life belts on the after end of A deck near the verandah cafe. Do you recollect how long and how high those were?
- No, I don't recollect, but I have seen boxes since those similar to them.
Q. When did you look into those boxes last, before the disaster?
- It was not part of my business to see to those at all, so I didn't look in them at all.
Q. Do you remember how large the lettering was on those boxes?
Mr. Kirlin:
We have got a witness here who put the lettering on, and he will tell.
- Yes; larger than the words "Court Room" written on the door.
It is stated that the letters in the words "Court Room" written on the door are an inch and three-quarters.
Q. Does the same thing hold true with reference to the box or boxes of life belts at the entrance to the third cabin?
- They were cupboards.
Q. They were not under your observation at all?
- Not at all.
Q. You had no occasion to lock in and see what was inside?
- No, only I happened to go down with the man that had to do with the life belts, and assist him one day.
Q. Did you look inside?
- I saw them, yes.
Q. You saw the life belts inside?
- Yes, mostly body belts.
BY THE COURT:
Q. Have you any idea how many there were?
- No, but I remember there were about 50 children's belts there.
BY MR. BETTS:
Q. How far off did you usually pass the points on the Irish coast such as Galley Head and Kinsale on your voyage to Fishguard?
- I never was in a Cunard ship going to Fishguard.
Q. So that your experience has been entirely going to Liverpool by way of Queenstown?
- Yes.
Q. And any knowledge you have as to what the courses would be going to Fishguard is simply hearsay, from somebody else?
- Hearsay and reading up from my books.
Q. In going to Fishguard do you have to pass through St. George's Channel?
- Yes.
Q. Do you have to pass through there in going to Liverpool?
- Yea.
Q. What steamer are you on now, of the Cunard Line, or is that something you cannot tell? Are you on a steamer of the Cunard Line?
- I was till I was called down here.
Q. You are not now on any particular steamer?
- I am not on any particular steamer at the present time, no.
Q. Do you remember on the Lusitania at what distance you passed the Old Head of Kinsale on the voyage from New York, beginning April 4, 1915?
- I don't recollect.
Q. You don't recollect?
- No, not that particular voyage of course; what particular voyage it would be, I couldn't tell you.
Q. You can't give us the approximate distance either?
- Well, I could tell the approximate distance that we used to pass; I have passed myself around that coast there somewhere around a mile and a half or two miles off Kinsale.
Q. The answer to interrogatories in this case shows that you passed the Old Head of Kinsale at the previous voyage a distance of about 12 miles.
- Maybe.
Q. Is that about the same point as you were when you were torpedoed on this voyage?
- If it was 12 miles, I guess it would be.
Q. Is that current which you say is marked on the chart the tide that flows through there?
- Yes.
Q. Does its velocity vary according to the winds?
- Yes, about a quarter of a knot an hour; it is marked on the chart.
Q. Does it vary at different times of tide?
- We have special tide tables, special tide charts of this English coast that shows us all these tides.
Q. Does this chart WTT-4 show the tides? Have you looked at it?
- No, I haven't looked at it.
Q. I notice that it states what it is with easterly wind and with westerly and with xxxx at different points, as you go along. I suppose that in actual conditions there may be slight variations from your tables that you have, may there not?
Mr. Kirlin:
There is bound to be a little variation, but they are a record that all mariners use.
My recollection is that the assistant pier superintendent testified that when he sailed that the Lusitania had her top sides painted a lead color or a gray color; I notice that you say she was painted white. Are you positive that her top sides were painted white?
- I am positive, yes.
Q. You think he is mistaken then?
- Probably he is.
Q. How long would you say it would take with a reasonably efficient crew to lower the boats on the starboard side of the Lusitania after they were out, under the davits, as they were on Friday morning?
- Without anybody in them?
Q. Without anybody in them, first.
- Well, if the boats were hung out, hanging out already for lowering, as they were I think we should have got the whole side down in about five minutes; down; that is all, into the water.
Q. How long did it take you to load the first boat with people, that you lowered?
The Court:
To load it with people.
- To load the boat without lowering was not a matter that we looked at the time at all about; we did it as fast as we could; I couldn't tell you how long it was.
Q. Have you any idea at all?
- No.
Q. Did you see any lifeboats fall, one end drop so that the passengers were thrown into the sea?
- I didn't see anything in my section, or anybody else's section; I couldn't see anybody else's section.
Q. When were any of those collapsible boats opened up before the disaster, the sides pulled up?
- I guess they would be opened up in New York, because we generally test the pumps at every port.
Q. Do you mean the pumps in the collapsibles?
- Yes.
Q. Do you recollect whether the canvas aides were lifted up at that time?
- They have got to be, to get at the pumps, some of them.
Q. Did you yourself actually recollect seeing the sides of any particular boat lifted up?
- Oh, yes, in New York, yes.
Q. How many did you see?
- They were all my section.
Q. That was on which side?
- On the starboard side.
Q. How was the weather on the voyage over; was it pleasant weather, do you know, from New York?
- I don't recollect the weather.
REDIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. KIRLIN:
Q. Do you know what kind of a day it was for getting your position by sights?
- Impossible.
Q. The captain apparently wanted to get a bearing on Kinsale. What other reason could there be for it than the difficulty of ascertaining the position by sights by Galley Head?
Objected to.
Objection sustained.
BY MR. BETTS:
Do you mean it was impossible all day or any particular time?
- Up till noon.
BY MR. KIRLIN:
Q. And even where the weather is clear and the ordinary and sights can be taken, and the position worked out, is it or is it not customary to check up your position from land bearings when you are approaching land?
- Yes, at all possible times
Q. By bearings on the land?
- Yes.
Q. I understood you to say to Mr. Betts that the emphasis was laid on keeping the ports dark until Wednesday, and then you got some other and different kind of orders. What took place on Wednesday different from the preceding orders that you had?
- Well, we were told to be very particular about the ports, because we were getting into a bit fog on Wednesday night, somewhere about 7 o'clock it started to come in hazy.
Q. Then did you get to the limit of the war zone?
- Well, it must be Thursday, sometime.
Q. You were coming to that Thursday?
- Yes, sir.
Q. It was Thursday morning that you put the boats over?
- At half past five Thursday morning, yes.
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