United States Senate Inquiry

Day 1

Testimony of Alfred Crawford, cont.

Senator SMITH.
On all passengers you say?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir; all that were on that deck.

Senator SMITH.
Did you personally look after the passengers on that deck in that regard?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Did anybody assist you?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
There was another man on the other side. There was one man on each side.

Senator SMITH.
You say that all the passengers were fitted with lifebelts?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir; each person. There were three four lifebelts in each stateroom.

Senator SMITH.
Were there any children on that deck?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir; there was none on the deck where I was.

Senator SMITH.
Did you know any of the other passengers on that deck?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir; I could not say that I did.

Senator SMITH.
Did you hear of any American passengers there?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No.

Senator SMITH.
On that deck?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
I mean by that, any special names that were suggested?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir; I have not heard of any.

Senator SMITH.
Those people you have enumerated are the only ones you know by name?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
That is all; yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Did you hear any explosion or any evidence of an explosion?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
I heard an explosion when we were lying to in the water, in the boat, sir.

Senator SMITH.
In what boat?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
In the lifeboat.

Senator SMITH.
What character of explosion?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Sort of a sharp, like as if there were things being blown up.

Senator SMITH.
Was there any outward indication?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir; we did not see any, because we were pulling very hard away.

Senator SMITH.
Did you see the ship go down?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
We saw her at a distance; yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
What shape was she in when you saw her last?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
It seemed as if her bow was going down first.

Senator SMITH. At how much of an angle?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
We saw all the lights going out on the forward part of her.

Senator SMITH.
And still burning on the after part?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
How much of the after part was out of the water?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
There was a good bit of the stern part out of water.

Senator SMITH.
How many decks?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
I could not say how many decks there, sir, but it seemed all clear right from amidships to aft.

Senator SMITH.
Did you see many people?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
I saw a great number on deck.

Senator SMITH.
On board of her at that time.

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
What were they doing?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
When we left they were trying to lower the other boats; the farther aft boats.

Senator SMITH.
Were you assisted in rowing the boat that you were in by a woman pulling an oar?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Who was she?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
I don't know her name, sir. There were several there who took turns at pulling.

Senator SMITH.
Were they employees?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
They were lady passengers?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir; lady passengers.

Senator SMITH.
But you don't know who they were?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
You have never seen them since?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir; I have never seen them since.

Senator SMITH.
Did you know Mr. Ismay - the managing director?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Did you see him there?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir; I saw him lowering a boat on the starboard side too, and Mr. Murdoch.

Senator SMITH.
He and Mr. Murdoch?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Do you remember what boat it was?

Mr. CRAWFORD. I think it was No. 5.

Senator SMITH.
Forward.

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir; it was just under the bridge.

Senator SMITH.
In their order of being lowered into the water, what number was it?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
The boat, sir?

Senator SMITH.
Yes.

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No. 5, starboard side.

Senator SMITH.
Was it the fifth boat that was lowered into the water?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir; probably the third.

Senator SMITH.
Did you see him lowering any other boat?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No; I went around the port side.

Senator SMITH.
Did you see him get into a boat?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Or get out of one?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir; I saw him assisting the ladies into this one particular boat; he and Mr. Murdoch had lowered the boat into the water.

Senator SMITH.
You saw him assist the ladies in?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Does it take two men to lower the boats?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
And he was performing the service of one man?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Mr. Murdoch was running it through the blocks.

Senator SMITH.
And Mr. Murdoch's position was what?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
First officer.

Senator SMITH.
Did he survive?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Either before you got into this lifeboat or after you got into it, did you see many persons in the water?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
How many?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
I did not see any in the water after we lowered the boats.

Senator SMITH.
You did not?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Did you see any in the water before you lowered the boat?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Do you know the condition of these lifeboats?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
The one I was in was in very good condition.

Senator SMITH.
Was it new?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir; and perfectly dry.

Senator SMITH.
Was there any difficulty in lowering the lifeboats?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
None whatever, sir. They went down very easily.

Senator SMITH.
After the captain told you to get into this boat, you did not see him again?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Were there any officers in the boat that you were in?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Did you see any of the officers get into any boats?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No; I did not, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Did you see any attempt made to get into any of the boats?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Did you see Mr. Lightoller?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Do you know him?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
I did not know him; no, sir.

Senator SMITH.
You did know Mr. Murdoch?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir; I have been with him on several ships.

Senator SMITH.
What was your emergency boat station?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
No. 8. Each man went to his station.

Senator SMITH.
Was that your emergency station?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
What was your fire station?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
To get the hose out on each section for the bed rooms.

Senator SMITH.
Was there any drill?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Oh, yes; we have a drill every voyage, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Did you have any on this voyage?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes.

Senator SMITH.
When?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
That was in Belfast.

Senator SMITH.
Before leaving?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Before leaving.

Senator SMITH.
Was that at the time of the trial test?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Who conducted it?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
The chief officer, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Do you have his name?

Mr. CRAWFORD.
Mr. Wilde, sir.

Senator SMITH.
I have not finished with you, but I would be glad to have you come here in the morning. We shall not be able to get through with these men.

Mr. BURLINGHAM. Then we will retain them for you. Do you want these 4 officers and these 12 men?

Senator SMITH.
Yes.

Mr. BURLINGHAM. The rest can go home?

Senator SMITH.
No, I cannot say that.

Mr. BURLINGHAM. We have about 100 of them - 95 stewards and 70 firemen - all prepared to go home by the Lapland; at your service of course, at any time; but that is their home.

Senator SMITH.
I understand that; but I am not prepared to meet that request.

Mr. BURLINGHAM. We can not be responsible for their being kept here for you if the ship goes. They are absolutely free from us. They will be subject to boarding houses, or anything else. If the committee wants to herd them up, that is one thing. It is perfectly impossible for a steamship company to take care of 200 people without any steamer to put them on.

Senator SMITH.
I am not going to subpoena all of those men. As I understand it, we are to be guaranteed the presence of the officers and these 15 men?

Mr. BURLINGHAM. Yes; those that you have selected.

Senator SMITH.
I am not going to release the others.

Mr. BURLINGHAM. But they are not under subpoena.

Senator SMITH.
They are not.

Mr. BURLINGHAM. Thank you. We understand, sir.

Senator SMITH.
I do not want to release anybody, and I particularly want these 15.

Mr. BURLINGHAM. They will be here.

Senator SMITH.
And the other officers of the company?

Mr. BURLINGHAM. They will be at your disposal tomorrow. At what time?

Senator SMITH.
At 10 o'clock.

Mr. BURLINGHAM. Very well, sir.

Senator SMITH.
The Sergeant at Arms says there are 12 instead of 15.

Mr. FRANKLIN. Has the Sergeant at Arms the names of the 12 men and the 4 officers?

Senator SMITH.
Yes.

Mr. BURLINGHAM. We will have them here. They will be here at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning.