Senator SMITH.
No officer got in?
Mr. ETCHES.
Not to my knowledge, sir.
Senator SMITH.
How many men were in No. 7?
Mr. ETCHES.
I could not say, sir, because the position of the ladies sitting there was such that there may have been men back in the stern of the boat, and I was not able to see them.
Senator SMITH.
About how many men?
Mr. ETCHES.
I could only say for certain that there were three men there, the men forward, but who they were I could not say.
Senator SMITH.
And the men manned the boat?
Mr. ETCHES.
They were the men to attend the forward fall, I take it, sir.
Senator SMITH.
And no other men got in?
Mr. ETCHES.
Not to my knowledge, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Was it lowered in safety?
Mr. ETCHES.
Yes, sir. It was lowered perfectly, and it seemed to me that the boat went down extra level and very clear in the block.
Senator SMITH.
That was the first boat that you assisted in filling.
Mr. ETCHES.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Were there any children in that boat?
Mr. ETCHES.
In No. 7 boat I saw one child, sir, a baby boy, with a small woolen cap over his head. I remember it well.
Senator SMITH.
Then you proceeded to boat No. 5?
Mr. ETCHES.
Yes sir. The next boat on the same side.
Senator SMITH.
What did you do there?
Mr. ETCHES.
I assisted as I had assisted at No. 7. I stood by the forward fall with the quartermaster and three more stewards.
Senator SMITH.
Who was the quartermaster?
Mr. ETCHES.
Mr. Olliver, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Did he survive?
Mr. ETCHES.
Yes, Sir.
Senator SMITH.
And two others?
Mr. ETCHES.
Two other stewards. I have not seen then since, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Was the same course taken with that boat?
Mr. ETCHES.
That was the same, sir. After getting all the women that were there they called out three times - Mr. Ismay called out twice, I know, in a loud voice - "Are there any more women before this boat goes," and there was no answer. Mr. Murdoch called out; and at that moment a female came up whom I did not recognize. Mr. Ismay said: "Come along; jump in." She said: "I am only a stewardess." He said: "Never mind, you are a woman, take your place." That was the last woman I saw get into No. 5 boat, sir.
Senator SMITH.
What men got into it?
Mr. ETCHES.
There were two firemen in the bow of the boat, Mr. Pitman was standing in the center on the deck waiting, and one steward was standing with myself at the forward fall. Olliver, the sailor, the quartermaster who been assisting, stepped back with myself into the crowd of gentlemen. Mr. Murdoch said to me: "Are you the steward appointed to this boat?" I said, "Yes, sir; No. 5 boat is mine." He said: "Then jump in and assist those men with the forward fall." I took my place. At the same moment Mr. Pitman called out: "Is there a sailor in the boat?" I looked around and I said: "No, sir." He said to this man Olliver, who was standing on the deck: "Are you a sailor?" He said: "Yes, sir." He said: "Take your place in this boat;" and he jumped in. Mr. Murdoch then stepped up and said, "Are you the officer going in this boat?"' He said: "Yes, sir." Then he said: "Take your place," held out his hand and shook hands and said, "Good-by and good luck." and he took his place and the order was given to lower the boat.
Senator SMITH.
Who was that officer to whom Murdoch spoke?
Mr. ETCHES.
Mr. Pitman.
Senator SMITH.
The third officer?
Mr. ETCHES.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
What other men got into that boat?
Mr. ETCHES.
There was a stout gentleman, sir, stepped forward then. He had assisted to put his wife in the boat. He leaned forward and she stood up in the boat, put her arms around his neck and kissed him, and I heard her say, "I can't leave you," and with that I turned my head. The next moment I saw him sitting beside her in the bottom of the boat, and some voice said "Throw that man out of the boat." But at that moment they started lowering her away, and the man remained.
Senator SMITH.
Who was he?
Mr. ETCHES.
I do not know his name, sir; but he was a very stout gentleman, an American.
Senator SMITH.
Was the boat lowered in safety?
Mr. ETCHES.
Perfect, sir.
Senator SMITH.
What was done after you reached the water?
Mr. ETCHES.
Just as we got about 20 feet down a voice called out, "Be sure and see the plug is in that boat," and I passed the word around. I said, "See the plug is in that boat." Olliver crawled into the bottom of the boat, and I suppose he put the plug in, for when we touched water I crawled about in the bottom of the boat and found no water. So I took it the plug had been put in safety.
Senator SMITH.
Did the boat go away from the side of the Titanic?
Mr. ETCHES.
He cut the trigger that released the falls, and the order was given to pull off, to lay off from the ship. We laid off about 100 yards and waited, and the ship started going down; seemed to be going down at the head, and Mr. Pitman gave us the order to head away from the ship, and we pulled off then, I should say, about a quarter of a mile, and laid on our oars.
Senator SMITH.
How long?
Mr. ETCHES.
We remained until the Titanic sank.
Senator SMITH.
Did you see it go down?
Mr. ETCHES.
I saw it go down, sir.
Senator SMITH.
You could not see who was on the decks from your distance?
Mr. ETCHES.
I saw, when the ship rose - her stern rose - a thick mass of people on the after-end. I could not discern the faces, of course.
Senator SMITH.
Did the boat go down by the head?
Mr. ETCHES.
She seemed to raise once as though she was going to take a violent dive, but sort of checked, as though she had scooped the water up and had leveled herself. She then seemed to settle very, very quiet, until the last, when she rose up, and she seemed to stand 20 seconds, stern in that position (indicating), and then she went down with an awful grating, like a small boat running off a shingley beach.
Senator SMITH.
How long were you lying off, so to speak?
Mr. ETCHES.
Before the Titanic sank, sir?
Senator SMITH.
No; after.
Mr. ETCHES.
We waited a few minutes after she had gone down. There was no inrush of water, or anything. Mr. Pitman then said to pull back to the scene of the wreck. The ladies started calling out. Two ladies sitting in front where I was pulling, said, "Appeal to the officer not to go back. Why should we lose all of our lives in a useless attempt to save those from the ship?" I said I had no power; an officer was in charge of the boat, and he must use his discretion.
Senator SMITH.
As a matter of fact, you did not go back?
Mr. ETCHES.
We did not go back.
Senator SMITH.
How many people were in lifeboat No.5? Did you count them?
Mr. ETCHES.
We left the ship, sir. When we had gone away from the ship we had 42, including the child.
Senator SMITH.
Did all survive?
Mr. ETCHES.
All survived.
Senator SMITH.
How many of the crew were in your boat, Mr. Etches?
Mr. ETCHES.
Six, sir, including the officer.
Senator SMITH.
Who were they?
Mr. ETCHES.
There was a steward and myself.
Senator SMITH.
Give the names, if you can.
Mr. ETCHES.
I could not do that, sir.
Senator SMITH.
All right; give them if you can.
Mr. ETCHES.
There were men there that I met that I did know were on board the Titanic; that I had no idea were aboard the Titanic, although in my own department.
Senator SMITH.
Were there any male passengers besides the six members of the crew?
Mr. ETCHES.
There were four gentlemen, to my knowledge, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Who were they?
Mr. ETCHES.
I do not know any of their names, sir. Two we transferred, with a lady and her child, into boat No.7, I believe, sir.
Senator SMITH.
But you do not know any of their names?
Mr. ETCHES.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Six members of the crew and four passengers?
Mr. ETCHES.
Gentlemen; yes, sir. I did not know the other two gentlemen were there until we were transferring them.
Senator SMITH.
Into No. 7?
Mr. ETCHES.
No; I did not know they were there. They were in the after-end of the boat somewhere.
Senator SMITH.
You do not know any of the other men, except the one you have mentioned, the officer Pitman?
Mr. ETCHES.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Did you know any of the women who were in that boat?
Mr. ETCHES.
I know the stewardess, but I do not know her name, although she has a relative here at the present time. He could give you her name and address.
Senator SMITH.
You mean a witness?
Mr. ETCHES.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
What is his name?
Mr. ETCHES.
Crawford, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Of your own knowledge, do you know whether any general call was made for passengers to arouse themselves from their berths; and when it was, or whether there was any other signal given?
Mr. ETCHES.
The second steward, sir, was calling all around the ship. He was directing some men to the storerooms for provisions for the boats and others he was telling to arouse all the passengers and to tell them to be sure to take their lifebelts with them.
Senator SMITH.
Was there any lamp in lifeboat No. 5?
Mr. ETCHES.
I saw none.
Senator FLETCHER.
Were there lights about the deck where the boats were being loaded?
Mr. ETCHES.
Yes, sir. The cabin doors and all were open, giving a good light there.
Senator FLETCHER.
You had no difficulty in seeing the passengers or the people or the means of operating?
Mr. ETCHES.
I never saw a hitch in the lowering or the loading of the boats. In fact, I have seen more commotion at ordinary boat drill than there was on that occasion.
Senator FLETCHER.
Did you see any other boat loaded and lowered?
Mr. ETCHES.
No, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Did you see lights while you were lying by, after or before the Titanic sank, from any other ship?
Mr. ETCHES.
After the Titanic had sunk we pulled a good distance out farther from her, after the cries were all over. We pulled away, and a light we thought was a mast headlight of a ship was across where the port bow of the Titanic would have been at the time. During the time the Titanic was there I saw no light. I was looking at the Titanic the whole of the time.
Senator SMITH.
Could you see the bridge when the ship went down?
Mr. ETCHES.
You could see it quite plain, sir.
Senator SMITH.
Did you see anybody on the bridge?
Mr. ETCHES.
Not a soul, sir.
Senator SMITH.
You probably could not distinguish objects?
Mr. ETCHES.
They may have been there; they may have been near the wheelhouse, but not on the corner of the bridge. I did not discern anyone there, sir.
Senator SMITH.
After you started out to sea, away from this wreck, did you see any lights of other vessels?
Mr. ETCHES.
Yes, Sir; we saw a light that there was quite an argument over. Some said it was a star; others said it was a ship. But we pulled toward it, and we did not seem to approach it an inch nearer. It had every appearance of a masthead light of a ship, but rather a faint light.
Senator SMITH.
Did you see any icebergs that morning?
Mr. ETCHES.
Oh, yes, sir; we saw a very large ice floe of flat ice, and three or four bergs between, in different places; and on the other bow were two large bergs, in the distance.
Senator SMITH.
How far away was this field ice?
Mr. ETCHES.
The field ice would be from us three-quarters of a mile at the least.
Senator SMITH.
At what hour?
Mr. ETCHES.
Between 4 and 5 o'clock in the morning.
Senator FLETCHER.
In what direction?
Mr. ETCHES.
I should say it would have been well over on the port side of the Titanic, in the position she was going. I should say, by the way we pulled, it must have been on the port side of the Titanic.
Senator FLETCHER.
Did you see No. 7 after leaving the Titanic?
Mr. ETCHES.
We saw No. 7 when we got alongside of the Carpathia, and they handed back the child, and I passed it aboard the Carpathia.
Senator FLETCHER.
How far were you from where the Titanic went down as near as you can judge, when you saw this field ice?
Mr. ETCHES.
I should say we should be about a mile and a half to 2 miles.
Senator FLETCHER.
How far was the Titanic, when she went down, from that ice field that you mentioned?
Mr. ETCHES.
I could not say exactly if the ice was traveling, at all, but it could not have been a great distance on the other side of the Titanic, not from that position.
Senator SMITH.
Were there any bergs there, about that field of ice?
Mr. ETCHES.
There was no berg. Well, there were three at different points, but the field extended such a long distance, and they were in the field, apparently. But the separate bergs that we saw were a long way from the field of ice, the floating ones. They were separated from the field of ice.
Senator FLETCHER.
In what direction from the field of ice?
Mr. ETCHES.
When the Carpathia picked us up the Carpathia would be here (indicating), the field of ice here (indicating), and the bergs across the opposite side from her.
Senator FLETCHER.
The bergs would have been on the starboard side of the Titanic?
Mr. ETCHES.
Exactly, sir.
Senator FLETCHER.
That is all.
Senator SMITH.
That is all, Mr. Etches. You may be excused.
(Witness excused.)
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