(The witness was sworn by Senator Smith.)
Senator SMITH.
Will you give your full name to the reporter?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Hugh Woolner.
Senator SMITH.
And your address?'
Mr. WOOLNER.
29 Welbeck Street, London.
Senator SMITH.
What is your business?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I am a director of various companies.
Senator SMITH.
Were you a passenger on the Titanic?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I was.
Senator SMITH.
On her voyage from Southampton to the place of the accident?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I was.
Senator SMITH.
Did you sail from Southampton or Queenstown?
Mr. WOOLNER.
From Southampton.
Senator SMITH.
I will ask you, in your own way, to state your observations and experiences on the Titanic between Southampton and the place of the accident, and your observation and experience following the collision, up to the time you went on board the Carpathia.
Mr. WOOLNER.
What sort of observation do you wish about the period between Southampton and the place of the accident?
Senator SMITH.
I would like to know whether you observed the movement of the ship, whether you took interest in her equipment, whether you noticed her speed, where you were on the boat, what stateroom you occupied -
Mr. WOOLNER. (interrupting).
My stateroom was B-52. [Woolner was actually in C-52]
Senator SMITH.
On what deck was that?
Mr. WOOLNER.
That is the deck below A deck, the inner stateroom.
Senator SMITH.
Do you know anyone who was near you in the staterooms on B deck?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Nobody.
Senator SMITH.
Did you have any friends aboard ship?
Mr. WOOLNER.
One lady was recommended to my care by letters from friends in England. She joined the ship at Cherbourg, but I had not known her before.
Senator SMITH.
Was she a survivor?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes sir - Mrs. Churchill Candee.
Senator SMITH.
Do you know whether Mr. Ismay had a stateroom on your deck?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I do not.
Senator SMITH.
Tell us in your own way whether you paid any special attention to the movements of the ship, to the weather, to the equipment, and any circumstance that may tend to throw light upon this calamity up to the time of the collision?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I took the ordinary passenger's interest in the number of miles we did each day. Beyond that I did not take any note of the speed of the ship.
Senator SMITH.
What were your observations?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I noticed that, so far as my memory serves me, the number of miles increased per day as we went on. If I remember right, one day it was 314, and the next day was 356, and that was the last number I remember, I think that was the last number that was put up on the ship's chart, or whatever it is called.
Senator SMITH.
Did you note the equipment of the ship?
Mr. WOOLNER.
In what respect?
Senator SMITH.
Whether she had lifeboats?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes, sir. I went right up onto the top deck and looked around, and I took particular note of the mechanism for raising and lowering the glass windows on the A deck, and I watched the sailors winding them up with these spanners that are used for that purpose. It struck me as being rather a slow job.
Senator SMITH.
Did you see any drills aboard ship by the men between Southampton and the place of the accident?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I saw none.
Senator SMITH.
Did you have occasion to see the captain occasionally?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I asked somebody to point him out to me. Naturally, one is interested to know the appearance of the captain, and I knew him by sight.
Senator SMITH.
When and where did you see him?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I saw him at breakfast and, I think, at dinner one evening in the saloon, but I am not quite definite about dinner; I think so.
Senator SMITH.
Did you see him the night of the accident?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Not until I came up onto the boat deck, and he was there on the port side.
Senator SMITH.
Where was he?
Mr. WOOLNER.
He was on the port side.
Senator SMITH.
Yes; but where with reference to the port side?
Mr. WOOLNER.
He was between the two lifeboats that were farthest astern on the port side, giving orders. [Wooner must have mistaken the last of the forward set of lifeboats on the port side and referred to them as the farthest astern. There were no glass enlcosed windows on A deck that far aft.]
Senator SMITH.
The two that were farthest astern?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
How long was this after the collision?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I did not look at my watch, but I should think it was half an hour.
Senator SMITH.
Did you hear him say anything or did you say anything to him?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes; I did. I made one remark to him. He said: "I want all the passengers to go down on A deck, because I intend they shall go into the boats from A deck." I remembered noticing as I came up that all those glass windows were raised to the very top; and I went up to the captain and saluted him and said: "Haven't you forgotten, sir, that all those glass windows are closed?" He said: "By God, you are right. Call those people back." Very few people had moved, but the few that had gone down the companionway came up again, and everything went on all right,
Senator SMITH.
Were the boats lowered to A deck and filled from A deck?
Mr. WOOLNER.
No; from the boat deck.
Senator SMITH.
From the upper deck?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
Then the order must have been countermanded?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Immediately.
Senator SMITH.
If you can, I would like to have you tell the committee where you were on Sunday preceding that accident?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I was in the smoking room at the time of the shock.
Senator SMITH.
Who was in there with you, if anyone, that you now know or could name?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Mr. Steffanson, a Swedish gentleman, whose acquaintance I made on board, who sat at my table.
Senator SMITH.
Anyone else?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes; a Mr. Kennett.
Senator SMITH.
Anyone else?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I think, but I am not quite certain, a Mr. Smith. He had been with us quite a short time before.
Senator SMITH.
Did you see Mr. Stead that evening?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I did not know him.
Senator SMITH.
When did you first know of the impact?
Mr. WOOLNER.
We felt it under the smoking room. We felt a sort of stopping, a sort of, not exactly shock, but a sort of slowing down; and then we sort of felt a rip that gave a sort of a slight twist to the whole room. Everybody, so far as I could see, stood up and a number of men walked out rapidly through the swinging doors on the port side, and ran along to the rail that was behind the mast - I think there was a mast standing out there - and the rail just beyond.
Senator SMITH.
What did you do?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I stood hearing what the conjectures were. People were guessing what it might be, and one man called out, "An iceberg has passed astern," but who it was I do not know. I never have seen the man since.
Senator SMITH.
What did you do then?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I then went to look for Mrs. Candee, because she was the lady in whom I was most interested and I met her outside her stateroom.
Senator SMITH.
What took place? Just detail what you did?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I said: "Some accident has happened, but I do not think it is anything serious. Let us go for a walk." We walked the after deck for quite a considerable time. As we passed -
Senator SMITH. (interposing)
For how long a time?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I should think for 10 minutes or more. As we passed one of the entrances to the corridor, I saw people coming up with lifebelts; so I went inside and asked the steward: "Is this orders?"
Senator SMITH.
That is, you asked him if the lifebelts were ordered?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes. I shouted to some one going by.
Senator SMITH.
An employee with a lifebelt on?
Mr. WOOLNER.
No; standing at the entrance; and he said, "Orders."
I went back to Mrs. Candee and took her to her stateroom, and we got her lifebelt down from the top of the wardrobe, and tied hers onto her, and then she chose one or two things out of her baggage, little things she could put into her pocket, or something of that sort, and I said, "We will now go up on deck and see what has really happened."
Senator SMITH.
Did you yourself put a lifebelt on?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes, sir. I missed that. I went back to my cabin and brought out and put one on myself, and I took the other one - there were two in the room - with me. I met some one in the passage who said, "Do you want that?" and I said "No," and gave it to him.
Senator SMITH.
Who was that; do you know?
Mr. WOOLNER.
No; I do not know who it was.
Senator SMITH.
What did you do then?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I then took Mrs. Candee up onto the boat deck, and there we saw preparations for lowering the boats going on. My great desire was to get her into the first boat, which I did, and we brought up a rug, which we threw in with her, and we waited to see that boat filled. It was not filled but a great many people got into it, and finally it was quietly and orderly lowered away.
Senator SMITH.
What boat was that?
Mr. WOOLNER.
That was the sternmost boat [No. 6] on the port side.
Senator SMITH.
It was a full-sized lifeboat?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
Or a collapsible?
Mr. WOOLNER.
No; it was a lifeboat.
Senator SMITH.
Were any officers standing near it?
Mr. WOOLNER.
The captain was close by at that time.
Senator SMITH.
Did he assist in loading it?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes; he sort of ordered the people in. He said "Come along, madam," and that sort of thing.
Senator SMITH.
Was there any difficulty in getting them to enter the lifeboat?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes; there was a certain amount of reluctance on the part of the women to go in, and then some officer said, "It is a matter of precaution," and then they came forward rather more freely.
Senator SMITH.
Do you recall how many men were put into that boat?
Mr. WOOLNER.
No; I can not. There were very few, I think.
Senator SMITH.
Or how many women?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Oh, I did not count them, but it struck me as not being very full, but it was rather difficult to get it filled.
Senator SMITH.
Mrs. Candee got in that boat?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
After you had put her in the boat, what did you do?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I looked around to see what else I could do.
Senator SMITH.
Did you find anything to do?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I did what a man could. It was a very distressing scene - the men parting from their wives.
Senator SMITH.
Did you assist in loading the boats?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
How many boats?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I think nearly all, except one on the port side, and Mr. Steffanson stayed by me all the time, also.
Senator SMITH.
This Swedish acquaintance you formed stayed by you?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
What, if any, order was given by officers, or what did you hear regarding the filling of the lifeboats?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I do not think I remember any orders. I do not think any orders were necessary.
Senator SMITH.
You mean that the men stood back and passed the women and children forward?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
There was no crowding?
Mr. WOOLNER.
None.
Senator SMITH.
No jostling?
Mr. WOOLNER.
None.
Senator SMITH.
Were these boats all filled in your presence?
Mr. WOOLNER.
On the port side?
Senator SMITH.
On the port side.
Mr. WOOLNER.
Not all. I think we missed one, because I said to Steffanson: "Let us go down on the deck below and see if we can find any people waiting about there." So we went down onto A deck and we found three women who did not seem to know their way, and we brought them up.
Senator SMITH.
Who were they? Do you know?
Mr. WOOLNER.
I do not know.
Senator SMITH.
Passengers, or part of the crew?
Mr. WOOLNER.
No; they might have been, I should think, second or third class passengers, but I did not examine them very carefully. You see, it was not very light.
Senator SMITH.
You took them up to the boat deck?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes; and they got on all right.
Senator SMITH.
Did you see officers at these boats besides the captain?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes; the first officer?
Senator SMITH.
Mr. Murdoch?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes. He was very active.
Senator SMITH.
From your own observation are you enabled to say that, so far as you know, the women and children all got aboard these lifeboats?
Mr. WOOLNER.
So far as I could see, with the exception of Mrs. Straus.
Senator SMITH.
Did you see her get into the boat?
Mr. WOOLNER.
She would not get in. I tried to get her to do so and she refused altogether to leave Mr. Straus. The second time we went up to Mr. Straus, and I said to him: "I am sure nobody would object to an old gentleman like you getting in. There seems to be room in this boat." He said: "I will not go before the other men."
Senator SMITH.
What happened then?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Then they eventually lowered all the wooden lifeboats on the port side, and then they got out a collapsible and hitched her onto the most forward davits and they filled that up, mostly with steerage women and children, and one seaman, and a steward, and I think one other man - but I am not quite certain about that - and when that boat seemed to be quite full, and was ready to be swung over the side, and was to be lowered away, I said to Steffanson: "There is nothing more for us to do here." Oh, no; something else happened while that boat was being loaded. There was a sort of scramble on the starboard side, and I looked around and I saw two flashes of a pistol in the air.
Senator SMITH.
Two flashes of a pistol?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
Pistol shots?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes; but they were up in the air, at that sort of an angle (indicating). I heard Mr. Murdoch shouting out, "Get out of this, clear out of this," and that sort of thing, to a lot of men who were swarming into a boat on that side.
Senator SMITH.
Swarming into the boat?
Mr. WOOLNER.
Yes.
Senator SMITH.
Was that into this collapsible boat?
Mr. WOOLNER.
It was a collapsible; yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
That was the first collapsible that was lowered on the port side?
Mr. WOOLNER.
On the starboard side. That was the other side.
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