736. What else was done at Southampton?
- We shipped coal, provisions, cargo was taken on board, passed the Board of Trade tests and survey.
737. Did some British officer make the Board of Trade test?
- The Southampton Board of Trade officer.
738. What did he do?
- He carried out the requisite tests required by the Board of Trade.
739. Did you accompany him?
- Yes; I was with him part of the time.
740. Who was this officer of the ritish Board of Trade?
- Capt. Clark. [Maurice Clarke - Assistant Emigration Officer]
741. He was an officer?
- He was purely a representative of the British Board of Trade, appointed by the British Board of Trade, with post at the port of Southampton; surveyor.
742. He was assigned to Southampton?
- Yes, sir.
743. How old a man was he?
- About 45.
744. Of English nationality?
- Yes.
745. Had you ever seen him before?
- Frequently.
746. Do you know whether he had any experience in marine service?
- All surveyors, I understand, have been in command. I know he had for a number of years.
747. What does that mean - that he had been "in command"?
- In command of a British ship; captain.
748. How much time did this officer spend on the ship?
- That I could not say, sir.
749. How much did he spend when he was with you?
- About four hours.
750. Then did you turn him over to some other officer?
- Yes, sir.
751. To what other officer?
- I think it was the first.
752. What is his name?
- Mr. Murdoch.
753. Did he survive the Titanic disaster?
- No, sir. He was chief then.
754. He did not survive?
- No, sir.
755. Do you know whether any other officer of the ship accompanied this inspector during his stay on board?
- That I could not say with certainty.
756. What is your best judgment about it?
- I should say the marine superintendent was with him the whole time.
757. The marine superintendent?
- Of the White Star Line, at Southampton.
758. What is his name?
- Capt. Steele.
759. How old a man is he?
- About 50.
760. Is he a commander?
- Yes, sir.
761. Had you ever seen one of those ocean liners inspected by the British Board of Trade representative before?
- Frequently.
762. How thorough are they about it?
- Speaking of Capt. Clark, we call him a nuisance because he is so strict.
763. Capt. Clark?
- Yes, sir.
764. Is he the marine officer?
- That is the Board of Trade representative.
765. In what respect is he a nuisance?
- Because he makes us fork out every detail.
766. I should suppose you would be quite willing to do that?
- Perfectly willing.
767. Do you mean by that that he would call attention to the absence of tools, implements, and devices necessary for the ship's full equipment?
- No, sir. He would insist upon them all being absolutely brought out on deck every time.
768. On what?
- Everything that contributes to the ship's equipment.
769. What would that consist of?
- The whole of the ship's life-saving equipment.
770. Life preservers?
- Life preservers throughout the ship, all the boats turned out, uncovered, all the tanks examined, all the breakers examined, oars counted, boats turned out, rudders tried, all the davits tried - there was innumerable detail work.
771. And the boats lowered?
- The boats lowered, put in the water, and pulled out, and brought back again, and if he was not satisfied, sent back again.
772. And the ropes and chains tested?
- Yes, sir.
773. When he inspected your ship, about where would he find these life preservers?
- Lifebelts in every room, in every compartment, where, as we say, there was habitation, where a man could live.
774. Would that include the steerage?
- Yes, undoubtedly; and the crews quarters.
775. In the steerage do they have rooms?
- Yes, sir.
776. Are they equipped?
- Yes, sir.
777. With the same apparatus for the preservation of life with an emergency as the first and second cabins?
- Identically the same.
778. You used the term "lifebelt."
- Yes, sir.
779. I wish you would describe a lifebelt.
- It consists of a series of pieces of cork - allow me to show you by illustration - a hole is cut in there (illustrating) for the head to go through and this falls over front and back, and there are tapes from the back then tied around the front. It is a new idea and very effective, because no one can make a mistake in putting it on.
780. Is there cork on both sides?
- On both sides.
781. Are the arms free?
- Free, absolutely.
782. And when in the water does this adhere or extend?
- It is tied to the body.
783. It is tied to the body?
- Yes, sir.
784. Have you ever had one of these on?
- Yes, sir.
785. Have you ever been into the sea with one of them?
- Yes, sir.
786. Where?
- From the Titanic.
787. In this recent collision?
- Yes, sir.
788. How long were you in the sea with a lifebelt on?
- Between half an hour and an hour.
789. What time did you leave the ship?
- I didn't leave it.
790. Did the ship leave you?
- Yes, sir.
791. Did you stay until the ship had departed entirely?
- Yes, sir.
792. I wish you would tell us whether the suction incidental to the sinking of this vessel was a great deterrent in making progress away from the boat?
- It was hardly noticeable.
793. From what point on the vessel did you leave it?
- On top of the officers' quarters.
794. And where were the officers' quarters?
- Immediately abaft the bridge.
795. Immediately abaft the bridge?
- Abaft the wheelhouse.
796. Was that pretty well toward the top of the vessel?
- Yes, sir.
797. Were the lifeboats gone when you found yourself without any footing?
- All except one.
798. Where was that one?
- In the tackles, trying to get it over.
799. Did not the tackle work readily?
- Yes, sir.
800. What delayed it?
- It was the third boat over by the same tackles.
801. The third boat over by the same tackles?
- Yes, sir.
802. From what deck?
- The boat deck.
803. The sun deck?
- The sun deck.
804. How close were you to this lifeboat at that time?
- Fifteen feet
805. Was it filled before starting to lower it?
- It was not high enough to lower.
806. Why?
- It was not high enough to lower. They were endeavoring to get it over the bulwarks, outboard; swinging it; getting it over the bulwarks. When it was over the bulwarks, then it would hang in the tackles, and until it hung in the tackles it was impossible to put anyone in it.
807. How far below the boat deck?
- Above the boat deck.
808. How far above the boat deck?
- About 4 feet 6 inches.
809. And it was lowered to the boat deck?
- It did not get over the bulwarks to be lowered.
810. The last you saw of it?
- Yes, sir.
811. Who was managing this tackle?
- The first officer, Mr. Murdoch.
812. He lost his life?
- Yes.
813. Did you see Mr. Ismay at that time?
- No, sir.
814. Did you, at any time?
- Yes, sir.
815. Where?
- On the boat deck.
816. How long before she sunk?
- At first, before we started to uncover the boats, when we started to uncover the boat.
817. I did not quite catch that.
- When we started to uncover the boats.
818. How long was that after the collision?
- About 20 minutes.
819. What was he doing?
- Standing still.
820. Dressed?
- I could not say, sir; it was too dark.
821. Was he talking to anyone?
- No, sir.
822. He was alone?
- Yes, sir.
823. On what deck?
- On the boat deck.
824. Were there any other passengers on that deck?
- Not that I saw at that time.
825. Did you see any there afterwards?
- Plenty.
826. Had the passengers the right to go on the deck from below?
- Every right.
827. There was no restraint at the staircase?
- None.
828. Was that true as to the steerage?
- The steerage have no right up there, sir.
829. Did they on that occasion?
- Oh, yes.
830. There was no restraint?
- Oh, absolutely none.
831. There must have been considerable confusion.
- Not that I noticed.
832. Was everybody orderly?
- Perfectly.
833. How long did you see Mr. Ismay there alone?
- As I passed.
834. Where were you going at that time?
- I was attending to the boats, seeing the men distributed, having the boat covers stripped off.
835. You say you were 15 feet from this last boat when it was lowered?
- It was not lowered, sir. I was 15 feet from it when they were endeavoring to get it into the tackles.
836. Did you go nearer to it than that.
- Did not have the opportunity, sir.
837. Why not?
- The ship went down.
838. Was this boat ever lowered?
- No, sir.
839. It remained in the tackle?
- Yes, sir.
840. When did you see Mr. Ismay, with reference to the attempted lowering of this boat?
- I saw Mr. Ismay, as I stated to you, sir.
841. Only once?
- Yes, sir.
842. And that was about 20 minutes after the collision?
- Yes, sir.
843. And there were no other passengers on that deck at that time?
- Not that I noticed. I should notice Mr. Ismay naturally more than I should notice passengers.
844. Why?
- Because I know him.
845. How long have you known him?
- Since I have been in the company.
846. Are you quite well acquainted with the officers of this company?
- I naturally know them by sight.
847. Does he know you?
- Oh, he knew me; yes.
848. Did he speak to you?
- No, sir.
849. Who was he with at that time?
- No one.
850. Neither spoke to the other?
- No, sir.
851. Did he see you?
- Yes, sir. I don't know whether he recognized me.
852. Do you know where the captain was at that time?
- I could not say, sir.
853. Did you see him on the bridge?
- Previous to that I had seen him on the bridge.
854. How long before that?
- About three minutes after the impact.
855. Did he leave the bridge or did he remain there and leave your point of occupation?
- I left.
856. You left?
- Yes, sir.
857. Where did you go?
- Back to my berth.
858. What for?
- There was no call for me to be on deck.
859. No call, or no cause?
- As far as I could see, neither call nor cause.
860. You mean from the moment of the impact?
- Yes, sir.
861. Did you believe the boat was in danger?
- No, sir.
862. You felt that it was not a serious accident?
- I did not think it was a serious accident
863. What was the force of the impact?
- A slight jar and a grinding sound.
864. From front or side?
- Well, naturally I should think it was in front, whether I could tell or not.
865. You could not tell exactly?
- No, sir.
866. Was there a noise?
- Very little.
867. Very little?
- Very little.
868. Did you go back to your room under the impression that the boat had not been injured?
- Yes, sir.
869. Didn't you tell Mr. Ismay that that night?
- I had not seen Mr. Ismay then.
870. Did you tell him that afterwards?
- Really, I could not say, sir.
871. Where were you when the impact occurred?
- In my berth.
872. Asleep?
- No, sir, I was just getting off asleep.
873. You arose?
- Yes, sir.
874. Did you dress yourself?
- No, sir.
875. What did you put on, if anything?
- Nothing.
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