2697. He came around to the cabin?
- Yes, sir.
2698. Was there anyone else on the deck?
- Oh, there were other people on the deck.
2699. With you?
- Yes; they were running around all over the place.
2700. How running around?
- Several people looking for life belts and looking for refreshments.
2701. I want to locate exactly the position of this operating room of yours with reference to the boat deck or upper deck. Is it at the rear of the A or B deck?
- I believe on the Titanic, sir, the boat deck was called A deck. There was no deck above that, with the exception of a little deck which covered the roofs of the houses that were on A deck.
2702. These people that you say were running around were running around these decks, all of them?
- The officers' quarters were situated together with the Marconi cabin, the officers' rooms, and other places, and the people were running around through these cabins. We had a woman in our cabin who had fainted.
2703. A woman in your cabin who had fainted?
- And we were giving her a glass of water there and a chair. We set her down on a chair, which she wanted badly, and then her husband took her away again.
2704. You gave her a glass of water and revived her, and her husband took her away?
- Yes, sir.
2705. Did they have on life preservers?
- Yes, sir.
2706. But some of these passengers or person were without lifebelts at that time, and were looking for them?
- Yes, sir.
2707. You and your assistant had on lifebelts, and after this final message, C.Q.D. and M.G.Y., that was the last you saw of the wireless apparatus?
- Yes, sir.
2708. Did you see any lifeboats after that?
- No, sir.
2709. Do you know whether there was any on the ship at that time?
- There were no big lifeboats on the ship at that time. There was a collapsible boat on the top deck at the side of the forward funnel.
2710. You mean over the officers' quarters?
- Over the officers' cabin, sir.
2711. Do you know what was done with that?
- Yes, sir.
2712. What was done with it?
- It was pushed over on to the boat deck.
2713. What was done then with it?
- Went over the side.
2714. You never saw it?
- Yes; I went over with it.
Mr. Burlingham:
He says it went over the side.
2715. I understand what the second officer said about it. I want to know whether you saw it again?
- Yes, sir, it went over the side of the ship. It was washed off by a wave.
2716. It was washed over the side of the ship by a wave?
- Yes, sir.
2717. And fell into the water?
- Yes, sir.
2718. Bottom side upward?
- Yes, sir.
2719. And how far were you from the water when you saw this boat fall?
- I was in the boat.
2720. You were in the boat?
- Yes, sir.
2721. It fell, the bottom side upward?
- Yes, sir.
2722. What became of you?
- I was inside the boat.
2723. You were under the boat?
- Yes.
2724. How long did you remain in the boat?
- I could not tell you.
2725. About how long?
- It seemed a lifetime to me, really.
2726. I understand, but I would like to know, if possible, if at any time you got on top of the boat?
- I got on top of the boat eventually.
2727. Eventually?
- Yes, sir.
2728. Before anyone else got on top of it?
- No, sir.
2729. Who was on top of the boat when you got on?
- There was a big crowd on top when I got on. I had to get away from under the bottom.
2730. You remained under the boat how long?
- I should say about three-quarters of an hour, or a half.
2731. Was there breathing space under the boat when it was turned over in that way?
- Yes, sir.
2732. So that you got away from it as quickly as you could?
- Yes, sir.
2733. You got out free from it, or did you cling to it, pulling yourself up to the side?
- I freed myself from it and cleared out of it.
2734. How did you get back to it, then?
- Swam back, eventually.
2735. Which side of the boat was that on, port or starboard?
- On the port side of the Titanic.
2736. Did you hear the second officer yesterday say that that boat came around from the starboard to the port side?
- I was not here yesterday.
2737. You can not say as to that?
- It went straight over the port side, sir.
2738. It went straight over the port side?
- It was on the port side of the forward funnel. We pushed it on the port side of the boat deck, and it went over the port side of the Titanic.
2739. Did it at any time get on the starboard side?
- Not to my knowledge.
2740. You say there were a number of people on the boat, on the bottom of the boat that was bottom-up when you got there?
- Yes.
2741. Do you know any of them?
- I heard afterwards that the senior operator was on board.
2742. Mr. Phillips?
- Mr. Phillips.
2743. Was on the boat?
- Yes; I heard so afterwards.
2744. He did not survive, however?
- He did not survive.
2745. Do you know whether he died going from the Titanic to the Carpathia?
- He died on the way; yes. He died on board the upturned boat.
2746. What became of his body?
- As far as I know, it was taken on board the Carpathia and buried from the Carpathia.
2747. Buried at sea?
- Buried from the Carpathia.
2748. Did any one else die on that boat between the wreck and the Carpathia?
- There was a man lying aft that they said was dead when they took him onto the ship's boat.
2749. What did they do with his body?
- He was taken on board the Carpathia, as far as I know.
2750. They took his body to the Carpathia?
- Yes.
2751. How many people were on that boat?
- It was estimated between 30 and 40.
2752. Were there any women on the boat?
- No, sir.
2753. How many people were in the boat or on the boat when it fell from the upper deck on to the lower deck?
- There was not anybody in it. It was pushed over intentionally.
2754. Was it fastened to the boat davits?
- No, sir; it was resting on a proper bed there for it.
2755. How did you get in it?
- When it was pushed over on to the A deck, we all scrambled down on to A deck again. [Bride is referring to the boat deck].
2756. You all scrambled in?
- We did not scramble in. We scrambled down on to A deck and were going to launch it properly.
2757. Then what happened?
- It was washed overboard before we had time to launch it.
2758. The boat was washed over?
- Yes, sir.
2759. You then went down with it?
- I happened to be nearest it and I grabbed it.
2760. You grabbed it and went down with it?
- Yes, sir.
2761. Did anyone else grab it?
- No, sir.
2762. You went down with it alone?
- Yes, sir.
2763. It fell in such shape that you were under it?
- Yes, sir.
2764. You say there were no women on that boat?
- No, sir.
2765. When it reached the Carpathia or at any other time?
- No, sir.
2766. And there were about 35 or 40 people all together?
- Yes, sir.
2767. Do you know any of the people that were on that boat besides Mr. Phillips and yourself?
- There was an officer [Lightoller], I believe, on the boat.
2768. An officer?
- And there was a passenger; I could not see whether he was first, second, or third.
2769. What kind of a looking man?
- I could not say, sir.
2770. Have you learned who it was?
- No, sir; I heard him say at the time he was a passenger.
2771. Was it Col. Gracie?
- I could not say. He merely said he was a passenger.
2772. Where did he get on?
- I could not say. I was the last man they invited on board.
2773. Were there others struggling to get on?
- Yes, sir.
2774. How many?
- Dozens.
2775. Dozens. In the water?
- Yes, sir.
2776. With life preservers on?
- Yes, sir.
2777. Was this one man the only passenger?
- I could not say.
2778. Did anyone say to you that anyone else was a passenger?
- No, sir, we did not have much to say to each other.
2779. You did not talk to one another?
- No, sir.
2780. Do you know whether the other occupants of that boat were officers or seamen or stewards or employees?
- I should judge they were all employees. They were all part of the boat's crews.
2781. They were all in the water?
- They had all been in the water some time or other.
2782. They had been in the water at some time when they got onto the upturned boat?
- Yes.
2783. When did you last see the captain? When he told you to take care of yourself?
- The last I saw of the captain he went overboard from the bridge, sir.
2784. Did you see the Titanic sink?
- Yes, sir.
2785. And the captain was at that time on the bridge?
- No, sir.
2786. What do you mean by overboard?
- He jumped overboard from the bridge. He jumped overboard from the bridge when we were launching the collapsible lifeboat.
2787. I should judge from what you have said that this was about three or four minutes before the boat sank?
- Yes. It would be just about five minutes before the boat sank.
2788. About five minutes?
- Yes.
2789. Do you know whether the captain had a lifebelt on?
- He had not when I last saw him.
2790. He had not?
- No, sir.
2791. Did the bridge go under water at about the same time?
- Yes, sir. The whole of the ship was practically under water to the forward funnel, and when I saw her go down the stern came out of the water and she slid down fore and aft.
2792. The captain at no time went over until the vessel sank?
- No, sir.
2793. He went with the vessel?
- Practically speaking; yes, sir.
2794. I would like to ask you, before I forget it, whether as this vessel went down there was much suction there?
- No, sir.
2795. There was not?
- No, sir.
2796. The fact that so few of the passengers and crew were picked up by the Carpathia with life preservers on would seem to indicate that they were sucked under these waves or this water as the ship disappeared. What is your judgment about that?
- I estimate I was within 150 feet of the Titanic; I was swimming when she went down, and I felt practically no suction at all.
Senator Smith:
Mr. Bride, I appreciate the fact that you are not well. I want to thank you very much for your uncomplaining kindly attitude. I will not press you any farther today, but I wish you would hold yourself subject to the call of the committee and be ready to respond if we should want you again.
May I have this understanding, Mr. Marconi?
Mr. Marconi:
All right.
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