2018. Mr. Cottam, you detailed yesterday, when you were last interrogated by the committee, the work that you did on the Carpathia up to the time of the last message received from the Titanic.
- Yes, sir.
2019. And to that message you made reply, by direction of the captain?
- Yes, sir.
2020. Will you relate the captain's last message to the Titanic?
- The captain sent a message to the effect that they were to have their lifeboats ready. We had got ours ready and were steaming as fast as we could in the direction of the position of the vessel given.
2021. Was anything further said?
- No, sir.
2022. And you received no further answer to that message?
- No, sir.
2023. You also detailed the work that was done after reaching the scene of the collision and sinking of the Titanic?
- Yes.
2024. Did you receive any communication from either a Marconi coast station or any other station from any officer of the White Star Line?
- Do you mean as soon as we reached the spot?
2025. I mean from the time you reached the scene of this catastrophe until you reached port in New York.
- I was in communication with some boat or other the whole of the time, sir.
2026. You were in communication with some boat or other the whole of the time?
- Yes, sir.
2027. Did any message come signed officially by any officer of the White Star Line?
- I had one or two from the Baltic, sir.
2028. One or two from the Baltic?
- Yes, sir.
2029. To what effect?
- I can not remember, sir.
2030. Were they signed or merely transmitted?
- They were official messages, sir; but I can not remember whether they were signed or not.
2031. I wish you would speak a little louder; I can not quite hear you myself.
- They were official messages, but whether or not they were signed by the captain of the Baltic, I could not say.
2032. Do you recall the contents?
- I can not remember. I have no record of any of them at all.
2033. Were they messages from the Baltic, or transmitted through the Baltic from any coast station?
- There was communication with time Baltic and the Carpathia the whole of the time.
2034. And you can not recall what those messages were?
- No sir; there were too many of them, sir.
2035. I will ask you specifically whether you received any message indicating a desire or suggestion that the true state of things be kept as confidential?
- I informed the Baltic of the whole catastrophe about half-past 10 in the morning, the morning after the wreck.
2036. At half-past 10 o'clock?
- About half-past 10.
2037. On Monday morning following the loss of the Titanic?
- Yes sir
2038. You communicated the facts to the Baltic?
- Yes, sir.
2039. Do you know how far out the Baltic was at that time; how far from you?
- I could not say, sir; but she was steaming in the direction of the wreck.
2040. She was steaming in the direction of the wreck?
- Yes, sir.
2041. But you had no communication with a coast station?
- No, sir.
2042. And can you recall what was said in the message at 10.30 Monday morning to the Baltic?
- I told her the distress signal received earlier on, or the previous night; and told her that we had been to the wreck and picked up as many passengers as we could find in the small boats, and were returning to New York.
2043. Did you say anything in this message Halifax?
- No, sir.
2044. Or at any other time?
- No, sir. Yes; I believe I did mention something about Halifax, sir, simply because the captain was bound for Halifax first, and then he changed his mind and was bound for New York. I may have mentioned Halifax. I can not quite remember whether I mentioned Halifax at first.
2045. You say the captain was bound for Halifax?
- Yes, sir.
2046. How do you know?
- I went and asked the captain, sir. Three or four ships around about wanted to know where we were bound for, and the captain said he was not decided, he thought he was bound for Halifax; but later on in the morning he changed his mind.
2047. At what time?
- I can not remember the time.
2048. About what time? Was it forenoon?
- It may have been about noon.
2049. Was it necessary to change his course, in changing his mind?
- Slightly, sir
2050. Did you at any time on Monday send a message to the Baltic, or to any other office, to the effect that all passengers had been saved, and that the Titanic was being towed to Halifax?
- No, sir.
2051. Or anything resembling that?
- No, sir.
2052. Then you did not in any way attempt to withhold the exact facts concerning the sinking of the Titanic?
- No, sir.
2053. Did any message reach you on the Carpathia on Monday, Monday night, or Tuesday, from any source, indicating a rumor of that kind?
- No, sir.
2054. The only reference to Halifax was the reference made in your first message to the Baltic?
- Yes, sir. I may have sent the same to the other ships; I can not remember. There were three or four ships in the vicinity; the Virginian, the Californian, and the Baltic. I may have sent the same message to the three; I can not be certain.
2055. But you did not send out from the Carpathia any report that the passengers and crew of the Titanic were saved, and that the ship, badly damaged, was being towed to Halifax?
- No, sir.
2056. Or anything of that nature?
- No, sir.
2057. And, if I understand you correctly, you were not requested to do so?
- No, sir.
2058. By anyone?
- No, sir.
2059. Either operator, or officer, or any other person?
- No, sir.
2060. Did you pick up on the instrument any such statement from any other source?
- No, sir.
2061. Did you know that a statement of that kind was being printed?
- No, sir.
2062. You sent out no communication which was indefinite enough to be so construed?
- No, sir.
2063. You are very positive about that?
- Yes, sir.
2064. It would have been false would it not?
- Yes, sir.
2065. And of your own knowledge, you knew that it would be false?
- Yes, sir.
2066. If the White Star Line sent the following telegram, dated New York, April 15 -
J. A. HUGHES,
Huntington, W. Va.:Titanic proceeding to Halifax. Passengers will probably land there Wednesday. All safe.
WHITE STAR LINE.
They did not obtain this information from you?
- No, sir.
2067. Nor, to your knowledge, from any other operator on the Carpathia?
- No, sir.
2068. Were you on duty Monday?
- Yes, sir.
2069. How much of Monday?
- All the day, sir.
2070. All day?
- Yes, sir.
2071. What do you mean by "day"? Give the hours.
- The whole of the time, sir.
2072. Give the hour when you went on duty and when you left.
- I do not remember when I went on, and I did not come off for a couple of days after I got on.
2073. Were you off duty from early evening Sunday until Monday evening?
- No, sir; I was never off.
2074. Never off duty?
- No, sir.
2075. So you were at your instrument?
- Yes; the whole of the time.
2076. All of the time?
- Yes, sir.
2077. On Sunday night, and Monday all day, and, as I understood you yesterday, Monday night all night?
- Yes, sir.
2078. And Tuesday all day?
- Yes, sir.
2079. And Tuesday night all night?
- Tuesday night or Wednesday night. I can not remember whether it was Tuesday night or Wednesday night - I got about two or three hours sleep.
2080. You fell off asleep?
- Yes.
2081. And do not know when you went to sleep?
- No, sir.
2082. You awoke at dawn?
- Yes, sir.
2083. On Wednesday morning?
- Yes, sir.
2084. I suppose you were exhausted?
- Yes, sir.
2085. And involuntarily lapsed into slumber?
- Yes, sir.
2086. Sitting at your instrument?
- Yes, sir.
2087. When did Mr. Bride, the surviving wireless operator of the Titanic, relieve you?
- I believe it was Wednesday afternoon when he was brought up.
2088. Wednesday afternoon?
- Yes, sir.
2089. You slept in the early morning until dawn?
- Yes, sir.
2090. Of Wednesday?
- Yes, sir.
2091. And got no relief until the afternoon of Wednesday?
- I think it was the afternoon of Wednesday. sir. I don't remember the days, at all being up all the time, I don't remember what the days were. I know I only had about 10 hours' sleep from the time we left the scene of the wreck until we arrived at New York.
2092. You are positive, however, that you were in charge of the instrument Sunday, Sunday night, all night?
- Yes, sir.
2093. Monday and Monday night, all night?
- Yes, sir.
2094. That was the day following this calamity?
- Yes, sir.
2095. Tuesday, and Tuesday night?
- Yes, sir. I believe it was Tuesday night when I fell off to sleep, and I had about three hours' sleep.
2096. That is what you have stated, Tuesday night. And you awakened at dawn on Wednesday morning?
- Yes, sir.
2097. When you awakened, did you find yourself at your instrument?
- Yes, sir.
2098. Fully dressed?
- Yes, sir.
2099. And you got no relief until Mr. Bride came to your relief during the afternoon of Wednesday, that same day?
- No, sir.
2100. About what time did Mr. Bride come to your relief?
- It was late in the afternoon; I should say about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, sir.
2101. And how long were you absent from your instrument?
- After Bride came into the cabin?
2102. Yes.
- I was not absent at all, sir.
2103. You were not absent at all?
- No.
2104. Were you lying down in your room adjoining your apparatus?
- Yes, sir.
2105. You were lying down in the room?
- Not when Mr. Bride came. I kept the watch all the night, the night that Bride was there. I was up the whole night.
2106. You were up all of Wednesday night assisting Mr. Bride?
- Yes, sir.
2107. What I would like to know is how much rest you got on Wednesday, or Wednesday afternoon?
- I can not remember, sir, what rest I had; I know I only had about eight or ten hours, I think from the time we arrived at the wreck until the time we arrived in New York.
2108. During that time was Mr. Bride at the instrument?
- Yes, sir we were both there the whole time.
2109. But during the time you were getting the rest, did you leave him at the instrument?
- Yes, sir.
2110. But you did not leave the instrument yourself until Wednesday afternoon?
- I did not leave the instrument on Wednesday afternoon.
2111. Well, you got rest on Wednesday, you say?
- I do not remember whether I did or not.
2112. While Mr. Bride was at the instrument did you feel your responsibility for the service?
- Yes, sir.
2113. You did not pass this responsibility over to him?
- No, sir.
2114. What did he do for you?
- He carried on with the work, sir, while I was not there.
2115. Were you at your instrument when the message from the Chester was received?
- Yes, sir.
2116. You took that message?
- Yes, sir.
2117. Did you reply to it?
- Yes, sir.
2118. In the manner you stated yesterday?
- Yes, sir.
2119. You did not feel any authority - you did not have any authority - to designate Mr. Bride for service?
- No, sir; his services were entirely voluntary, sir.
2120. His services were voluntary?
- Yes, sir.
2121. What was his physical condition?
- He could not walk - he could not stand, sir.
2122. He could not walk and he could not stand?
- No, sir.
2123. From injuries?
- From injuries; yes, sir; injuries received at the time of the wreck.