5041. You were not there long enough to recognize it even if it had been there?
- No, sir.
5042. You think this white light you saw was stationary?
- I do.
5043. And it was about 3 miles away?
- Yes.
5044. Would it not have been impossible for any one of the lifeboats to have gotten that far away at the time you saw it?
- Impossible to have gotten to that light? Well, I do not know. I do not think so.
5045. For how long a time did you see it?
- I could not really say. I did not take any particular notice of this light; I was not interested in it
5046. That is, you did not consider it as anything that could afford safety?
- No, sir.
5047. You did not think it belonged to a steamer?
- No, sir; it is only what I have heard since.
5048. (Senator Newlands.) You say you were on the southerly track?
- Yes, sir.
5049. How far distant were you from the northerly track?
- Well, that varies.
5050. About how far?
- In the position where we sank I think it is about 50 miles. You can measure it off on the chart and get it accurate.
5051. Do you recall whether the iceberg, as noted on the chart, was on the line of the northerly track?
- No; it was to the northward of the southerly track.
5052. Was it to the north of the northern track?
- Oh, no; it was south of the northern track. I think there is more than 60 miles difference there.
5053. Then, according to the chart, it was less than 60 miles distant from the southerly track?
- I can not give it to you with accuracy, but you can get it off here, sir, within a mile.
5054. What I want to ascertain is this: Was this iceberg, as located on the chart; between the northern and southern tracks or was it to the north of the northerly track?
- Between the northern and southern tracks.
5055. Do you recollect which track it was nearest to?
- I do not, sir.
5056. During your experience at sea has notice been given frequently by Marconigram of the location of icebergs?
- Yes; we always pass it along from one to another.
5057. What is the custom of the ships when they receive word of that kind; is it the custom to slow down or to maintain their speed?
- To maintain speed, sir.
5058. To maintain speed?
- Certainly.
5059. What do they rely upon for avoiding accident?
- Picking up these bergs; as a rule, they are seen.
5060. They are more easily seen, of course, during the day; and how about it in the night?
- I have never seen one at night, and so I can not say.
5061. What is the custom as to the night; is it customary to maintain speed even then, simply relying upon the expectation of picking up the icebergs, as you say?
- I think so.
5062. How fast do these icebergs travel? Their general course, of course, is toward the south. Have you any idea how fast they go?
- That would depend upon the question of current and wind.
5063. (Senator Fletcher.) In regard to the icebergs, I understood you to say that you saw on Monday morning a number of icebergs in that vicinity?
- Yes, sir.
5064. And some of those were as high as 100 feet above the water?
- I should say so; about that.
5065. What would that mean as to the extent beneath the surface of the water?
- They say two-thirds of an iceberg is submerged.
5066. So that if the iceberg the Titanic struck was 30 feet above the surface, how much would there have been beneath the surface?
- Two-thirds of it.
5067. Do you know whether you got a view of that particular berg the next morning?
- No one could say that - that he saw that particular berg.
5068. You could not tell, from where you were when daylight came, precisely the direction from you in which the Titanic was when she went down?
- No; I could not.
5069. You could not do that?
- No.
5070. There was no way you could tell that, by wreckage or anything else on the surface?
- No; you could not say accurately which one it was.
5071. How far were you at that time from the place where the Titanic went down?
- That would be hard to say.
5072. You had not been rowing very much?
- No; we had been drifting with a little wind.
5073. And there was not very much wind?
- No; we got a little wind at 4 o'clock, a little breeze at 4 o'clock.
5074. And there was no fog that night?
- No; no fog.
5075. And you can not give us an idea about how far you were at daylight next morning from the place where the Titanic went down?
- No; because there was nothing to tell me where the Titanic had sunk.
5076. You knew whether you had been exerting yourselves to make any headway one way or the other, whether you had been rowing or drifting?
- I would say that we may have been a mile away.
5077. Could you see the iceberg in the direction of what you supposed to be the place where the Titanic went down?
- Oh, yes. There were several of them around there, but I could not say with any degree of accuracy which one it was.
5078. You could see several of them off, could you not?
- Oh, yes; in the daylight, with the sun shining on them.
5079. With regard to the closing of the watertight compartments, was there any need of any lever or key in order to do that? Would not the doors close automatically?
- Yes; from the bridge; those in the lower holds.
5080. Explain how that was operated. You have been asked something about that by the chairman, and it is not clear, I think, in the record, about the need of some one going there and using a key, and that sort of thing, in connection with those doors. How do they work?
- I can not explain the working of them down below.
5081. (Senator Newlands.) How do you close them?
- There is a lever 7 or 8 inches long -
5082. (Senator Fletcher.) Where is that?
- On the bridge; close to the man at the wheel. All you have to do is to just pull it over like that (indicating by describing half a circle).
5083. What is the effect of that?
- That closes the doors electrically.
5084. They come right down?
- They come right down.
5085. They just come right down, and they do not open and shut, out and in?
- Oh, no; straight down that way (indicating). There is an electrical bell beside them. You ring that a few minutes before closing, so as to give any one a chance to get out of the way who might be standing underneath.
5086. When you took boat No. 5, and lowered that boat, you say you saw some men standing around the deck, but no women or children. Were the men excited; were they desirous of taking a boat, or was their attitude one of confidence that the Titanic was going to float, and that they were in about as safe a position on board the Titanic as they would be in on the lifeboat?
- Well sir, there was no push to get into the boat. I said there was no room for any more, and they simply stood back.
5087. They wanted to get in?
- They would have gotten in if they had been told to get in.
5088. But they did want to get in; or, would they rather stay on the boat?
- They did not push themselves at all.
5089. (Senator Perkins.) When you are approaching land, and in close proximity to it, and think you may be near ice floes, especially in foggy weather, do you not double the lookout?
- In foggy weather.
5090. And are not the officers cautioned to be more vigilant?
- Yes; and the lookout men are also cautioned.
5091. Was that so in this instance, as regards cautioning -
- The lookout men?
5092. Yes.
- I can not say, because I was not on deck from 8 until 12 o'clock.
5093. How many officers were on the bridge at that time?
- Two, I think.
5094. And a quartermaster in attendance?
- A quartermaster in attendance, and a quartermaster at the wheel.
5095. (Senator Smith.) Captain, we were given the ship's time and the Greenwich time. Are you able to give the New York time, as to when this vessel sank?
- Take five hours from the British time.
5096. That would bring it to 12.47.
- There is five hours difference between Greenwich time and New York time.
5097. Will you figure it out? I want this definite in the record. Give me the New York time.
- Give me the Greenwich time, please?
5098. You can take your time to do that.
- (after making calculation). 11.47 p. m., Sunday.
Senator Burton:
That is not quite right, is it?
Senator Smith:
It would be 12.47 a. m.
Senator Burton:
The difference in solar time is 4 hours and 57 minutes, if you want to get that exactly.
5099. (Senator Smith.) I would like to have the record as complete as possible.
- It is 12.47 Monday morning.
5100. Give the ship's time from which you make the deduction.
- I am working through the British mean time. That is 5.47.
5101. You are working from -
- The Greenwich time.
5102. The Greenwich time?
- Yes, sir.
5103. And assuming it to be what time?
- 5.47 a. m., Greenwich time.
5104. It would be 12.47?
- 12.47 a. m., Monday morning, New York time.
5105. Now, officer, did you see, while lifeboat No. 5 was being loaded, or while lifeboat No. 7 was being loaded, any woman step into the lifeboat and step back upon the deck?
- No, sir; none.
5106. Did you hear of such an incident?
- No, sir.
5107. You recall nothing of that kind, so far as your station was concerned?
- No, sir.
5108. Was the Titanic equipped with a searchlight?
- No, sir.
5109. Did you ever see a merchantman equipped with a searchlight?
- No, sir; except small coasting steamers.
5110. From what you saw of the proximity of the icebergs Monday morning following this catastrophe, do you believe that the use of searchlights would have revealed the proximity of icebergs?
- It might have done so.
5111. That is your best judgment about it?
- Yes, sir.
5112. Have you seen searchlights used aboard naval craft?
- I have seen them used, but I have never been on board, myself.
5113. Where have you seen them used; in England?
- Yes.
5114. They equip their battleships with searchlights, do they not, in England?
- Oh, yes; every one of them.
5115. I would like to know whether there was a fire in the hold after leaving Southampton?
- That is the first I have heard of it.
5116. You may answer in your own way. You have not heard of it before?
- No, sir.
5117. I would like to know whether the passengers were awakened, to your knowledge, by the officers of the ship after the impact?
- Not by any of us. No, that would be up to the victualing department to see them called.
5118. Did you see any calls or signals of that character given?
- Orders had been passed before I came on deck, sir.
5119. After you came on deck, closely following the act, you heard none of those orders or warnings or signals given?
- No, sir. I did not come on deck until 10 minutes after the impact; quite 10 minutes.
5120. Do you know of any reason why the speed of the Titanic was not slackened after the warnings of the proximity of icebergs were received?
- I do not think the speed was reduced.
5121. Do you know why it was not reduced?
- No. It is not customary.
5122. Do you know, of your own knowledge, of any water entering the boiler rooms?
- No, sir.
5123. Do you know, of your own knowledge, of any order given to haul fire from the boilers?
- No, sir.
5124. Did you see any evidences of a conflagration or fire aboard the Titanic at any time?
- No, sir.
5125. If there had been any order given to keep a sharp lookout for ice, would it have been entered on an order book or the log?
- That is usually put on the commander's night order book.
5126. Did you see anything of that kind?
- I did not see the night order book that night, because it is not issued, as a rule, until between 6 and 8.
5127. Did you see it the night before?
- Yes, sir; I saw it the night before, because we had to sign it every night.
5128. I understand. You saw it the night before?
- Yes, sir.
5129. And at that time did you see any order to keep a sharp lookout for ice?
- No; there was none, because we were not in the ice region.
Senator Smith:
That was not my question, exactly. Read my question.
(The reporter repeated the question, as follows):
At that time did you see any order to keep a sharp lookout for ice?
5130. (Senator Smith.) Recorded.
- You are speaking about the 24 hours previous; you are talking about Saturday night?
5131. I am.
- None that night; no.
5132. Nor at any other time?
- No; because we were not in the ice region.
5133. Can you indicate what, if any, progress the ship made in speed after the collision?
- Any progress she made? I do not follow you.
5134. I want to know whether the engines were reversed and the ship was permitted to drift, or whether she kept under her power.
- Oh, as far as I heard, she went full astern immediately after the collision.
5135. She reversed her engines?
- She reversed her engines and went full astern.
5136. She reversed her engines, then, and receded from the point of contact?
- She was past it then, I think. We brought the ship to a standstill.
5137. Did you ever see that ship move after it was brought to a standstill, except when it sank in the sea?
- I did not, sir.
5138. To the best of your knowledge, did it move?
- She did not move.
5139. (Senator Fletcher.) She must have gone down right near the ice.
- No; she must have gone a far distance past it. Her speed would take her some distance.
5140. (Senator Newlands.) Within what distance could the Titanic come to a stop, going at the rate of 21 knots an hour?
- It would be very hard to say, because we never tried.
5141. (Senator Smith) Judging from the action of ships of that size, or of large ships, within what distance could a ship come to a stop?
- I never tried it, sir. That would vary considerably according to the state of the sea and the wind.
5142. I want to clear up a few things for the record before you step aside. Mr. Boxhall testified that the ship struck in latitude 41° 46', longitude 50° 14'.
- That is the position that he gave to the Carpathia.
5143. How was that determined?
- From the star position, worked from half-past 7.
5144. In any other manner?
- No; that was worked out, I understand, from the star position at half-past 7.
5145. What was the ship's course when she struck? I think you testified to it, but I want it right at this place.
- I am not sure whether it was south 84° west or south 86° west true.
5146. How long had she been running on that course?
- From 5.50 p. m.
5147. That evening?
- Yes, sir.
5148. Did this course show that she was approaching ice?
- No, sir; there was no ice reported exactly on the track.
5149. I want to know if this course showed that she was approaching ice.
- We should pass the ice northward.
5150. Do you know in what position, latitude and longitude, the Carpathia found the boats?
- Found the boats, sir?
5151. Yes, sir.
- Somewhere near that position that Mr. Boxhall gave you with reference to the ship sinking. That is the position the Carpathia steered for.
5152. 41° 46'?
- 41° 46'.
5153. And 50° 14'?
- 50° 14'. That is the position the Carpathia steered for.
5154. I wish you would tell the committee whether the steam whistle was used Sunday night during your watch or not.
- No, sir.
5155. Could it have been used to detect the presence of ice by echo?
- I should not think so. I should not have any faith in it.
5156. It was not used?
- No; it was not.
5157. In order to complete the record, the ice reported by the Amerika, by a wireless message, was in latitude 41° 27' longitude 50° 08'? [chart]
- Yes.
5158. If the ship was properly located when she struck as being in latitude 41° 46’, must not the course have been steered to the northward, in the direction of the reported iceberg?
- No; the position of that iceberg given by the Amerika is to the southward of us.
5159. The course was laid to the southward of ice reported by the Amerika, was it not?
- No; that position is 20 miles to the south of the position we were.
5160. Would you have allowed any time for the ice to drift?
- I do not know anything about getting its position from the Amerika.
5161. You never heard anything at all about their wireless warning and know nothing about the longitude or latitude in which they reported icebergs?
- The only one was the one that was put on the chart, and I don't know whom that came from.
Senator Smith:
I think that is all for the present, Officer.
5162. (Senator Fletcher.) If there had been a vessel that night within 5 miles of the Titanic, could not her whistle have been heard that distance?
- No; but you could have heard her blowing off steam at a far greater distance than you could hear the steam whistle. She was blowing off steam for three-quarters of an hour, I think, and you could hear that much farther than you could hear any steam whistle.
5163. Then it would stand to reason that if there was a ship or vessel of any kind within a distance of 5 miles it ought to have heard the blowing off of the steam?
- She could have heard that 10 miles that night.
5164. (Senator Smith.) Just one more question. Was the ice that was located on the chart south of your track?
- North of our track.
Senator Smith:
Now, Witness, I have not gotten entirely through with you. I wish you would hold yourself subject to the desire of the committee. I want to call Mr. Fleet for a few moments.
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