5785. Mr. Fleet, while you were acting as lookout man were your eyes examined?
- Yes, sir.
5786. How frequently?
- We are supposed to have them examined every year, or every two years.
5787. How long before you sailed on the Titanic were yours examined?
- About a year ago.
5788. What was the nature of the test?
- As to color, and looking at a distance.
5789. That is, you would look at some point on or near the sea, and your eyes were tested to see how you could descry objects on the sea?
- Yes, sir.
5790. What color can you distinguish most easily, green, red, or white?
- The whole lot, sir.
5791. Equally well?
- Yes, sir.
5792. That is, red -
- (interrupting). Green -
5793. Green as readily as white?
- Yes, sir.
5794. You say you had had glasses until this trip?
- Yes, sir.
5795. On every trip on any boat of the White Star Line?
- It is only the Oceanic I have been lookout on.
5796. Did you have the same glasses for night and for day?
- Yes, sir.
5797. And the glasses that are useful for day are also useful for night?
- Yes, sir.
5798. Equally useful?
- Yes, sir.
5799. When you use the glasses you look straight ahead only, at a part of the course before you, do you not?
- We look all over the horizon.
5800. That is, you look around in every direction?
- Yes, sir.
5801. And until this trip you had the use of glasses?
- Yes, sir.
5802. You were not using them on this trip. Who conducted these tests as to your eyesight?
- What do you mean, Senator?
5803. When you were examined as to your eyes, as to what you could see who examined you?
- The Board of Trade.
5804. An officer of the Board of Trade?
- Yes, sir.
5805. Were there any examinations by the officers of the ship?
- No, sir; they just asked us if we had eyesight tests.
5806. You saw some light on the horizon that night?
- Not on the lookout, sir.
5807. Not on the lookout?
- The only thing we saw was the iceberg. We had no light on that watch.
5808. You did not see this light of which mention has been made until you got into the lifeboat?
- No, sir.
5809. What was it?
- A bright light on the port bow, sir.
5810. On the port bow?
- Yes.
5811. Was it moving, or was it stationary?
- It did not seem to be moving at all.
5812. Are you sure it was a light?
- It was a light, all right, because Mr. Lightoller, when I got into the boat made us pull straight for it.
5813. What did you think it was?
- It might have been a fisher sail, or something; it was only just one bright light. I could not say what it was.
5814. You were in the boat with Mr. Hichens and this gentleman who was on the stand yesterday?
- Yes, sir.
5815. Mr. Hichens thought it was a light on a boat, did he?
- Yes. Mr. Lightoller made us pull toward it. He seen at as well as us.
5816. You saw it before you got off the Titanic?
- Yes, sir.
5817. What became of that light?
- We did not know. We pulled for it, but we did not seem to get any nearer to it.
5818. Did it finally disappear?
- No. Well, it disappeared by daybreak.
5819. That is all on that? You did not get any nearer to it? It was not any more visible; that is, any plainer to you; you could not see it any more plainly?
- No, sir; you could just see the light.
5820. You say when you first saw that iceberg that it was about the size of these two tables, apparently? That is the way it looked to you?
- Yes, sir.
5821. Was it a mile away, or how far away was it?
- I can not say.
5822. Can you not give any estimate?
- No, sir.
5823. Was it half a mile away?
- I can not say. It was impossible to tell.
5824. Was it as far away as the boat's length?
- I could not say.
5825. Can you not say anything about it?
- No, sir.
5826. Immediately when you saw it, you sounded the three gongs, did you?
- Yes.
5827. Did you, then, immediately after that, pick up the telephone?
- I went up to the telephone as soon as ever I struck three bells.
5828. And telephoned to the bridge?
- Yes, sir.
5829. And you got an answer immediately, did you?
- Yes, sir.
5830. Did you notice how quickly they turned the course of the boat after you sounded the gongs?
- No, sir; they did not do it until I went to the telephone. While I was at the telephone the ship started to move.
5831. You saw this, then, before or just after seven bells?
- Yes, sir.
5832. Was it just before or just after?
- I do not think we struck seven bells. I believe it was just after seven bells.
5833. You said you did not believe that they struck seven bells, and then you said it was just after.
- It may have been just after. We never, generally, ring bells up in the crow's nest every half hour; we generally miss it.
5834. Then it was just after half-past 11 o'clock that you saw it?
- Yes, sir.
5835. Did you send another message to the bridge after that?
- No, sir.
5836. Could they have heard you on the bridge if you had cried out?
- I dare say they could.
5837. How soon after you telephoned to the bridge did you strike the berg?
- I do not know.
5838. Was it one minute or two?
- I could not tell you.
5839. What did you do in the meanwhile?
- We just kept a lookout.
5840. You came nearer and nearer to it?
- Yes, sir.
5841. Did you notice that the boat was bearing out to the left from the berg, or was it going right ahead toward it?
- It was going right ahead, as far we knew; but when I was at the phone it was going to port.
5842. You could see that, yourself?
- Yes, sir; after I got up from the phone.
5843. You say it struck the port bow, 50 feet from the bow?
- Yes, sir.
5844. And it was not up as far as the crow's nest, where you were?
- No, sir.
5845. It was about 50 or 60 feet high?
- Yes.
5846. That is right?
- Yes, sir.
5847. It was about 50 or 60 feet high?
- Yes.
5848. Did the pieces of ice come over into the crow's nest, where you were?
- Oh, no; just on the forecastle head, on the well deck.
Senator Burton:
I think that is all I care to ask him, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Smith:
Senator Newlands, do you wish to ask the witness any questions?
Senator Burton:
I shall ask to be excused for awhile.
Senator Smith:
For how long, Senator?
Senator Burton:
Probably during the morning period.
Senator Newlands:
I shall ask to be excused, also.
Senator Smith:
Do you care to ask any questions first?
Senator Newlands:
Not just at this time.
5849. (Senator Burton.) There is one question that I would like to ask this man in addition to what I have already asked him: When you use the glasses or have the glasses to use, what part of the time do you have the glasses to your eyes and what part of the time do you depend on your naked eyesight?
- I do not know what you mean, sir.
5850. Suppose you had those glasses; would you have them to your eyes most of the time, using them?
- No; no.
5851. What part of the time?
- If we fancied we saw anything on the horizon, then we would have the glasses to make sure.
5852. That is, if you saw anything on the horizon with the naked eye? You understand what I mean by that, do you not?
- Yes, sir.
5853. That is, you would use the glasses -
- You would use the glasses to make sure, before you reported.
5854. Then you depend on your eyesight to see; before you use the glasses?
- Yes.
5855. And if you have any doubt about it you use the glasses, then?
- That is it.
Senator Burton:
That is all I have to ask, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Smith:
Senator Fletcher, do you wish to interrogate the witness?
5856. (Senator Fletcher.) You say that you were told by the men that you relieved on the lookout, to watch out for small ice?
- Yes, sir.
5857. Was that the language, "small ice?"
- "Small ice" yes, sir.
5858. What did that mean to you?
- Growlers - what they call growlers; just this low lying ice.
5859. (Senator Smith.) You understood that to mean floating ice that was not dangerous, as well as growlers and icebergs?
- Yes, sir.
5860. (Senator Fletcher.) What do seven bells indicate?
- What do seven bells indicate?
5861. Yes.
- half-past 11.
5862. It was, then, just about that time when you gave the warning of the iceberg ahead?
- Just a little after that.
5863. What does three bells mean?
- Three bells?
5864. Yes.
- It is all according to the time we are up on the lookout.
5865. You say that you gave three bells.
- Oh, three bells: That means a vessel, or whatever it is, right ahead. It indicates anything right ahead; any object.
5866. It indicates that there is some object right ahead? Is it a warning to people on the bridge that there is danger ahead?
- No; not always; just to let them know that there is some object ahead.
5867. Yes. When you gave the three bells did you immediately turn to the telephone?
- Yes, sir.
5868. How long were you at the telephone?
- I suppose half a minute.
5869. When you turned from the telephone and observed the course of the ship, you saw she had turned to port?
- Yes, sir.
5870. Did she turn immediately and suddenly, or gradually, to port?
- Just started to go as I looked up.
5871. Just started to go to port?
- Yes, sir.
5872. To what extent did she change her course from the direct line?
- You mean how far did she go?
5873. Yes.
- A little over a point, or two points.
5874. Did she seem to respond readily to the wheel?
- Well, we do not know that. We only know she went.
5875. You could see she was going?
- Yes, sir.
5876. And did she continue to bear to port?
- Until the iceberg was alongside of her.
5877. Could you tell whether or not the iceberg was moving; and if so, to what extent?
- I could not say.
5878. You could not say?
- No, sir.
5879. It was the submerged portion of the iceberg that did the damage to the ship, was it not?
- I suppose so.
5880. Did the ship strike the portion above the water?
- I could not say. I know when we got up to it, it struck our bow - a little of our bow.
5881. Did it strike the bow or just back of the bow?
- Just about in front of the foremast.
5882. Did it tilt the ship to any extent?
- She listed to port right afterwards.
5883. To what extent?
- I could not say; a slight list.
5884. Just immediately on striking the berg?
- Just afterwards.
5885. Did it seem that the blow came beneath the surface of the water and caused her to shift?
- Yes, sir.
5886. You say the berg was some 50 feet above the surface, some 50 feet in height. Did you get an idea of the dimensions of that berg, as to its length and width?
- No, sir.
5887. Even when you hit against it?
- No, sir.
5888. Why not?
- I am not a good judge of distance; I could not say.
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