11585. Evans, I think you told me you had served nine years in the Royal Navy?
- Yes, sir.
11586. Where were you in the lifeboat -
- (interrupting.) Yes, sir.
11587. One moment, now. Where were you in the lifeboat when lifeboat No. 14, in charge of Officer Lowe, was tied up to your boat?
- No, sir; he was not tied up to us. He came over to us.
11588. Where were you when he came over to you?
- In the bow of No. 10 boat.
11589. You got out of No. 10 boat and got into No. 14 boat with Officer Lowe?
- Yes, sir; by his orders, sir.
11590. You said you heard Officer Lowe fire four shots from a revolver?
- Yes, sir.
11591. Where were you at that time?
- Going to the assistance of the collapsible boat that was swamped.
11592. On the way from the place where you joined Officer Lowe, in boat 14, to the collapsible boat that was being swamped and filled with passengers, men and women -
- (interrupting.) One woman, sir.
11593. They were up to their ankles in water?
- Yes, sir; the boat was swamped within about 5 or 6 inches of the gunwale, the top of the boat, sir.
11594. You heard Officer Lowe and saw him fire his revolver several times?
- Yes, sir.
11595. In what direction did he point the revolver?
- In the air, sir.
11596. Did you ask him why he fired?
- No, sir.
11597. Did he tell you why he fired?
- He told people in this boat it was to warn them not to rush our boat when we got alongside.
11598. How many people did you have in your boat, No. 14, with Lowe?
- We had one dead and three alive, that we picked up off the wreckage. This man died on the way from the wreckage, sir.
11599. This man was a large man?
- A very stout man, sir.
11600. Do you know his name?
- No, sir.
11601. Was it Mr. Hoyt?
- I could not say; I do not know his name.
11602. Did you unfasten his collar?
- No, sir; some of the stewards did, sir.
11603. In the end of your boat?
- Yes, sir.
11604. In order that he might breathe?
- Yes, sir; in order that he might breathe.
11605. Were those all the persons in lifeboat No. 14 at that moment?
- Yes, sir; besides the crew.
11606. And of how many did the crew consist?
- I should say about eight or nine, sir.
11607. Then, in your boat at that time was a crew of eight or nine, which included yourself?
- Yes, sir.
11608. Including Officer Lowe?
- Yes, sir
11609. This Mr. Hoyt, whom you picked up out of the water alive, was there?
- He was alive when we got him over the side of the boat, into the boat.
11610. You picked him up out of the water alive?
- Yes, sir.
11611. And two other persons?
- Three others, sir.
11612. Who were these three other persons?
- I did not recognize two of them, sir.
11613. Did you recognize one?
- Yes, sir; the steward, young Stewart.
11614. Were the others stewards?
- I could not say, sir.
11615. Or firemen?
- I could not say, sir.
11616. Or stokers?
- I could not say, sir, which. I did not know them, sir.
11617. You do not know whether they were part of the crew or not?
- No, sir.
11618. How far was this swamped collapsible lifeboat from lifeboat No. 14 when you started to it?
- About a mile and a half, sir.
11619. How near were you to the swamped boat when Lowe fired those shots?
- About 150 yards, sir.
11620. Going toward it?
- Yes, sir; about 150 yards, sir.
11621. Did he say anything at the time he did it?
- No, sir; he just mentioned the fact that they must not rush the boat, as it was liable to capsize her.
11622. Did you hear Lowe fire three shots when he was lowering from the ship's deck to the water in his lifeboat?
- I never seen him, sir, when his boat was being lowered, sir.
11623. Did your lifeboat pick up the lamp trimmer? [Samuel Hemming]
- No, sir.
11624. At the time Lowe fired these shots were there many floating bodies about your boat?
- No, sir; no floating bodies, sir. We had come away from them.
11625. You had come away from them?
- Yes, sir. They were around the wreck.
11626. How many?
- I should think between 150 and 200. We had great difficulty in getting through them to get to the wreck.
11627. The collapsible boat, according to this evidence, was from the Titanic and had been in the water from about 12 o'clock, or half-past 12, that night, until daylight?
- Yes, sir; it was daylight when we seen it, sir.
11628. At daylight this man saw about 20 people standing upon what he supposed to be floating ice, and in company with Officer Lowe, in lifeboat No. 14, went in that direction .When they got within 150 yards of it Officer Lowe fired these shots. They went up to the boat and took therefrom about 25 passengers?
- Between 20 and 25. We left 3 dead ones.
11629. About 25 passengers living, including one woman, and you left 3 dead bodies in the swamped boat. While you were standing beside your boat, which was, I believe, No. 12, on the port side, with Officer Murdoch, you saw him load that lifeboat?
- Yes; sir.
11630. Did I understand you correctly last night when you told me that the lifeboat was about 2 1/2 to 3 feet from the ship's side?
- That was No. 10 lifeboat, sir.
11631. And that women hesitated to get into it at the command of Mr. Murdoch, because they could not reach it safely?
- Yes, sir.
11632. That one woman, in attempting to jump into it, had gone over the side?
- Yes, sir; and her foot caught on the rail, and she was suspended in the air.
11633. And little children were thrown into it?
- Yes, sir.
11634. Were pitched into it?
- Yes. They had them in their arms, chucking them in.
11635. (Senator Bourne.) They were chucked in?
- Yes, sir.
11636. (Senator Smith.) And No.10 was not filled, was it?
- Yes, sir; full to its capacity. [Boat 10 was actually launched with about half it's capacity - 30 to 32 people.]
11637. But you had some difficulty about getting the people to get in in that way?
- Yes, sir.
11638. (Senator Bourne.) Who caught the children as they were thrown into the boat?
- The first child was passed over, sir, and I caught it by the dress. It was dangling. I had to swing it, and a woman caught it. The remainder of the children - there was a fireman there and with the assistance of a young woman they caught the children as they were dropped into the boat. There were none of the children hurt. That was the only accident, with this woman. She seemed a bit nervous. She did not like to jump, at first, and then when she did jump she did not go far enough, and the consequence was she went between the ship and the boat.
11639. She fell into the water?
- No, sir; she did not fall into the water. Her foot caught on the rail on the next deck and she was pulled in by some men underneath. This woman went up again on the boat deck and took another jump and landed safely in the boat.
11640. Do you know who she was?
- No, sir; I do not know her name.
11641. (Senator Fletcher.) Which was the last lifeboat to leave the ship?
- The last lifeboat was No. 10. That was the last boat to leave the ship, sir.
11642. Edward John Buley was on that boat - an able seaman?
- Yes, sir; my mate.
11643. You were both ordered into the boat?
- Yes; by Chief Officer Murdoch.
11644. How many men were in that boat?
- There were me, and Buley, a fireman, a steward, and one foreigner. The reminder was all women and children.
11645. Did you have enough men in to row it, to take care of it?
- Yes, sir.
11646. Were the men all ordered in?
- Yes, sir; they were ordered in by Chief Officer Murdoch.
11647. Which was the next boat to this one to leave the ship?
- I could not tell you, sir. I went away in No. 10, and that was the last boat. That was a big lifeboat.
11648. Did you help to load No. 12 and No. 14?
- Yes, sir. I was on the starboard side, then.
11649. The boat that preceded No. 10 was what number?
- I could not tell you, sir. No. 10 was the last boat, the big boat.
11650. Did you see the Titanic after you rowed away from where she was?
- Yes, sir.
11651. How far did you go away?
- About 200 yards.
11652. How much of the bow was under the water when you left?
- She was about 10 feet from the port bow light, sir.
11653. How far did your boat have to go to get to the water?
- It would be guesswork if I told you.
11654. As near as you can tell.
- I should say about 50 feet. I could not tell. I was paying so much attention -
11655. (Senator Smith.) Could you see the boat well after you pulled away from her?
- You could see her when the lights were clear, and then until she gave the final plunge.
11656. (Senator Fletcher.) Did the boat go to pieces or come in two?
- She parted between the third and fourth funnels.
11657. What makes you say that?
- The foremost part was gone, and it seemed as if the engines were all gone out.
11658. You could see the forepart was all gone and you could see the stern come up horizontally?
- Yes, sir.
11659. After the forepart had disappeared the stern came up and was horizontal with the surface of the water?
- Yes, sir.
11660. And how much of the stern; up to what part of the ship; to the funnels?
- From the after funnel to the ensign mast.
11661. About how much of the ship was afloat then, after the forepart had gone down?
- I should say about 200 feet was afloat; that is, of the stern part.
11662. Could you see that clearly in the outline?
- You could see that in the outline. Then she made a sudden plunge, and the stern went right up.
11663. Then she plunged forward and went right down?
- Plunged forward, perpendicular, sir.
11664. How long was the stern afloat in that horizontal position?
- About four or five minutes, I should judge.
11665. You were too far away to see whether there were any passengers on the stern?
- Yes, sir; I was too far away to see that.
11666. Was there any light in this boat, No. 10?
- No, sir.
11667. No lantern?
- No lantern at all.
11668. Was there any in No. 12, do you know?
- I. could not say about No. 12.
11669. Were there any other supplies in No. 10?
- In No. 10, yes, sir; there was in the tank forward, and the aft one was loaded with biscuits and kegs of water, with a small drinking cup.