By Lord Mersey:
3560. How soon after The S.O.S. signal went out did the tugs turn up? Do you know (addressing Edward Bamford, the junior assistant who had entered the witness box)? How soon after the S.O.S. signal did the two tugs, the Lady Evelyn, and the other one turn up?
- The Eureka turned up first about twenty minutes or half an hour after, and the other three-quarters of an hour.
3561. About half an hour after you signalled S.O.S.?
- About that as near as I can recollect.
EDWARD BAMFORD,
assistant Marconi operator, Empress of Ireland,
Sworn.
Examined by Mr. Haight:
3562. Did you, Mr. Bamford, hear whistles blown by the Storstad before the collision?
- Yes, I heard one long blast.
3563. You only heard it once?
- Once only.
3564. Were you looking out from your window towards the starboard side when the Storstad came into view?
- Yes, starboard side.
3565. What did you see when first she came out of the fog?
- I saw the masthead light only.
3566. And was that on your left hand or right hand?
- It was on my right hand, drifting past, going aft.
3567. And was that before or after the contact?
- After the contact.
3568. Did you see her before the contact?
- No.
3569. I understood Mr. Ferguson to say you called out: Here she is now?
- Yes, that was after she had struck.
3570. The contact was forward of where you were?
- Yes.
3571. The first you saw was the light as she came by going astern, drifting aft towards your stern?
- Previous to that I had been out on the boat deck between two of the boats, and had seen the Storstad with her head in our side.
3572. When you went out on the boat deck and looked at her was that immediately after the jar of the collision?
- Yes.
3573. It was after?
- Immediately after. I walked straight out.
3574. And how far forward from where you stood was the Storstad then?
- Quite a little distance, I did not measure it.
3575. A hundred feet or something like that?
- Not quite so far as that. I thought she was in the region of the fore funnel at the time.
3576. She was then at right angles to you or angling towards the bow or the stern, or could you not tell?
- I should say she was a point or two astern towards our bow then, not very far.
3577. That is the more acute angle was between her starboard side, and your starboard bow from the stem down?
- Let me see.
By Lord Mersey:
3578. Do you understand that?
- Not thoroughly, I don’t.
3579. Well then, don’t answer it. When you do understand it then try to answer it.
By Mr. Haight:
3580. The boats were in this position. They were not at right angles quite. Was the stern of the Storstad nearer your stern or nearer your bow?
- Slightly nearer the bow.
3581. Did you notice any change in the position of the Storstad as she came by you?
- No, I immediately returned to my cabin.
3582. Did you get on your clothes?
- No, I had my clothes on.
By Lord Mersey:
3583. Did you put them off?
- No, not at all.
3584. That is what you should have done?
- I never thought it was necessary.
By Mr. Haight:
3585. Did you see the lights of the Storstad come by you after you came back in your room?
- I saw her masthead light go by as I looked out of my porthole and that is when I called to Mr. Ferguson.
3586. Did you see the smash?
- No, I saw nothing but the masthead light.
3587. When you did get out on deck had she gone off in the fog?
- I never saw her again after that till we got into the boats.
Lord Mersey:
You two young gentlemen did great credit to the service you are in.
By Lord Mersey:
3589. Will you tell me this. You saw the Storstad on the starboard side as you were looking out?
- Yes.
3590. She was then, as I understand it, to your right hand?
- When she had her head in our side she was on my left hand.
3591. Did you see her when she had her head in your side?
- Yes.
3592. Did you see her back out?
- No, I went immediately back to my cabin.
3593. But you afterwards saw her again?
- I was looking through the porthole.
3594. And you saw her passing, as I understand it, to the stern of your ship?
- Yes.
3595. Now I want to know about that. Could you tell me whether as she dragged along to the stern of your ship her stem was in contact with your hull?
- I should not think so, I did not feel any grating or grinding at all.
3596. You did not feel any grinding or grating?
- No.
3597. Was that your impression that the only grating was the grating caused by the actual collision?
- So far as I know, sir.
3598. What I want to get at, and what I want to know if I can is this, was the side of your ship torn after it was breached by the collision?
- That I cannot tell.
3599. You don’t know?
- No.
3600. Have you any opinion - but perhaps your opinion is not worth anything then?
- Possibly not.
3601. I won’t ask you.
- I was not on the edge of the boat deck, I was some little distance in.
By Mr. Haight:
3602. Did you hear whistles blown by the Empress?
- I was conscious of hearing several whistles, but I cannot say what they were.
3603. Were you conscious of feeling the reverse movement of your engines?
- I noticed the vibration a great deal.
3604. Was she vibrating a great deal when you felt the jar of the collision?
- No, she had ceased.
3605. How long before?
- A very short period before.
3606. A few seconds?
- I should think so.
(Witness discharged.)