ADELARD BERNIER,
licensed St. Lawrence pilot below Quebec,
Sworn.
By Mr. Meredith:
3297. Mr. Bernier, you are a licensed pilot below Quebec?
- Yes.
3298. For how many years have you been in the habit of piloting the Empress of Ireland?
- Seven years.
3299. And you pilot her in the narrow waters that exist between Quebec and Father Point?
- Yes, sir.
3300. After that, of course the river broadens out to about 25 miles?
- Yes, not 25 miles, but below the Traverse eight or nine miles.
3301. But below Father Point it broadens out to about twenty-five miles?
- Oh, yes.
3302. Now in the narrow waters that you have piloted that boat in have you found her a good steering ship?
- Well, sometimes we have slowed down to half speed.
3303. Yes?
- Yes, and she was steering all right then at half speed.
3304. Would you call her a good steering ship, as compared with other ships?
- Yes, of course she was like other ships, when they were given too much wheel, and not easing it in time, she was taking a sheer.
3305. That is common with other ships?
- Yes, certainly. It depends a lot on the man at the wheel; she wants to be watched very closely.
3306. You saw this man Galway in the witness box?
- Yes.
3307. You saw this man Galway in the witness box?
- Yes.
[Question 3306-7 is as was in original.]
3308. Just a few minutes ago?
- Yes.
3309. Would you rather give your evidence in French, Pilot?
- No, it’s all right.
3310. Did he ever make any complaint to you at all?
- Not at all.
3311. About the steering of the ship or her wheel?
- No, not at all, sir.
By Mr. Haight:
3312. You stated, Mr. Bernier, that sometimes you have to slow the Empress down?
- Yes, on account of the water . . . . to let the water rise or off shoal water.
3313. If you don’t slow her down what does she do?
- In a narrow channel, at 500 feet, I wouldn’t dare to pass her at full speed.
3314. For fear she might sheer into one shore or the other?
- Yes, certainly.
3315. Now if the man at the wheel does give her a little too much helm one way or the other, do you have to put the wheel hard over to counteract the sheer?
- Yes, sometimes, because it often happens when they don’t watch her closely enough, sometimes they give the wheel, and don’t ease it in time, and of course the ship inclines either one way or the other.
3316. How much time were you on the bridge, Pilot, from Quebec to Father Point?
Witness:
How much?
3317. Yes, how much time were you on the bridge?
- All the time. I had my lunch in the wheel-house.
By Sir Adolphe Routhier:
3318. Was the Captain there?
- Well, not always, not all the time. His room is on the same deck.
By Lord Mersey:
3319. His room is on the same level with the bridge?
- Yes, he can see through his port forward.
By Mr. Haight:
3320. Between ten and twelve o’clock on the night of the disaster do you remember how much time you were out on the bridge?
The Witness:
That I was out?
3321. Yes, do you remember how much time you were out on the bridge?
- I was on the bridge all the time from the time we left the wharf until she was down there.
3322. Yes, Mr. Bernier, but I understand you call it being on the bridge when you are in the Captain’s house after the wheel that is also the bridge according to you?
- That is on the same level as the bridge.
3323. I want to know how much time between ten and twelve were you out in the open air, on the open bridge, forward of the wheel?
- Well, I was there, walking there, all the time.
3324. All the time from ten to twelve?
- All the time from the time we left the wharf until the ship was down there.
3325. Specifically, between ten and twelve, you were not in the Captain’s room at all?
- Oh no, I have never been there in the Captain’s room. That was not my duty. My duty was to stand by the man at the wheel.
By Lord Mersey:
3326. The question is, did Galway complain to you about the steering gear?
- No, my Lord, he did not, and if the thing did happen I would have known it right away, because I always watch the tell-tale, to see how the wheel is working.
Q. And he never complained to you?
- Not at all, my Lord.
By Mr. Haight:
3327. Did the Second Officer or did anybody tell you that the steering gear had jammed?
- No sir, not at all. And she never jammed either, because if she had jammed for three minutes, as Galway said, we would have known it.
3328. Do you remember the steamship Alden - have you ever seen her?
- Yes.
3329. She is plying up and down the St. Lawrence for the Dominion Coal Company?
- Yes, I met her anywhere between White Island lightship and White Island.
3330. About what hour was that?
- I have a chart here, and I can show you just where it was.
3331. No, about what hour?
- Oh, about quarter to ten or ten o’clock. We passed Cape Salmon at a quarter past nine, and it was about ten minutes to ten or ten o’clock or something like that that we passed the Alden.
3332. Did you have any occasion to order your wheel put hard over either one way or another to get by her?
- No, I had no trouble to meet her either.
3333. Do you stand where you can see the compass?
- No, the compass is on top.
3334. But you could tell?
- Certainly by the swinging of the ship.
3335. Or by the land?
- Certainly, yes.
3336. And from the time you saw the Alden until you got by her. . .
- It took pretty near half an hour. I saw where she was going to cross between Red Island and White Island.
3337. Well from the time the Alden was three miles distant, up to the time you passed her, was your vessel going steadily on an even course?
- Yes, she was steering fine at the time. I suppose she might have sheered a degree or two each side.
3338. Was that a straight reach in the river there?
- Yes.
3339. In your judgment is it possible that she was sheering enough to shut either light to a man in the position of the Aldens bridge?
- I was showing my green light to the Alden.
3340. All the time?
- Yes, until I was far enough down to port my helm to get clear of him. I didn’t port before, because I was too close to White Island reef.
3341. You passed on which side?
- Port side, red to red.
3342. And how far off were you when you ported and crossed her course to show your red light?
- She was about half a mile ahead of me. I ported half a point, and we passed about a quarter of a mile of each other.
Lord Mersey:
What ship are you talking about now, Mr. Haight?
Mr. Haight:
The steamship Alden, my Lord.
Lord Mersey:
Don’t you think we have quite enough to do to deal with this collision?
Mr. Haight:
I have all the witnesses of the Alden, and I shall shortly have the pilot of the Alden, and they will testify that as they went by the Empress that night they thought they were going to be run down.
The Witness:
Oh I have a chart here and I can show you where they were.
Lord Mersey:
I don’t know whether we are going to try another case, not exactly another collision case, but another case where there was nearly a collision. If you think it does your case any good go on by all means.
Mr. Haight:
Thank you, my Lord.
3313. Do you always take the Empress down? the Empresses?
- Yes, up and down.