WILLIAM JAMES WHITESIDE,
Superintendent, Marconi wireless station, Father Point,
Sworn.
Examined by Mr. Newcombe:
4457. Are you the officer in charge of the Marconi wireless telegraph station at Father Point?
- Yes.
4458. The last witness is your assistant?
- Yes, one of them.
4459. How many have you there?
- I have three there at present.
4460. Were you on duty on the night of the 29th of May?
- No, I was not on duty in the night.
4461. You were there at the station; you were called?
- I was at the station.
4462. You were called by Mr. Leslie, the last witness?
- Yes, in the morning.
4463. On the morning of the 29th of May?
- Yes.
4464. At what hour, do you know?
- He called me about 1.52 - 1.48.
4465. 1.48, according to the statement I have here. Did you verify the time of the call yourself?
- No, but when I arrived in the instrument room it was 1.50.
4466. And you came down immediately on being called?
- I came down immediately.
4467. Mr. Leslie had reported to you that the Empress was in distress?
- Yes, he shouted out: the Empress is in distress.
4468. What did you do when you came down to the instrument room?
- I took the telephones off Operator Leslie’s head and put them on my own.
4469. That you say would be about 1.50?
- About 1.50.
4470. What communication did you have then with the Empress?
- 1 heard her sending the last of her S.O.S. call.
4471. Did you send any communication to her?
- When she finished the call I asked her what was her present position so that I could send the government steamers to her assistance.
4472. What did he say?
- Twenty miles from Rimouski.
4473. And then what happened?
- I told Operator Leslie to call the captain of the Lady Evelyn.
4474. Before you come to that: about his signals, was there any indication that his machine was out of commission?
- I reported to him: 20 miles from Rimouski, to verify it, and his signals trailed right off and I knew then that his power had gone off.
4475. You had no further communication?
- No further communication.
4476. What did you do at Father Point after that?
- I took it for granted that he would still be standing by on his receiving apparatus, which I expect would be all right, so I told him: I am sending the Lady Evelyn and the Eureka to your assistance.
4477. You sent out some further calls about 1.58?
- Yes, I made the call: C.Q., that is a general call which all ships that hear it must answer. I called the Hanover, who I reckon would be about that place at the time. She was coming into Montreal and she was 90 miles off at 9.50 the previous evening.
4478. But you got no answer?
- Got no answer.
4479. In the meantime what did you do about the Lady Evelyn and the Eureka?
- I told Operator Leslie to call up the captain of the Lady Evelyn on the telephone.
4480. The Lady Evelyn was lying there at Father Point, was she?
- No, she was lying at Rimouski wharf.
4481. Did you speak to him?
- Immediately he got Captain Pouliot of the Lady Evelyn I spoke to him and said: The Empress is sinking. I said: I cannot tell you whether she is east or west of Father Point, as she did not report abeam, but that immediately the Eureka returned to the wharf, she would know which direction she was in. He said: It is all right, as I will have to get steam up, so I won’t be able to go off for a few minutes. Then I telephoned the Eureka. At the time I was telephoning the Evelyn the Eureka was right outside the station taking a pilot off some boat. Immediately she tied up at the wharf I telephoned her - it was about two o’clock - and I said: The Empress is sinking; go to her assistance; rush. The Captain replied that the Empress had passed her and that he was going right away; I could hear him shouting out then on the telephone before he put it on the receiver: Cut those ropes; let us get away quick; the Empress is sinking. Then I called up the Lady Evelyn and told him that she was east of Father Point, and to rush.
4482. You also saw the Eureka going out, didn’t you?
- Yes, she left the wharf immediately, at about two o’clock.
4483. Did you see the Lady Evelyn pass?
- Yes, she passed about 2.48.
4484. Going down?
- Going down.
4485. You sent a message about land lines to Mr. McWilliams?
- Yes, I sent Leslie. Immediately he got the Captain of the Lady Evelyn, I sent him over to tell Mr. McWilliams, the G.N.W. agent, to fix the land line.
4486. Was that done?
- That was done immediately.
Witness discharged.