ALEXANDER RADLEY,
boatswain’s mate, Empress of Ireland,
Sworn.
By Mr. Newcombe:
6371. I think you were the boatswain’s mate?
- Yes, sir.
By Mr. Haight:
6372. Where were you when the collision occurred, Mr. Radley?
- On the forward well deck, the upper steerage deck.
6373. How long had you been on the forward well deck?
- Since twelve - around the ship, not on that deck.
6374. How long had you been on that deck?
- On that deck?
6375. Yes, on that deck.
- On that particular deck, maybe a quarter of an hour or so.
6376. Were you up on that deck when the fog first shut in?
- No. I was not when it first shut in.
6377. Where were you when the fog first shut in?
- I would be on one of the promenade decks getting the pilot gear ready.
6378. Did you hear the Empress blow fog signals?
- Before arriving at Father Point - just one.
6379. Did you hear the Empress blow any whistle before the collision?
- Yes.
6380. After leaving Father Point?
- After leaving Father Point, yes.
6381. What was the first signal that you heard blown on your fog signal?
- The first that took my attention was three short blasts. I never take much notice of an ordinary fog signal.
By Lord Mersey:
Q. I did not hear you.
- The first whistle I took particular notice of was three short blasts. I do not take much notice of the ordinary fog signals when I am working about the deck.
By Mr. Haight:
6382. Do you now remember that you did hear some whistles blown by the Empress before you heard the signal of three blasts?
- I did, yes.
6383. Is it not true that the first signal you heard from the Empress was one long blast?
- Very likely.
6384. Mr. Holden has been good enough to submit to me a statement you made to him in the first instance. Is it not true that you first stated to him that the first signal you heard from the Empress was a signal of one blast?
- Yes.
6385. This statement was made to him shortly after the accident?
- Yes, very soon after.
6386. What was the first light that you saw from the Storstad?
- Her masthead lights.
6387. Did you see any of her coloured lights?
- I saw both of them.
6388. Which coloured light did you see first?
- I could not say which. I think I noticed the red one first because I knew when I saw the red light that she was making right for us.
6389. You say you saw the red light first?
- I do not say I saw it first but it took my attention more -
6390. Then the thing that caught your eye was the red light as far as coloured lights are concerned?
- Yes.
By Mr. Aspinall:
6391. You spoke about hearing some fog signals just before reaching Father Point?
- Yes.
6392. Had you got there?
- No.
6393. What really attracted your attention was the three short blasts?
- Three short blasts.
6394. Is that the character of blast that would attract the attention of a sailor?
- Yes.
6395. Did you hear any other blasts from the Empress?
- I heard two long blasts.
6396. What is the signification of the blasts that you are referring to?
- Two long blasts would indicate they were stopped.
6397. You know the blasts; you have been at sea long enough to know?
- Yes, I know - 25 years.
Lord Mersey:
Can you tell me how it is that this evidence is not called till so late in the case? It seems to me to be important. How is it that this statement comes at the last moment?
Mr. Newcombe:
Your Lordship will remember that when my learned friends were producing their testimony we asked for a statement of the members of the middle watch and my learned friend, Mr. Beatty, furnished me with a statement and I suggested that it might be desirable to examine the members of that watch who had not been already called. Your Lordship asked me what these people would say and I was unable to furnish the information because I have no instructions in regard to the testimony that is to be offered by members of the crew on either ship. It was ascertained in the conversation which took place then that my learned friends representing the C.P.R. had, as one would naturally suppose, taken statements from all the survivors of their crew including, of course, especially, the members of the middle watch. I understood your Lordship to intimate that it would not be desirable to call them unless something appeared from these statements indicating a reason why they should be called and to suggest that these statements, taken by my learned friends of the C.P.R. should be gone over by my learned friends of the Storstad so that it might be determined whether it would be desirable to call any of these witnesses. The result is that I have been requested to call Mr. Radley, the boatswain’s mate, who is the only witness that it is desired to call.
Lord Mersey:
This witness, at some time or another shortly after the disaster, made the statement to some one that the first whistle that he heard from the Empress was a long blast. That seems to me to be imporant.
Mr. Newcombe:
It is important.
Lord Mersey:
And I must say that I should think that it would have occurred to the persons connected with preparing the case that it was important and I cannot understand why this witness was not called at an earlier stage of the case.
Mr. Newcombe:
Your Lordship speaks of the persons preparing the case. I do not know whether I properly apprehend my duties here.
Lord Mersey:
Perhaps I should ask Mr. Aspinall that question. Mr. Aspinall, can you tell me why this evidence was not called sooner? You know the importance that we attach to this evidence is that this witness appears to have said shortly after the accident that he heard a long blast blown from the Empress?
Mr. Aspinall:
Yes, my Lord.
Lord Mersey:
I understand that Captain Kendall says there was no such blast blown and it is important to ascertain whether there was such a blast blown or not. Some one, it seems to me, ought to have called this witness earlier.
Mr. Aspinall:
Whether this long blast, when he was not paying particular attention, was blown when the ship was in the neighborhood of Father Point or after she left Father Point and just shortly before she ran into the fog, personally I know not.
Lord Mersey:
What length of time elapsed between the time of leaving Father Point and the collision?
Mr. Aspinall:
35 minutes.
Lord Mersey:
I understood him to say that he heard this long blast about ten minutes before the collision.
The Witness:
I did not say that; I could not say it.
By Lord Mersey:
6398. How long before the collision was it that you heard this long blast?
- I could not say.
6399. If you don’t know, don’t tell me. I don’t want you to invent an answer, but if you do know tell me.
- I could not tell you at all, sir. I only remember particularly the three long blasts.
6400. You probably mean three short blasts?
- Three short blasts, I mean.
6401. Why did you call them three long blasts?
- We were just speaking about a long blast.
6402. Now we are speaking about three short blasts?
- Yes, sir.
Witness retired.