MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: How did you happen to catch this communication from the Titanic? MR. COTTAM: I was looking out for the Parisian, to confirm a previous communication with the Parisian. SENATOR SMITH: You had been in communication with the Parisian that day? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: At what time? MR. COTTAM: I can not say. At some time in the afternoon, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Not a distress signal? MR. COTTAM: Oh, no, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Some commercial or business communication? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: How far was the Parisian from you? MR. COTTAM: I do not know, sir. SENATOR SMITH: You have no means of knowing? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Her position was not stated? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: You had been in communication with the Parisian that afternoon? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: And this Sunday evening you were looking out for further communication from that boat? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Well, how did you happen to be at your instrument? MR. COTTAM: I say, I was confirming or attempting to confirm a previous communication with the Parisian ­ I was not sure of her communication. SENATOR SMITH: Did you hear the captain of the Carpathia today? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: He said you were about to retire. MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: And caught this message rather providentially? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: How far had you gotten along in your arrangements to retire? MR. COTTAM: Well, I was about to retire. SENATOR SMITH: Had you disrobed ­ taken off your clothes? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Had you taken off your shoes? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Had you taken off any of your clothing? MR. COTTAM: I had my coat off. SENATOR SMITH: When you took your coat off, did you have any instruments attached on your head? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: What? MR. COTTAM: Telephones. SENATOR SMITH: How did you happen to leave that on? MR. COTTAM: I was waiting for the Parisian. SENATOR SMITH: How long would you have waited; just long enough to undress? MR. COTTAM: I would have waited a couple of minutes. I had just called the Parisian and was waiting for a reply, if there was one. SENATOR SMITH: And you had just called her? MR. COTTAM: Yes. SENATOR SMITH: And did not know whether she had gotten it or not? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: And you were waiting for an acknowledgement? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: So you kept this telephone on your ears, on your head? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: On your head? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: With the hope that before you got into bed you might have your message confirmed? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Was that what you had in mind? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: What did you hear at that time? MR. COTTAM: I heard nothing, sir. SENATOR SMITH: How soon? You heard something pretty quick, did you not? MR. COTTAM: No, sir; I went back on to Cape Cod again. SENATOR SMITH: And still left the apparatus on? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Did you send a message to Cape Cod? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Did Cape Cod send a message to you? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Then, as a matter of fact, you did not get back to Cape Cod? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: How? MR. COTTAM: They were sending it for the trans­Atlantic two­man ships. They were sending the news to the senior ships. SENATOR SMITH: Where? MR. COTTAM: These ships that contribute to the Marconi press. SENATOR SMITH: An intermediate communication, intermediate station? MR. COTTAM: No, sir; Cape Cod, which is the Atlantic station. SENATOR SMITH: You got into communication? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: With one of the Marconi stations? MR. COTTAM: I did not establish it. I was receiving the press communications from Cape Cod. SENATOR SMITH: While you were undressing there? MR. COTTAM: I was not undressing. SENATOR SMITH: After you had taken off your coat? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: And then did you sit down to your instrument? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: And received this message? MR. COTTAM: I received about four. SENATOR SMITH: In how many minutes? MR. COTTAM: About seven or eight minutes. SENATOR SMITH: You received four in seven or eight minutes? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Did that include anything from the Parisian? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Simply this Cape Cod relay service? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir; sending messages for the Titanic. I was taking the messages down with the hope of retransmitting them the following morning. SENATOR SMITH: Let us understand that a little. When did you first know anything about the Titanic? MR. COTTAM: I had had communication with her late in the afternoon, half past 5 or 6. SENATOR SMITH: A stray communication or one addressed to the Carpathia? MR. COTTAM: One addressed to the Carpathia. SENATOR SMITH: What did it say? MR. COTTAM: It was a message for one of our passengers aboard. SENATOR SMITH: For whom? MR. COTTAM: Mrs. Marshal. SENATOR SMITH: A commercial message, an official message? MR. COTTAM: A commercial message. SENATOR SMITH: So that was the only message you received from the Titanic in the afternoon. Was the message answered? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Do you know anything about how far you were from her at that time? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Have you no means of knowing? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: After you got through with this regular business, then what did you do? MR. COTTAM: I called the Titanic. SENATOR SMITH: You called the Titanic yourself? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Who told you to do it? MR. COTTAM: I did it of my own free will. SENATOR SMITH: You did it of your own accord? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: What did you say? MR. COTTAM: I asked him if he was aware that Cape Cod was sending a batch of messages for him. SENATOR SMITH: And did they reply? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: And what did they say? MR. COTTAM: "Come at once." SENATOR SMITH: Did you gather from that they had received your communication? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: And this was the reply? MR. COTTAM: He said, "Come at once. It is a distress message; C.Q.D." SENATOR SMITH: Only the three words were used? MR. COTTAM: No, sir; all the lot. The whole message was for me. SENATOR SMITH: When you received that message, what did you do? MR. COTTAM: I confirmed it by asking him if I was to report it to the captain? SENATOR SMITH: Before you reported it to the captain you asked him if you were to report it to the captain? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Did you get an answer? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: What did it say? MR. COTTAM: It said, "Yes." SENATOR SMITH: How did you happen to confirm it? MR. COTTAM: By asking him if­­ SENATOR SMITH: (interrupting). I know, but what prompted you to confirm it before you delivered it to the captain? MR. COTTAM: Because it is always wise to confirm a message of that description. SENATOR SMITH: Do you always do it? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Are you instructed to do it? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Or is that a matter of discretion? MR. COTTAM: It is a matter of discretion. SENATOR SMITH: Had you been misled by messages that were without foundation that prompted you to confirm that message? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: What would you have done if you had not received any confirmation? MR. COTTAM: I should have reported the communication. SENATOR SMITH: You would have reported to the captain? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: How much time elapsed between the time when you received that distress call and the time you communicated it to the captain? MR. COTTAM: A matter of a couple of minutes. SENATOR SMITH: Only a couple of minutes? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Did you send any messages after that to the Titanic? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: For whom? MR. COTTAM: For the Titanic? SENATOR SMITH: At the instance of the captain? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: What messages? MR. COTTAM: Our position. SENATOR SMITH: What did you say? MR. COTTAM: I simply sent him our position. SENATOR SMITH: Can you state it to the reporter? MR. COTTAM: I can not remember what the position was now. SENATOR SMITH: You can not remember it? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: But you gave the position of your ship, its longitude; is that the idea? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: And you did that at the suggestion of the captain? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Did he write out a formal message for you? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: He told you? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: And you sent it? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir; he wrote the position out on a little slip of paper. SENATOR SMITH: And you sent that? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Did you get any reply to that? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: How long afterwards? MR. COTTAM: Immediately, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Signed by anyone? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: What did it say? MR. COTTAM: It simply gave me "Received." SENATOR SMITH: Is that all? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Signed by the operator or signed by anybody? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: When did you next hear from the Titanic, or communicate with her? MR. COTTAM: About four minutes afterwards. SENATOR SMITH: Did you communicate with her, or she with you? MR. COTTAM: We communicated with each other. SENATOR SMITH: Who sent the first message? MR. COTTAM: I did. SENATOR SMITH: Four minutes after this last message giving your position? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: You sent another? MR. COTTAM: Yes. SENATOR SMITH: What did you say in that? MR. COTTAM: Confirmed both positions, that of the Titanic and ours. SENATOR SMITH: Did you get anything back from that? MR. COTTAM: No, sir; only an acknowledgement. SENATOR SMITH: What did it say? MR. COTTAM: "All right." SENATOR SMITH: When did you next communicate or receive a communication? MR. COTTAM: A few minutes afterwards. SENATOR SMITH: How many minutes? MR. COTTAM: I could not say, sir, because there was another ship calling the Titanic. SENATOR SMITH: How do you know? MR. COTTAM: Because I heard her. SENATOR SMITH: What did you hear? MR. COTTAM: I heard him calling the Titanic. SENATOR SMITH: I understand, but what was said? MR. COTTAM: There was nothing but the call, sir. SENATOR SMITH: A distress call? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Do you know what boat it was? MR. COTTAM: The Frankfurt. SENATOR SMITH: A North German Lloyd boat? MR. COTTAM: I do not know whether it is the North German Lloyd. It is some German line; I do not know which one. SENATOR SMITH: You heard this call? MR. COTTAM: Yes. SENATOR SMITH: The German boat was calling the Titanic? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: And did that disarrange your signals? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: But after that call was finished, then what did you get, if anything? MR. COTTAM: I heard the Olympic calling the Titanic. SENATOR SMITH: Did you hear the Titanic calling the Olympic? MR. COTTAM: No, sir; not at first. SENATOR SMITH: But you heard the Olympic calling the Titanic? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: What did the Olympic say? MR. COTTAM: He was calling him and offering a service message. SENATOR SMITH: Offering their service? MR. COTTAM: Offering a service message. SENATOR SMITH: Offering a service message? MR. COTTAM: Yes. SENATOR SMITH: Then what followed? MR. COTTAM: Nothing, for about half a minute. Everything was quiet. SENATOR SMITH: Nothing for about half a minute? MR. COTTAM: Yes. SENATOR SMITH: By this time you were quite alert to the situation, were you? MR. COTTAM: Yes. SENATOR SMITH: And giving your undivided attention to your instrument? MR. COTTAM: Yes. SENATOR SMITH: Is that right? MR. COTTAM: Yes. SENATOR SMITH: After this minute, then what? MR. COTTAM: I asked the Titanic if he was aware the Olympic was calling him, sir. SENATOR SMITH: What was the reply? MR. COTTAM: He said he was not. SENATOR SMITH: He was not aware of it? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Then what followed? MR. COTTAM: He told me he could not read him because of the rush of air and the escape of steam. SENATOR SMITH: That he could not read him? MR. COTTAM: That he could not read him; yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Could not read what? MR. COTTAM: The Olympic. SENATOR SMITH: That he could not read the message from the Olympic because of the rush of air? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: And the escape of steam? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: What was the next thing you heard? MR. COTTAM: Then the Titanic called the Olympic. SENATOR SMITH: Was there anything urgent about that or anything related to the Titanic? MR. COTTAM: No, sir. SENATOR SMITH: What did you do then? MR. COTTAM: I told the Titanic to call the Baltic. SENATOR SMITH: What followed? MR. COTTAM: The communication was apparently unsatisfactory. SENATOR SMITH: It was apparently unsatisfactory? MR. COTTAM: Yes. SENATOR SMITH: Well, go right ahead now and tell us just what occurred as long as you were aboard that ship doing work to the time of the rescue of the people. MR. COTTAM: I was in communication at regular intervals the whole of the time until the last communication I gained with the Titanic. SENATOR SMITH: You heard that? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: What was said in that message? MR. COTTAM: He told him to come at once; that he was head down. And he sent his position. SENATOR SMITH: And do you know whether he got any reply to that message? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: And what was it? MR. COTTAM: "Received.' He told him the message was received. SENATOR SMITH: Is that all? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: When did you hear anything again? What happened next? MR. COTTAM: I heard the Baltic calling Cape Race. SENATOR SMITH: You were in regular communication? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: With the Titanic? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir. SENATOR SMITH: Until the last communication was heard? MR. COTTAM: Yes, sir; until the last communication was heard. SENATOR SMITH: What was the last one? MR. COTTAM: The last one was, "Come quick; our engine room is filling up to the boilers." SENATOR SMITH: That was the last communication you received?