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?
