SENATOR NEWLANDS: You rowed some distance from the Titanic did you?
MR. WHEELTON: I should imagine about 300 yards, sir. That is a rough estimate.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did your boat make any effort to go back?
MR. WHEELTON: No, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Was your boat fully loaded?
MR. WHEELTON: Yes, sir. I thought so, sir; because it was rather difficult in rowing. I kept catching the people with my oar.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How about waking up the passengers; whose duty is it to do that when an accident of that kind occurs?
MR. WHEELTON: The bedroom stewards.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were you a bedroom steward?
MR. WHEELTON: No, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Do you know whether they did wake them up?
MR. WHEELTON: I believe so, sir; I could not say.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Do you know how many of the crew were saved?
MR. WHEELTON: I have read in the papers, sir. There were 210, all told.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: What proportion of those were women?
MR. WHEELTON: I think there were about 15.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How many women were there in the crew?
MR. WHEELTON: I could not tell you. There were stewardesses and Turkish­bath attendants.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Do you know the number?
MR. WHEELTON: No, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did they number 50, do you think?
MR. WHEELTON: I could not say. No; I do not suppose they would.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Out of a total of 750 who were saved, there were 210 who belonged to the crew. How do you account for the fact that so large a proportion of the people saved belonged to the crew?
MR. WHEELTON: I would think, myself, the men who took a chance and jumped overboard and swam for it and were picked up by the boats. We had very powerful swimmers aboard the ship. Some of the best men I ever saw in the water were on that ship, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: But you saw no men who were saved in that way?
MR. WHEELTON: Not in our boat, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did you see them being taken into any other boat?
MR. WHEELTON: No; it was too dark. I could not see, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did you see anything of either of the rafts or collapsible boats?
MR. WHEELTON: No, sir. We did not sight another boat until daybreak next morning. We saw the lights, but we did not get near enough to them.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did you see anything of Mr. Clarence Moore or Maj. Butt?
MR. WHEELTON: No, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did you know them?
MR. WHEELTON: I did not, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did you know Mr. Frank Millet?
MR. WHEELTON: I did not, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Have you given your address?
MR. WHEELTON: Norwood House, Belmore Road, Shirley, Southampton, England.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How about the steerage passengers; did any of them come up on the upper deck?
MR. WHEELTON: Oh, yes; the could come up just as I did. When I went to get the bottle of biscuits, I had to go right down to their quarters for it. The storeroom lies below their quarters. There was nothing to prevent me from going down to the storeroom.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Out of the 210 of the crew who were saved, only 15 were women?
MR. WHEELTON: I think about that number. I could not say.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Is there any particular point that you would like to speak of, or anything in regard to the collision that you know that you think you ought to tell?
MR. WHEELTON: I would like to say something about the bravery exhibited by the first officer, Mr. Murdock. He was perfectly cool and very calm.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: And he was lost?
MR. WHEELTON: Yes, sir; he was lost.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: You were on the starboard side, were you?
MR. WHEELTON: Yes.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How many boats were on that side?
MR. WHEELTON: I could not say just how many there were.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How many had been lowered before you took No. 11?
MR. WHEELTON: I believe the emergency boat had gone; No. 3 had gone; No. 5 was going as I went to the storeroom; NO. 7 had gone; No. 9 had gone, and No. 11 ­ that was my boat.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: That would make six boats?
MR. WHEELTON: Yes, sir.
Witness excused.
TESTIMONY OF W. H. TAYLOR.
[Testimony taken separately before Senator Newlands on behalf of the subcommittee.]
The witness was sworn by Senator Newlands.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: State your age and residence.
MR. TAYLOR: Twenty­eight years old. No. 2 Broad Street, Kingland, Southampton.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: What is your occupation?
MR. TAYLOR: Fireman, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: You were on the Titanic?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Tell your story, from the time you shipped until you got on the Carpathia.
MR. TAYLOR: I was asleep when the accident occurred, sir. The alarm bell for accidents rang outside of our door. I went up on deck, and could not see anything. I went down in our room again. I stayed in the room about 10 minutes, and somebody reported that there was water in No. 1 hatch. Then we packed our bags, took them in the mess room, in the alleyway, to wait for orders. The officer was coming along the alleyway, and ordered us to put on life belts. The life belts were on the deck, on the boat deck. They shoved out No. 15 boat and I was ordered into it. The boat was pretty full. We pulled a distance away from the Titanic, because we were afraid of the suction, and we kept on pulling toward the light, with the other rowboats. About half past 7 the next morning we boarded the Carpathia.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: You got in boat No. 15?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did you help load any of the other boats?
MR. TAYLOR: No, sir. There was too much of a crowd on. There was a crowd around them at the time. This boat was the only boat that was in the blocks when I went on the deck.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were you one of the men charged with the duty of appearing when the lifeboats were ordered?
MR. TAYLOR: Not at that time, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did you belong to the lifeboat drill?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Had you ever drilled on that steamer with the lifeboat drill?
MR. TAYLOR: No, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How often was it customary to have such a drill?
MR. TAYLOR: The custom is to have on one Sunday morning in New York.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How about Southampton?
MR. TAYLOR: The firemen never see a boat in Southampton.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Take the ordinary fireman. How often would he engage in boat drill?
MR. TAYLOR: Once a trip, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were you a good oarsman?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Had you been previously assigned to boat No. 15?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: That was your place?
MR. TAYLOR: That was my place.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How many of the crew got in lifeboat No. 15?
MR. TAYLOR: I could not tell you that, sir. I know there were six ordered to get into the boat. If there were any more, I could not say.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How many passengers were in the boat?
MR. TAYLOR: I never counted them. I never heard them counted.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Was the boat full?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How many would it carry?
MR. TAYLOR: I suppose it would average about 40 to 45 in the boat.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Would not the boat carry more than that?
MR. TAYLOR: I suspect they would carry more if they were put in.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Why did you not put in more?
MR. TAYLOR: Because the officer ordered the boat to be lowered.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did your boat stop to take passengers from any other decks?
MR. TAYLOR: Only one deck to be filled up.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: You filled up on what deck?
MR. TAYLOR: On the upper deck, or deck A; on the promenade deck.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Is that the boat deck?
MR. TAYLOR: No; the next deck.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: You loaded there?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Where were you when the boat was first lowered?
MR. TAYLOR: I was in the boat when the boat was lowered.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did you get into the boat from the boat deck?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Then, did the other members of the crew get on there?
MR. TAYLOR: At the boat deck.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: And then it was lowered down to deck A?
MR. TAYLOR: That is correct, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Then the passengers got on?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Who was directing the passengers there?
MR. TAYLOR: A lot of stewards were around directing the passengers, and there was an officer up on the boat deck then, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: But he could not see these people down on deck A, could he?
MR. TAYLOR: He was looking over to see who was getting into the boats?
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did you see Mr. Ismay during that time?
MR. TAYLOR: No.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did you know Mr. Ismay at that time?
MR. TAYLOR: No.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: What officer was in charge on that side?
MR. TAYLOR: I could not tell you what officer was in charge on that side.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Who was in command of your boat?
MR. TAYLOR: A fireman.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: What was his name?
MR. TAYLOR: Dimel.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How many women were in your boat?
MR. TAYLOR: Quite a number; there were mostly women and children in our boat.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were there any male passengers in the boat?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Do you remember how many?
MR. TAYLOR: No.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: They got on at deck A?
MR. TAYLOR: After the women and children were in.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were there any other women and children on deck A when you left there, at the time?
MR. TAYLOR: I never saw any.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Would you have seen them if they had been there?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes, if they had been there.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Do you remember who the passengers were?
MR. TAYLOR: No. They were third­class passengers. That is all I know.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were there any stewardesses?
MR. TAYLOR: No.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: There were about 750 saved in all, including the crew, were there not?
MR. TAYLOR: I could not tell you how many were saved.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Do you know how many of the crew were saved?
MR. TAYLOR: I do not know how many of the crew were saved, but I know there were 73 firemen saved.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How many; firemen were there in all?
MR. TAYLOR: There were 84 firemen on each watch, including trimmers and all­­
SENATOR NEWLANDS: And how many watches were there?
MR. TAYLOR: Three watches.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: That would be 252 firemen in all?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes; that is, not counting greasers. I do not know how many greasers there are in the engine room.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: You say 73 firemen were saved?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How do you account for the fact that so many of them were saved?
MR. TAYLOR: I could not tell you, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were many of them put into the boats?
MR. TAYLOR: Not that I know of.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were any of them picked up in the water by the boats?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes; there were some.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Many?
MR. TAYLOR: I could not tell you how many there were.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were all the crew on your boat firemen?
MR. TAYLOR: There were some stewards in the boat, besides.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How many firemen and how many stewards were there in your boat?
MR. TAYLOR: About six firemen. I could not tell you how many stewards there were. I only saw three.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: About what proportion of your entire boatload was composed of men?
MR. TAYLOR: I believe eight, all told; oarsmen and a coxswain.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did any of the male passengers row?
MR. TAYLOR: Only one that I know of.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: When your boat got away from the ship, where were most of the passengers that were left and where were the members of the crew that were left ­ in what part of the ship?
MR. TAYLOR: They were all on A deck, sir, on the deck where we lowered from; all that I could see.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Was it crowded?
MR. TAYLOR: Oh, there was a crowd, a big crowd around the boats.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Was the order and discipline good, or was there disorder?
MR. TAYLOR: The order was good, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did these passengers belong to all classes, steerage as well as cabin passengers?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were there any on B deck?
MR. TAYLOR: I could not tell you that, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Or C deck?
MR. TAYLOR: I could not tell you.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Could you not see?
MR. TAYLOR: I could not see, because we kept the boat off the ship, to keep from rubbing down her side.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How far did you row from the ship immediately after getting into the water?
MR. TAYLOR: About a quarter of a mile; or it might have been a bit farther than that.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Toward the light, you say?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes; with the other boats.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Was there any order given to you to row for that light?
MR. TAYLOR: No, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How did you come to row for that light?
MR. TAYLOR: I kept on rowing, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Where was that light?
MR. TAYLOR: A tidy way away from us.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Was it on a ship?
MR. TAYLOR: I could not tell you.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did that light disappear?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Was it 5 miles away, would you think?
MR. TAYLOR: It was a good distance away; I could not tell you the distance.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did it appear to be a light of a ship?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: You could not see the ship?
MR. TAYLOR: No, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: During that night, before the dawn came, could you see any of the icebergs?
MR. TAYLOR: No, sir; not before the break of day.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Was it a clear night?
MR. TAYLOR: Pretty; clear; yes, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: There was no fog?
MR. TAYLOR: No fog at all.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were the stars out?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes; it was a starry night.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: How do you account for it that you could not see the icebergs?
MR. TAYLOR: We saw them at daybreak.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Why could you not see them at night?
MR. TAYLOR: They were too far away. We were pulling toward them all the time.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: And then you got among them in the morning, when the day broke?
MR. TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were there many of them?
MR. TAYLOR: We saw four.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Do you know in what direction you rowed?
MR. TAYLOR: No, sir.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: North, south, east or west?
MR. TAYLOR: I could not tell you in what direction. We kept on pulling, and that is all I do know.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Did you see the iceberg upon which the ship struck?
MR. TAYLOR: No, sir. I was asleep at the time.
SENATOR NEWLANDS: Were you very much disturbed by the collision?
