SENATOR BOURNE: Did you see any notice of any drill that was called for during the voyage?
MR. CLENCH: No, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: Is it customary, according to your experience you have had in the years you have been sailing on steamships, to have boat drills during voyages?
MR. CLENCH: Yes, sir; every Saturday at sea, on the boats I have been in.
SENATOR BOURNE: But they had none on the Titanic?
MR. CLENCH: No, sir. When I was on the Olympic we used to have it on Sunday, if we rained in port on Sunday.
SENATOR BOURNE: What did that drill consist of? Would you explain it so that we can understand just what a boat drill is such as those you had on the Olympic on a Sunday?
MR. CLENCH: Well, every Sunday the fire bell rang, and all like that, and you had to attend to your fire hose, and after that was done we proceeded to our boats. When the whistle blowed, each man went to his boat. There was two seamen allotted to each boat.
SENATOR BOURNE: You would just go to the boat and walk away?
MR. CLENCH: No, sir; we would walk up, line up, and get our names called out.
SENATOR BOURNE: You would not take the canvas off and lower the boats and get into the boats and have any drill?
MR. CLENCH: No, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: That is never done?
MR. CLENCH: That is never done. I have never done that.
SENATOR BOURNE: But they did not on the Titanic even have muster and the men walk up to the various boats to which they had been allotted?
MR. CLENCH: Yes, sir; that is, when we used to have a Sunday in New York.
SENATOR BOURNE: On the Titanic did they do this?
MR. CLENCH: Only in Southampton, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: They did not do it on the voyage?
MR. CLENCH: No, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: But on the Olympic, every voyage you took on here they did it every Sunday?
MR. CLENCH: If we happened to get a Sunday in New York, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: Did you hear any shooting?
MR. CLENCH: Yes, sir; Mr. Lowe was in No. 14 boat, and he sings out, "Anybody attempting to get into these boats while we are lowering them, I will shoot them," and he shot three shots.
SENATOR BOURNE: Did he shoot anybody?
MR. CLENCH: He shot straight down in the water.
SENATOR BOURNE: Did not fire at anybody?
MR. CLENCH: No, sir; just to frighten the foreign people.
SENATOR BOURNE: Was there any effort made, after he fired three shots, by anyone to get into the boat?
MR. CLENCH: No, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: There was no confusion at all?
MR. CLENCH: No confusion whatever, sir. Everything went as if it was boat drill in Southampton.
SENATOR BOURNE: Did any of the able­bodied seamen ever go into the crow's nest to look out, or are the lookouts specially selected?
MR. CLENCH: Special men assigned to that.
SENATOR BOURNE: For that purpose?
MR. CLENCH: For that purpose only.
SENATOR BOURNE: Do any of them go into the eyes of the boat to keep a lookout?
MR. CLENCH: Only in case of a fog, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: Then would you or some of your mates do that?
MR. CLENCH: We would have to go up in the crow's nest and relieve the lookout. He would come down and go in the eyes of the boat.
SENATOR BOURNE: Was there anyone in the eyes of the boat at the time of the accident?
MR. CLENCH: I could not say, sir, because I was not on deck.
SENATOR BOURNE: Will you kindly define your duties at sea as an able­bodied seaman?
MR. CLENCH: When I was on the Olympic, sir?
SENATOR BOURNE: On the Titanic.
MR. CLENCH: Well, I was picked out for alleyway man, what we term the engineer's alleyway, what we term the working alleyway. That was to work from 6 to 5; keep it swept up, and all paint work clean. That was my duty aboard that ship.
SENATOR BOURNE: Did you ever take a trick at the wheel?
MR. CLENCH: No, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: They have a wheel man specially selected?
MR. CLENCH: A quartermaster assigned on that, just the same as the lookout, a special man.
SENATOR BOURNE: Are you familiar with the boiler rooms?
MR. CLENCH: No, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: Was there any criticism on the part of any of the men that any of the officers were incompetent, or that there was any intemperance or that there was anyone to blame for the disaster?
MR. CLENCH: No; I can not say that there is.
SENATOR BOURNE: You have not heard of any?
MR. CLENCH: I have not heard of any. As for any intemperance, you seldom saw anything on a boat like that. I mean to say you can not get anything to drink there, so you are bound to be a teetotaler there.
SENATOR BOURNE: Have you had experience ­ I do not mean in the way of being shipwrecked ­ with ice, before?
MR. CLENCH: No, sir; never.
SENATOR BOURNE: This is your first experience?
MR. CLENCH: Yes, sir; unless it was like on other ships when we have been laying in the river in New York.
SENATOR BOURNE: But you had not been in the iceberg belt before?
MR. CLENCH: Never.
SENATOR BOURNE: When it became dawn or daylight, did you find many bergs and much ice around you?
MR. CLENCH: Yes, sir; there was a large field of ice, I should say 20 to 30 miles long, just ahead of us and there was a few bergs floating around, large ones, too.
SENATOR BOURNE: How long after the Carpathia reached the scene of the disaster did it take you to get out of the field where the ice was?
MR. CLENCH: I should say about two hours and a half.
SENATOR BOURNE: It is your opinion that the ship did not break in two?
MR. CLENCH: I can not say, sir, because it was so dark.
SENATOR BOURNE: You were too far away?
MR. CLENCH: We was too far away to see anything like that, although we could not have been so far away, because when we picked up that surfboat that was overturned she must have been pretty well over the wreck, because they had nothing to propel themselves along with; they had no oars or nothing; they was at a standstill at the time.
SENATOR BOURNE: Did you learn from those on the surfboat that was bottom up, how she capsized?
MR. CLENCH: I do not know that she capsized at all, sir; she went down bow first.
SENATOR BOURNE: I mean the surfboat.
MR. CLENCH: No. I never heard, sir, how it happened. The men was too much exhausted to talk much.
SENATOR BOURNE: Did they all survive, that you rescued?
MR. CLENCH: Yes, sir; although we thought it was a case with the wireless operator, who was very bad. We said we thought he was going to "croak."
SENATOR BOURNE: I think that will be all. I am very much obliged to you.
Witness excused.
TESTIMONY OF MR. ERNEST ARCHER.
[Testimony taken separately before Senator Bourne on behalf of the subcommittee.]
The witness was sworn by Senator Bourne.
SENATOR BOURNE: Please state your age, residence, and occupation.
Mr. ARCHER: Ernest Archer; age 36; 59 Port Chester Road, Woolston, Southampton; able seaman.
SENATOR BOURNE: How long have you been rated as an able seaman?
Mr. ARCHER: About 20 years.
SENATOR BOURNE: How long have you sailed with the White Star Line?
Mr. ARCHER: With the White Star Line, five years this month.
SENATOR BOURNE: When did you join the Titanic?
Mr. ARCHER: On Wednesday, the 10th of April, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: Did you sign the day she sailed?
Mr. ARCHER: No; signed on Monday, two days before she sailed.
SENATOR BOURNE: You were on the Titanic at the time of the catastrophe?
Mr. ARCHER: Yes, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: Will you explain, please, in your own way, what occurred immediately preceding and following the accident?
Mr. ARCHER: I was in my bunk asleep. I heard a kind of a crush, something similar to when you let go the anchor; it sounded like the cable running through the hawse pipe.
SENATOR BOURNE: Was there a shock, a jar?
Mr. ARCHER: No; no shock and no jar; just a grating sensation.
SENATOR BOURNE: You were asleep at the time?
Mr. ARCHER: I was asleep at the time.
SENATOR BOURNE: Are you a sound or a light sleeper?
Mr. ARCHER: A pretty light sleeper, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: You are easily awakened?
Mr. ARCHER: Yes, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: So, if there had been much of a shock, you think you would have felt it although you had been asleep?
Mr. ARCHER: Yes, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: It was more of a noise?
Mr. ARCHER: More of a noise than a shock, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: What happened?
Mr. ARCHER: I jumped out of my bed, put on a pair of trousers, and ran up on deck to find out what was the matter. I saw some small pieces of ice on the starboard side, on the forward deck.
SENATOR BOURNE: Which deck?
Mr. ARCHER: The fore well deck.
SENATOR BOURNE: How much ice was there?
Mr. ARCHER: Not an extraordinary lot, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: How much?
Mr. ARCHER: Not a great lot.
SENATOR BOURNE: No heavy pieces?
Mr. ARCHER: No, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: Not any 50 or 100 ton chunks?
Mr. ARCHER: No; nothing like that; just small pieces.
SENATOR BOURNE: No pieces any larger than your head?
Mr. ARCHER: No; I never saw any larger than that. After I saw the ice I went back in the door and put on a pair of shoes, a guernsey, and a cap. While I was doing that the boatswain ordered us on deck.
SENATOR BOURNE: How long after that did that occur?
Mr. ARCHER: About 10 minutes, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: What did you do?
Mr. ARCHER: We went on deck to the top of the forecastle ladder, to the boatswain, and we waited for the watch, and he gave us orders, and we proceeded to the boat deck and proceeded to uncover and clear away the boats.
SENATOR BOURNE: Had you been assigned to a boat?
Mr. ARCHER: Yes, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: What number?
Mr. ARCHER: No. 7.
SENATOR BOURNE: That was on the port side?
Mr. ARCHER: No; on the starboard side, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: The odd numbers were on the starboard side?
Mr. ARCHER: Yes; the odd numbers were on the starboard side and the even numbers on the port.
SENATOR BOURNE: Did you go right to your own boat, No. 7?
Mr. ARCHER: No; we did not have orders to go to No. 7; we had orders to uncover all the boats.
SENATOR BOURNE: You went, then, to the boat you were nearest to at the time?
Mr. ARCHER: We were to start and get it ready for lowering.
SENATOR BOURNE: After you uncovered the boats, then what?
Mr. ARCHER: We went to them, uncovered them, and go the falls ready for lowering. Then I went over to the starboard side and assisted in lowering about three boats. I could not mention the number of the boats I lowered. I never taken any notice. Then an officer came along ­ I could not mention his name ­ and he sang out that they wanted some seamen on the other side, on the port side, to assist over there. I went over there and assisted in getting nos. 12, 14 and 15 out. I assisted in getting the falls and everything ready, and the passengers into No. 14 boat. Then I went into No. 16.
SENATOR BOURNE: Have you a recollection that would be sufficient distinct to be of value of the number of passengers that went into Nos. 12, 14, and 16.
Mr. ARCHER: Well, I should say, sir, they would approach about 50.
SENATOR BOURNE: To each boat?
Mr. ARCHER: To each boat.
SENATOR BOURNE: Then what?
Mr. ARCHER: Then when I got to No. 16 boat the officer told me to get into the boat and see that the plug was in; so I go in the boat. I seen that the plug was in tight; then they started to put passengers in, and I assisted to get them in.
SENATOR BOURNE: Were you still remaining in No. 16?
Mr. ARCHER: Still remaining in the boat and assisting the passengers, children and ladies, to the boat.
SENATOR BOURNE: Did any men get in?
Mr. ARCHER: No, sir: I never saw any men get in, sir; only my mate.
SENATOR BOURNE: You were directed by the officer to get into the boat, and your mate was directed by the officer to get into the boat?
Mr. ARCHER: So far as I know, he was, sir. I never heard the order for him to get in. I was busy with the children. I was busy. I did not know who was speaking.
SENATOR BOURNE: Then what?
Mr. ARCHER: I heard him give orders to lower the boat. The last order I received after I heard that was from the officer, to allow nobody in the boat, and there was no one else to get into the boat. That was just prior to starting the lowering.
SENATOR BOURNE: You and your mate were in the boat?
Mr. ARCHER: Yes, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: Was the officer in the boat?
Mr. ARCHER: No; no officer in the boat.
SENATOR BOURNE: Then you lowered the boat?
Mr. ARCHER: We lowered the boat, and my mate pulled at the releasing bar for both falls, and that cleared the boat, and we started to pull away.
SENATOR BOURNE: Having about 50 passengers in the boat and only your mate and yourself?
Mr. ARCHER: Yes, sir; the master­at­arms came down after us. He was the coxswain.
SENATOR BOURNE: He came down one of the ropes?
Mr. ARCHER: Yes, sir; came down by the fall.
SENATOR BOURNE: He was sent by an officer?
Mr. ARCHER: I presume he was sent by an officer.
SENATOR BOURNE: To help fill up your complement?
Mr. ARCHER: He said he was sent down to be the coxswain of the boat.
SENATOR BOURNE: And he took charge?
Mr. ARCHER: He took charge.
SENATOR BOURNE: And you acted under his orders, you and your mate?
Mr. ARCHER: Yes.
SENATOR BOURNE: So there were three of you and about 50 passengers?
Mr. ARCHER: Yes, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: All women and children, or some men?
Mr. ARCHER: All women and children.
SENATOR BOURNE: While you were loading the boat was there any effort made on the part of the others to crowd into the boat?
Mr. ARCHER: No, sir; I never saw any.
SENATOR BOURNE: No confusion?
Mr. ARCHER: No confusion at all.
SENATOR BOURNE: No individuals, men or others, who were repelled from getting in?
Mr. ARCHER: No, sir; I never saw anything of that at all, sir; everything was quiet and steady.
SENATOR BOURNE: Then after you commenced to row away?
Mr. ARCHER: We rowed, I should say, a quarter of a mile away from the ship, and we remained there.
SENATOR BOURNE: Why did you remain?
Mr. ARCHER: We stood by the ship, sir. We would not go right away from it. To tell you the truth, I did not think the ship would go down. I thought we might go back to her again afterwards.
SENATOR BOURNE: After she struck , the general impression, so far as the ship was concerned, was that she was not going to sink?
Mr. ARCHER: I did not think so, myself, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: You remained, then, about a quarter of a mile away and what happened?
Mr. ARCHER: I heard a couple of explosions.
SENATOR BOURNE: You heard two?
Mr. ARCHER: I heard two.
SENATOR BOURNE: How far apart were the two?
Mr. ARCHER: I should say they would be about 20 minutes between each explosion. From the time I heard the first one until I heard the second one it would be about 20 minutes, sir.
SENATOR BOURNE: What did you assume from the explosions?
Mr. ARCHER: That the water had gotten into the boiler room.
SENATOR BOURNE: Were you sufficiently near so that you could see the ship itself when you were about a quarter of a mile away?
