MR. ETCHES: I saw, when the ship rose ­ her stern rose ­ a thick mass of people on the after end. I could not discern the faces, of course.
SENATOR SMITH: Did the boat go down by the head?
MR. ETCHES: She seemed to raise once as though she was going to take a violent dive, but sort of checked, as though she had scooped the water up and had leveled herself. She then seemed to settle very, very quiet until the last when she rose up, and she seemed to stand 20 seconds, stern in that position [indicating], and then she went down with an awful grating, like a small boat running off a shingley beach.
SENATOR SMITH: How long were you lying off, so to speak?
MR. ETCHES: Before the Titanic sank, sir?
SENATOR SMITH: No; after.
MR. ETCHES: We waited a few minutes after she had gone down. There was no inrush of water, or anything. Mr. Pitman then said to pull back to the scene of the wreck. The ladies started calling out. Two ladies sitting in front where I was pulling, said, "Appeal to the officer not to go back. Why should we lose all of our lives in a useless attempt to save those from the ship?" I said I had no power; an officer was in charge of the boat, and he must use his discretion.
SENATOR SMITH: As a matter of fact, you did not go back?
MR. ETCHES: We did not go back.
SENATOR SMITH: How many people were in lifeboat No. 5? Did you count them?
MR. ETCHES: We left the ship, sir. When we had gone away from the ship we had 42, including the child.
SENATOR SMITH: Did all survive.
MR. ETCHES: All survived.
SENATOR SMITH: How many of the crew were in your boat, Mr. Etches?
MR. ETCHES: Six, sir, including the officer.
SENATOR SMITH: Who were they?
MR. ETCHES: There was a steward and myself.
SENATOR SMITH: Give the names, if you can.
MR. ETCHES: I could not do that, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: All right; give them if you can.
MR. ETCHES: There were men there that I met that I did not know were on board the Titanic; that I had no idea were aboard the Titanic, although in my own department.
SENATOR SMITH: Were there any male passengers besides the six members of the crew?
MR. ETCHES: There were four gentleman, to my knowledge, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Who were they?
MR. ETCHES: I do not know any of their names, sir. Two we transferred with a lady and her child into boat No. 7, I believe, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: But you do not know any of their names?
MR. ETCHES: No, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Six members of the crew and four passengers?
MR. ETCHES: Gentlemen; yes, sir. I did not know the other two gentlemen were there until we were transferring them.
SENATOR SMITH: Into No. 7?
MR. ETCHES: No; I did not know they were there. They were in the after end of the boat somewhere.
SENATOR SMITH: You do not know any of the other men, except the one you have mentioned, the officer Pitman?
MR. ETCHES: No, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you know any of the women who were in that boat?
MR. ETCHES: I know the stewardess, but I do not know her name, although she has a relative here at the present time. He could give you her name and address.
SENATOR SMITH: You mean a witness?
MR. ETCHES: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: What is his name?
MR. ETCHES: Crawford, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Of your own knowledge, do you know whether any general call was made for passengers to arouse themselves from their berths; and when it was, or whether there was any other signal given?
MR. ETCHES: The second steward, sir, was calling all around the ship. He was directing some men to the storerooms for provisions for the boats and others he was telling to arouse all the passengers and to tell them to take their life belts with them.
SENATOR SMITH: Was there any lamp in lifeboat No. 5?
MR. ETCHES: I saw none.
SENATOR SMITH: Were there lights about the deck where the boats were being loaded?
MR. ETCHES: Yes, sir. The cabin doors and all were open, giving a good light there.
SENATOR SMITH: You had no difficulty in seeing the passengers or the people or the means of operating?
MR. ETCHES: I never saw a hitch in the lowering or the loading of the boats. In fact, I have seen more commotion at ordinary boat drill than there was on that occasion.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you see any other boat loaded and lowered?
MR. ETCHES: No, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you see lights while you were lying by, after or before the Titanic sank, from any other ship?
MR. ETCHES: After the Titanic had sunk we pulled a good distance out farther from her, after the cries were all over. We pulled away, and a light we thought was a mast headlight of a ship was across where the port bow of the Titanic would have been at the time. During that time the Titanic was there I saw no light. I was looking at the Titanic the whole of the time.
SENATOR SMITH: Could you see the bridge when the ship went down?
MR. ETCHES: You could see it quite plain, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you see anybody on the bridge?
MR. ETCHES: Not a soul, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: You probably could not distinguish objects?
MR. ETCHES: They may have been there; they may have been near the wheelhouse, but not on the corner of the bridge. I did not discern anyone there, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: After you started out to sea, away from this wreck, did you see any lights of other vessels?
MR. ETCHES: Yes, sir; we saw a light that there was quite an argument over. Some said it was a star; others said it was a ship. But we pulled toward it, and we did not seem to approach it an inch nearer. It had every appearance of a masthead light of a ship, but rather a faint light.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you see any icebergs that morning?
MR. ETCHES: Oh, yes, sir; we saw a very large floe of flat ice, and three or four bergs, in different places; and on the other bow were two large bergs, in the distance.
SENATOR SMITH: How far away was this field ice?
MR. ETCHES: The field ice would be from us three­quarters of a mile at the least.
SENATOR SMITH: At what hour?
MR. ETCHES: Between 4 and 5 o'clock.
SENATOR FLETCHER: In what direction?
MR. ETCHES: I should say it would have been well over on the port side of the Titanic, in the position she was going. I should say, by the way we pulled, the direct way we pulled, it must have been on the port side of the Titanic.
SENATOR FLETCHER: Did you see No. 7 after leaving the Titanic?
MR. ETCHES: We saw No. 7 when we got alongside of the Carpathia, and they handed back the child, and I passed it aboard the Carpathia.
SENATOR FLETCHER: How far were you from where the Titanic went down, as near as you can judge, when you saw this field of ice?
MR. ETCHES: I should say we should be about a mile and a half to 2 miles.
SENATOR FLETCHER: How far was the Titanic, when she went down, from that field of ice you mentioned?
MR. ETCHES: I could not say exactly if the ice was traveling at all, but it could not have been a great distance on the other side of the Titanic, not from the position.
SENATOR FLETCHER: On the port side?
MR. ETCHES: Yes, sir.
SENATOR FLETCHER: Were there any bergs there, about that field of ice?
MR. ETCHES: There was no berg. Well, there were three at different points, but the field extended such a long distance, and they were in the field, apparently. But the separate bergs that we saw were a long way from the field of ice, the floating ones. They were separated from the field of ice.
SENATOR FLETCHER: In what direction from the field of ice?
MR. ETCHES: When the Carpathia picked us up the Carpathia would be here [indicating], the field of ice here [indicating], and the bergs across the opposite side from her.
SENATOR FLETCHER: The bergs would have been on the starboard side of the Titanic?
MR. ETCHES: Exactly, sir.
SENATOR FLETCHER: That is all.
SENATOR SMITH: That is all, Mr. Etches. You may be excused.
Witness excused.
TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM BURKE.
The witness was sworn by Senator Smith.
SENATOR SMITH: What is your full name?
MR. BURKE: William Burke.
SENATOR SMITH: What is your place of residence?
MR. BURKE: Fifty­seven Bridge Street, Southampton.
SENATOR SMITH: What is your age?
MR. BURKE: Thirty.
SENATOR SMITH: And your occupation?
MR. BURKE: Dining room steward.
SENATOR SMITH: Were you dining room steward on the Titanic?
MR. BURKE: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: In what dining room?
MR. BURKE: First­class dining room.
SENATOR SMITH: Were you on duty in the first­class dining room on Sunday, the day of the accident?
MR. BURKE: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: During what hours were you on duty?
MR. BURKE: During all meal hours, and about an hour before the meal hours and an hour after; breakfast, lunch and dinner.
SENATOR SMITH: What table did you have?
MR. BURKE: You mean the passengers?
SENATOR SMITH: I mean the which side of the boat?
MR. BURKE: I was on the starboard side forward.
SENATOR SMITH: What passengers were you specially assigned to?
MR. BURKE: Mr. and Mrs. Straus.
SENATOR SMITH: Mr. and Mrs. Straus alone?
MR. BURKE: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: What time did they dine on Sunday night?
MR. BURKE: It would be about a quarter past 7 when they came into the dining room.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you ever see them again after that?
MR. BURKE: No; not after they left the dining room; I didn't see them.
SENATOR SMITH: Did they dine alone?
MR. BURKE: Yes, sir; they had a table to themselves.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you see the captain dine that night?
MR. BURKE: No, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you know Mr. Ismay?
MR. BURKE: Yes, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Did you see him dine that night?
MR. BURKE: No, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Where were you when the impact came?
MR. BURKE: I was in my bunk ­ in bed.
SENATOR SMITH: Were you asleep?
MR. BURKE: No, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: How many people were in your room?
MR. BURKE: I believe there were 28.
SENATOR SMITH: All table stewards?
MR. BURKE: Yes, sir; all table stewards with the exception of one. One was on deck, assistant deck steward.
SENATOR SMITH: Mr. Burke, I wish you would tell in your own words just what you did from the time that the impact occurred until you went aboard the Carpathia.
MR. BURKE: When I first felt the impact I did not know exactly what to make of it. I thought probably she had dropper her propeller, or something. I did not get up right away. I waited for probably a quarter of an hour. About a quarter of an hour or 20 minutes later the order came for life belts. The order came to get our life belts and get up on deck and take our overcasts. Mention was made of the fact that it was very cold. I immediately to up with everybody else. Everybody was taking a life belt. I did not at that time bother about a life belt. I put on my coat and dressed in the ordinary way. As we were going out one of the last men said, "There is a life belt near my bunk, if you want one." I went back and got this life belt and carried it out and took it up on deck. I went to the boat deck on the starboard side.
SENATOR SMITH: To your station?
MR. BURKE: I went to my station from there and found my boat had gone.
SENATOR SMITH: What was the number?
MR. BURKE: No. 1. I thought the next best thing to do was to assist with some other boat. I turned around, and I assisted in two boats on that side of the deck, and the captain gave the order to the sailors that were working with me to go after and assist about the last which I thought was going to be launched on that side. The sailors ran down there to assist at this boat, and I did not go. I went to the port side from there. I assisted with No. 8 boat. I saw her lowered down, full of women, and I immediately passed down to the next boat, which was No. 10. As I got to No. 10 boat, the chief officer was there. I just heard him say, "How many seamen are in that boat?" The answer came back, "Two, sir." He turned to some man standing there and said, "Is there any man here can pull an oar?" Nobody answered, but a man who seemed to me like a foreigner got close to him, and I didn't hear what he said, but he simply pushed him aside, and he said, "You are of no use to me." I went to him and told him I could pull an oar, but was not anxious to go unless he wanted me to go. He said, "Get right in there," and he pushed me toward the boat, and I simply stepped in the boat and got in.
After I arrived in the boat the chief officer seemed to be joined by another officer, and they were shouting for women on the decks, and as they came along, they made room, cleared the men away, and passed the women along. Each one, as they were passed along, was put in the boat. I remained where I landed in the boat and helped to pass them in. There were also about three children passed in at the same time. When there were no more women to be had around the deck the chief officer gave the order for the boat to be lowered. I might say that about the last woman that was about to be passed in slipped, and was about to fall between the ship and the boat, when I caught her. I just saved her from falling. Her head passed toward the next deck below. A passenger caught her by the shoulders and forced me to leave go. It was my intention to pull her back in the boat. He would not let go of the woman, but pulled her right on the ship.
SENATOR SMITH: Do you know who the woman was?
MR. BURKE: No, sir; I did not know her. The boat was lowered then into the water. One of the sailors took an oar, and I took an oar, and the only other member of the crew, a firemen, got an oar. The sailor steered the boat, and we rowed away from the ship. We got probably about a quarter of a mile away and remained there. We saw pretty well the last of the ship ­ the Titanic. We remained drifting about practically all night. At one time we were tied up with three boats together, until I gave the order myself in that boat to cut us adrift, that we might go to a collapsible boat that was in distress. When they cut our boat adrift I found an officer in another boat had come to the aid of this collapsible boat, so we remained there for some hours, drifting about. At daybreak, we made fast to another officer's boat, and we arrived alongside of the Carpathia with these two boats tied together.
SENATOR SMITH: Who was the officer in charge of boat No. 10?
MR. BURKE: There was no officer in that boat, sir.
SENATOR SMITH: Who was in charge of boat No. 10?
MR. BURKE: When the boat was first launched there were two seamen.
SENATOR SMITH: What other man?
MR. BURKE: The only other man I recognized at that time was the fireman, a member of the crew named Rice.
