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The first boat to be picked up by the Carpathia was one in charge of Mr. Boxhall. There was only one other man rowing and ladies worked at the oars. A green light burning in this boat all night was the greatest comfort to the rest of us who had nothing to steer by: although it meant little in the way of safety in itself, it was a point to which we could look.
Every precaution was taken; that the precautions were of no avail is a source of the deepest sorrow. But the accident was unavoidable." J. B. Boxhall, the fourth officer, was then questioned. "Were there any drills or any inspection before the Titanic sailed?" he was asked. "Both," said the witness.
Boxhall said that under the weather conditions experienced at the time of the collision the life-boats were supposed to carry sixty-five persons. Under the regulations of the British Board of Trade, in addition to the oars, there were in the boats water breakers, water dippers, bread, bailers, mast and sail and lights and a supply of oil.
Captain Smith, Officers Wilde and Murdock were similarly engaged in other parts of the ship, urging women to get in the boats, in some cases directing junior officers to go down in some of them, Officers Pitman, Boxhall, and Lowe were sent in this way, in others placing members of the crew in charge.
Boxhall went to the chartroom to work out the ship's position, which he then handed to the Marconi operators for transmission to any ship near enough to help in the work of rescue. Reports of the damage done were by this time coming to the captain from many quarters, from the chief engineer, from the designer, Mr.
Boxhall testified that at Captain Smith's orders he took word of the ship's position to the wireless operators. "What position was that?" "Forty-one forty-six north, fifty fourteen west." "Was that the last position taken?" "Yes, the Titanic stood not far from there when she sank." After that Boxhall went back to the life-boats, where there were many men and women.
We learnt afterwards the field was nearly seventy miles long and twelve miles wide, and had lain between us and the Birma on her way to the rescue. Mr. Boxhall testified that he had crossed the Grand Banks many times, but had never seen field-ice before.
All of these supplies, said Boxhall, were in the boats when the Titanic left Belfast. He could not say whether they were in when the vessel left Southampton. "Now," repeated Senator Smith, "suppose the weather was clear and the sky unruffled, as it was at the time of the disaster, how many would the boat hold?" "Really, I don't know. It would depend largely upon the people who were to enter.
The officers roused by the collision went on deck: some to the bridge; others, while hearing nothing of the extent of the damage, saw no necessity for doing so. Captain Smith at once sent the carpenter below to sound the ship, and Fourth Officer Boxhall to the steerage to report damage.
If they did as they were told I believe each boat could accommodate sixty-five persons." Boxhall testified to the sobriety and good habits of his superior and brother officers. Boxhall said he went down to the steerage, inspected all the decks in the vicinity of where the ship had struck, found no traces of any damage and went directly to the bridge and so reported.
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