Collision and beyond in survivors‘ evidences

Alfred Olliver (Quartermaster)

American Inquiry, Day 7 (April 25th, 1912) – taken separately before Senator Burton

Senator BURTON.
Where were you when the collision occurred?

Mr. OLLIVER.
I was stand-by quartermaster on the bridge. I had been relieved from the wheel at 10 o’clock, and I was stand-by after 10 o’clock. I was running messages and doing various other duties. I was not right on the bridge; I was just entering the bridge. I had just performed an errand and was entering the bridge when the collision occurred.

Senator BURTON.
Just state what happened?

Mr. OLLIVER.
When I was doing this bit of duty I heard three bells rung up in the crow’s nest, which I knew that it was something ahead; so I looked, but I did not see anything. I happened to be looking at the lights in the standing compass at the time. That was my duty, to look at the lights in the standing compass, and I was trimming them so that they would burn properly. When I heard the report, I looked, but could not see anything, and I left that and came and was just entering on the bridge just as the shock came. I knew we had touched something.

Senator BURTON.
Just describe what that shock was.

Mr. OLLIVER.
I found out we had struck an iceberg.

Senator BURTON.
Did you see that iceberg?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Yes; I did, sir.

Senator BURTON.
Describe it.

Mr. OLLIVER.
The iceberg was about the height of the boat deck; if anything, just a little higher. It was almost alongside of the boat, sir. The top did not touch the side of the boat, but it was almost alongside of the boat.

Senator BURTON.
What kind of a sound was there?

Mr. OLLIVER.
The sound was like she touched something; a long grinding sound, like.

Senator BURTON.
How long did that sound last?

Mr. OLLIVER.
It did not last many seconds.

Senator BURTON.
How far aft did the grinding sound go?

Mr. OLLIVER.
The grinding sound was before I saw the iceberg. The grinding sound was not when I saw the iceberg.

Senator BURTON.
Where was the iceberg when you saw it, abeam or abaft?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Just abaft the bridge when I saw it.

[…]

Senator BURTON.
Did you notice the course of the berg as it passed you?

Mr. OLLIVER.
No, sir; I did not notice the course of the berg as it passed us. It went aft the after part of the ship. I did not see it afterwards, because I did not have time to know where it was going.

Senator BURTON.
Do you know whether the wheel was hard aport then?

Mr. OLLIVER.
What I know about the wheel – I was stand-by to run messages, but what I knew about the helm is, hard aport.

Senator BURTON.
Do you mean hard aport or hard astarboard?

Mr. OLLIVER.
I know the orders I heard when I was on the bridge was after we had struck the iceberg. I heard hard aport, and there was the man at the wheel and the officer. The officer was seeing it was carried out right.

Senator BURTON.
What officer was it?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Mr. Moody, the sixth officer, was stationed in the wheelhouse.

Senator BURTON.
Who was the man at the wheel?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Hichens, quartermaster.

Senator BURTON.
You do not know whether the helm was put hard astarboard first, or not?

Mr. OLLIVER.
No, sir; I do not know that.

Senator BURTON.
But you know it was put hard aport after you got there?

Mr. OLLIVER.
After I got there; yes, sir.

Senator BURTON.
Where was the iceberg, do you think, when the helm was shifted?

Mr. OLLIVER.
The iceberg was away up stern.

Senator BURTON.
That is when the order „hard aport“ was given?

Mr. OLLIVER.
That is when the order „hard aport“ was given; yes, sir.

Senator BURTON.
Who gave the order?

Mr. OLLIVER.
The first officer.

Senator BURTON.
And that order was immediately executed, was it?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Immediately executed, and the sixth officer saw that it was carried out.

[…]

Senator BURTON.
Do you know whether the watertight doors were closed or not?

Mr. OLLIVER.
The first officer closed the watertight doors, sir.

Senator BURTON.
When?

Mr. OLLIVER.
On the bridge, just after she struck; and reported to the captain that they were closed. I heard that myself.

Senator BURTON.
How did you know they were closed?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Because Mr. Murdock [sic!] reported, and as I entered the bridge I saw him about the lever.

Senator BURTON.
Did he have any way of telling whether they were closed or not?

Mr. OLLIVER.
There is a lever on the bridge to close the watertight doors, and he turned the lever over and closed them.

Senator BURTON.
Was there an instrument there to show the doors as they closed? Did you ever see one of those instruments?

Mr. OLLIVER.
No; I never saw one.

[…]

Senator BURTON.
Were the engines reversed; was she backed?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Not whilst I was on the bridge; but whilst on the bridge she went ahead, after she struck; she went half speed ahead.

Senator BURTON.
The engines went half speed ahead, or the ship?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Half speed ahead, after she hit the ice.

Senator BURTON.
Who gave the order?

Mr. OLLIVER.
The captain telegraphed half speed ahead.

Senator BURTON.
Had the engines been backing before he did that?

Mr. OLLIVER.
That I could not say, sir.

Senator BURTON.
Did she have much way on?

Mr. OLLIVER.
When?

Senator BURTON.
When he put the engines half speed ahead?

Mr. OLLIVER.
No, sir. I reckon the ship was almost stopped.

Senator BURTON.
He must have backed the engines, then.

Mr. OLLIVER.
He must have done so, unless it was hitting the iceberg stopped the way of the ship.

[…]

Senator BURTON.
Did you see the captain ring to the engines to stop?

Mr. OLLIVER.
To stop.

Senator BURTON.
How long did he go ahead half speed?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Not very long, sir.

Senator BURTON.
One minute, two minutes, five minutes?

Mr. OLLIVER.
I could not say the number of minutes, because I had messages in the meantime.

Senator BURTON.
But you know he went ahead half speed?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Yes, sir; I know he went ahead half speed.

Senator BURTON.
Then he stopped?

Mr. OLLIVER.
I could not say whether he stopped. The ship was stopped when we took to the boats.

Senator BURTON.
You saw the captain?

Mr. OLLIVER.
I saw the captain.

Senator BURTON.
Where was he and what was he doing?

Mr. OLLIVER.
On the bridge. When he first came on the bridge he asked the first officer what was the matter, and Mr. Murdock [sic!] reported, sir, that we had struck an iceberg, and the captain ordered him to have the watertight doors closed, and Mr. Murdock [sic!] reported that the watertight doors were closed.

Senator BURTON.
Did you hear him give any other orders?

Mr. OLLIVER.
The captain gave me orders to tell the carpenter to go and take the draft of the water.

Senator BURTON.
Where did you find the carpenter?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Down below, already doing it.

[…]

Senator BURTON.
Did you hear him [the carpenter] report anything to the captain?

Mr. OLLIVER.
No, sir; I did not wait for an answer. As soon as I got on the bridge, I had another message.

Senator BURTON.
What was the other message?

Mr. OLLIVER.
A message to take to the chief engineer.

Senator BURTON.
What message did you take to the chief engineer?

Mr. OLLIVER.
I can not say the message. It was on a piece of paper and the paper was closed.

Senator BURTON.
Where did you find the chief engineer?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Down in the engine room.

Senator BURTON.
What we he doing?

Mr. OLLIVER.
He was at work down there.

Senator BURTON.
Were the engines running?

Mr. OLLIVER.
The engines were not running. They were stopped.

Senator BURTON.
Did he say anything about any water coming in down there?

Mr. OLLIVER.
I delivered the message, and I waited for an answer. I waited for two or three minutes. Then he saw me standing, and he asked me what I wanted. I said I was waiting for an answer to the message I took him. He told me to take back – to tell the captain that he would get it done as soon as possible.

Senator BURTON.
Do you know what it was?

Mr. OLLIVER.
I do not, sir. The message was on the paper, and I did not see it.

[…]

Senator BURTON.
What other messages did you carry?

Mr. OLLIVER.
As soon as I came on the bridge I delivered back the message I was told to deliver to the captain.

Senator BURTON.
What message was it?

Mr. OLLIVER.
That he would get it done as soon as possible, the chief engineer told me; that he would get it done as soon as possible, and to return that to the captain. As soon as I delivered that message the chief officer sent me to the boatswain of the ship and told me to tell the boatswain to get the oar lines and to uncover the boats and get them ready for lowering, and I done so, and came back on the bridge. No sooner did I get on the bridge than the sixth officer told me to go and get the boat’s list, so that he could muster the men at the boats. I went and got the sailors‘ boat list and took it to him. Then somebody told me to muster the boats.

Senator BURTON.
That boat list has the names showing where each man is stationed at the boats?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Where each man is stationed at the boats.

Senator BURTON.
Did you muster the men at the boats?

Mr. OLLIVER.
I did not muster the men at the boats. I gave this to Mr. Moody, the sixth officer.

Senator BURTON.
Did he muster the men at the boats?

Mr. OLLIVER.
That I cannot say; I did not see him; but I gave him the list.

Senator BURTON.
Then what did you do?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Then I went to my boat to muster them.

[…]

Senator BURTON.
Did you see the captain write out this order to the chief engineer?

Mr. OLLIVER.
I did not, sir.

Senator BURTON.
He had it written out when he gave it to you?

Mr. OLLIVER.
He had it written out when he gave it to me.

Senator BURTON.
In what form as it? It was not inside of an envelope, was it?

Mr. OLLIVER.
No, sir; it was not. It was bent at the corner, and he told me to take that to the engineer.

Senator BURTON.
It was folded and bent at the corner?

Mr. OLLIVER.
Yes, sir; and bent at the corner.

Senator BURTON.
Was it a form of order that is used?

Mr. OLLIVER.
I think so, sir. I think it was a form of order. I had taken messages like that before, and they were the same orders.