Stowaway: 1 Japanese.
Jumped from A Deck into boat being lowered: 1 Armenian.
Total: 55.
INCIDENTS
Edward J. Buley, A. B. (Am. Inq., p. 604).
Chief Officer Wilde said: “See if you can find another seaman to give you a hand, and jump in.” I found Evans, my mate, the able-bodied seaman, and we both got in the boat.
Much of Seaman Buley’s and of Steward Burke’s testimony is a repetition of that of Seaman Evans, so I cite the latter only:
F. O. Evans, A. B. (Am. Inq., p. 675).
I went up (on the Boat Deck) with the remainder of the crew and uncovered all of the port boats. Then to the starboard side and lowered the boats there with the assistance of the Boatswain of the ship, A. Nichol. I went next (after No. 12) to No. 10. Mr. Murdoch was standing there. I lowered the boat with the assistance of a steward. The chief officer said: “Get into that boat.” I got into the bows. A young ship’s baker (J. Joughin) was getting the children and chucking them into the boat. Mr. Murdoch and the baker made the women jump across into the boat about two feet and a half. “He threw them on to the women and he was catching children by their dresses and chucking them in.” One woman in a black dress slipped and fell. She seemed nervous and did not like to jump at first. When she did jump she did not go far enough, but fell between the ship and the boat. She was pulled in by some men on the deck below, went up to the Boat Deck again, took another jump, and landed safely in the boat. There were none of the children hurt. The only accident was with this woman. The only man passenger was a foreigner, up forward. He, as the boat was being lowered, jumped from A Deck into the boat—deliberately jumped across and saved himself.
When we got to the water it was impossible to get to the tripper underneath the thwart on account of women being packed so tight. We had to lift the fall up off the hook by hand to release the spring to get the block and fall away from it. We pushed off from the ship and rowed away about 200 yards. We tied up to three other boats. We gave the man our painter and made fast to No. 12. We stopped there about an hour, and Officer Lowe came over with his boat No. 14 and said: “You seamen will have to distribute these passengers among these boats. Tie them together and come into my boat to go over to the wreckage and pick up anyone that is alive there.”