Senator Perkins: And then there were no people there?
Mr. Symons: No, sir; I never saw any.
C. E. H. Stengel, first-class passenger (Am. Inq., p. 971):
There was a small boat they called an Emergency boat in which were three people, Sir Duff Gordon, his wife and Miss Francatelli. I asked to get into the boat. There was no one else around that I could see except the people working at the boats. The officer said: “Jump in.” The railing was rather high. I jumped onto it and rolled into the boat. The officer said: “That’s the funniest thing I have seen to-night,” and laughed heartily. After getting down part of the way the boat began to tip and somebody “hollered” to stop lowering. A man named A. L. Solomon also asked to get in with us. There were five passengers, three stokers and two seamen in the boat.
Senator Smith: Do you know who gave instructions?
Mr. Stengel: I think between Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon and myself we decided which way to go. We followed a light that was to the bow of the ship.... Most of the boats rowed toward that light, and after the green lights began to burn I suggested that it was better to turn around and go towards them. They were from another lifeboat. When I got into the boat it was right up against the side of the ship. If it had not been, I would have gone right out into the water because I rolled. I did not step in it; I just simply rolled. There was one of the icebergs particularly that I noticed—a very large one which looked something like the Rock of Gibraltar.
THE DUFF GORDON EPISODE
Charles Hendrickson, leading fireman (Br. Inq.):
When the ship sank we picked up nobody. The passengers would not listen to our going back. Of the twelve in the boat, seven were of the crew. Symons, who was in charge, said nothing and we all kept our mouths shut. None of the crew objected to going back. It was a woman who objected, Lady Duff Gordon, who said we would be swamped. People screaming for help could be heard by everyone in our boat. I suggested going back. Heard no one else do so. Mr. Duff Gordon upheld his wife.