Did you ever hear of a boat’s crew consisting of six sailors and one fireman?
Witness: No.
Lord Mersey: What was it that Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon said to you in the boat?
Witness: He said he would write to our homes and to our wives and let them know that we were safe.
Witness said he received five pounds when he was on board the Carpathia.
R. W. Pusey, fireman (Br. Inq.):
After the ship went down we heard cries for a quarter of an hour, or twenty minutes. Did not go back in the direction the Titanic had sunk. I heard one of the men say: “We have lost our kit,” and then someone said: “Never mind, we will give you enough to get a new kit.” I was surprised that no one suggested going back. I was surprised that I did not do so, but we were all half dazed. It does occur to me now that we might have gone back and rescued some of the strugglers. I heard Lady Duff Gordon say to Miss Francatelli: “You have lost your beautiful nightdress,” and I said: “Never mind, you have saved your lives; but we have lost our kit”; and then Sir Cosmo offered to provide us with new ones.
Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon (Br. Inq.):
No. 7 was the first boat I went to. It was just being filled. There were only women and the boat was lowered away. No. 3 was partially filled with women, and as there were no more, they filled it up with men. My wife would not go without me. Some men on No. 3 tried to force her away, but she would not go. I heard an officer say: “Man No. 1 boat.” I said to him: “May we get in that boat?” He said: “With pleasure; I wish you would.” He handed the ladies in and then put two Americans in, and after that he said to two or three firemen that they had better get in. When the boat was lowered I thought the Titanic was in a very grave condition. At the time I thought that certainly all the women had gotten off. No notice at all was taken in our boat of these cries. No thought entered my mind about its being possible to go back and try to save some of these people. I made a promise of a present to the men in the boat.
There was a man sitting next to me and about half an hour after the Titanic sank a man said to me: “I suppose you have lost everything?” I said: “Yes.” He said: “I suppose you can get more.” I said: “Yes.” He said: “Well, we have lost all our kit, for we shall not get anything out of the Company, and our pay ceases from to-night.” I said: “Very well, I will give you five pounds each towards your kit.”