On the 14th of April the steamship Californian, of the Leyland Line, Mr. Stanley Lord, master, was on her passage from London, which port she left on April 5, to Boston, United States, where she subsequently arrived on April 19. She was a vessel of 6,223 tons gross and 4,038 net. Her full speed was 12-1/2 to 13 knots. She had a passenger certificate, but was not carrying any passengers at the time. She belonged to the International Mercantile Marine Co., the owners of the Titanic.
At 7.30 p.m., ship's time, on April 14, a wireless message was sent from this ship to the Antillian:
To CAPTAIN, Antillian:
Six thirty p.m., apparent ship's time, latitude 42° 3´ N., longitude 49° 9´ W. Three large bergs, 5 miles to southward of us. Regards.
LORD
The message was intercepted by the Titanic, and when the Marconi operator (Evans) of the Californian offered this ice report to the Marconi operator of the Titanic, shortly after 7.30 p. m., the latter replied:
It is all right. I heard you sending it to the Antillian, and I have got it.
The Californian proceeded on her course S. 89° W. true until 10.20 p. m., ship's time, when she was obliged to stop and reverse engines because she was running into field ice, which stretched as far as could then be seen to the northward and southward.
The master told the court that he made her position at that time to be 42° 5´ N., 57° 7´ W. This position is recorded in the log book, which was written up from the scrap log book by the chief officer. The scrap log is destroyed. It is a position about 19 miles N. by E. of the position of the Titanic when she foundered, and is said to have been fixed by dead reckoning and verified by observations. I am satisfied that this position is not accurate. The master "twisted her head" to E. N. E. by the compass and she remained approximately stationary until 5.15 a. m. on the following morning. The ship was slowly swinging around to starboard during the night.
At about 11 p. m. a steamer's light was seen approaching from the eastward. The master went to Evans's room and asked what ships he had. The latter replied: "I think the Titanic is near us. I have got her." The master said: "You had better advise the Titanic we are stopped and surrounded with ice." This Evans did, calling up the Titanic and sending: "We are stopped and surrounded by ice." The Titanic replied: "Keep out." The Titanic was in communication with Cape Race, which station was then sending messages to her. The reason why the Titanic answered "keep out" was that her Marconi operator could not hear what Cape Race was saying, as from her proximity the message from the Californian was much stronger than any message being taken in by the Titanic from Cape Race, which was much farther off. Evans heard the Titanic continuing to communicate with Cape Race up to the time he turned in at 11.30 p. m.