Of the fifth boat Lightholder had no particular recollection. “The last boat I put out, my sixth boat,” he said, “we had difficulty finding women. I called for women and none were on deck. The men began to get in—and then women appeared. As rapidly as they did the men passengers got out of the boats again.
“The boat’s deck was only ten feet from the water when I lowered the sixth boat. When we lowered the first the distance to the water was 70 feet.” All told, Lightholder testified, 210 members of the crew were saved.
Lightholder declared he stood on top the officers’ quarters and as the ship dived he faced forward and dived also. “I was sucked against a blower and held there,” testified the officer.
“Head above water?” “No, sir. A terrific gust came up the blower—the boilers must have exploded—and I was blown clear.”
“How far were you blown?” “Barely clear. I was sucked down again; this time on the ‘fidley’ grating.”
“Did anyone else have a similar experience?” “Yes, Colonel Gracie.”
“How did you get loose?” “I don’t know, maybe another explosion. All I know is we came up by a boat.”
“Were there any watertight compartments on that ship?” the Senator asked. “Certainly, forty or fifty.”
Thomas Cottam, 21 years old, of Liverpool, the Marconi operator on the Carpathia, was the first witness at the evening session.
He denied himself some glory by saying he had no stated hours for labor on the Carpathia. Previous witnesses had testified he was not “on duty” when he received the Titanic’s signal for help.