Bride said he was in bed when the impact came. He was not alarmed at the collision and remained in bed about ten minutes. He saw Phillips in the operating room.
“He told me he thought the boat had been injured in some way and he expected it would have to go back to the builders,” said Bride.
BETTER SEND OUT A CALL FOR ASSISTANCE.
The witness said that according to arrangement he relieved Phillips. “Immediately the captain came in and said we had better send out a call for assistance,” testified Bride. “Phillips asked if he wanted to send a distress call. The captain said he did. I could read what Phillips sent—C. Q. D.”
“How soon did he get a reply?”
“As far as I know, immediately. I could not hear what he received, however.”
The witness told of having intercepted a message from the Californian intended for the Baltic, which told of the presence of three huge icebergs in the vicinity of the former vessel.
“I gave the message to the captain personally,” he said.
Bride did not take down the message and could not give its precise form. “The Californian was seeking out the Baltic, and I merely noted that it was an ice report and told the captain,” he said.
Under a fire of questions Bride acknowledged that a half hour previously, or at 4.30 Sunday afternoon, he was working on his accounts in the wireless room when he heard the Californian trying to raise the Titanic. He did not respond, he said, because, he was “busy.”