CO129-413 - Governor Sir May - 1914 [8-10] — Page 168

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Between the third shot and the fifth shot, I think about

two minutes slapaød. About a minute elapsed between the

third and fourth shots. I was coming in at a speed of

about 8 knots. The tide was against me. The tide van

running about one knot. My actual speed would be between

7 & 8 knots. I think my ship would go astem about one

minute after giving the order to go matern, i.e. after re-

varsing the engines. When the second skot was fired, I

stopped the engines; and at the same time that the third

shot was fired the engines were reversed. I gave avidance

at a Court of Enquiry held on the day after the accident.

(Record of evidence read to witness). After the second shot

I thought it was firing practice; and, when the third shot

was fired, I thought it was for me to stop. It is not so

that I gave the order to go astern first as the fifth shot

struck the ship. It is not so that I gave the order to go

aster after the fourth shot which struck a man in the bows

of the ship- It was after the second shot that I gave the

order to stop. I signalled to go astern about the same time

that the third shot was fired. I did not tell the polios

on the 14th August that I did not go astern till after the

3rd round-

I saw a launch going alongside the lapress. It had SAMO

flags, but it was raining and the flags were drooping dowa.

It was raining when the launch went alongside the impress.

I saw the imprese stop, I thought there was some dignitary on board the Empress and that the stem-launch was going to

meet him. I did not think anything about the flaga. 1 thought the first two shots were firing practise. After

the second shot I stopped the engines. I did not think

very such about the first two shots. I have an international

signal code book on the ship. I did not hear any signals

sound-rockets, whistles à megaphones.

My evidence given at the court of inquiry was read over