Alfred Fernand Omont on his oath saith as follows
I am a cotton agent at Havre. I joined the "Titanic" at Cherbourg on the 10th April as a 1st class passenger. We had good weather all the way till the disaster, and at the time of the disaster.
On Sunday the 14th April so far as I know there was no boat drill - I am practically sure.
The Captain was in the Saloon at Dinner on Sunday night the 14th April. Afterwards, after dinner there was the Orchestra in the Companion - way and the Captain was there.
This was on the "D" Deck. The "A" deck was on the 1st deck down from the top deck. Monsieur Marechal remarked to me that the Captain was with a party and seemed very happy and very confident in his boat. Then we went and played Bridge in the "Cafe Parisien". We played on until about 11:40 p.m and then there was a shock. I have crossed the Atlantic thirteen times, and the shock was not a great one, and I thought it was caused by a wave. After about a few minutes I asked the waiter to put down the port - hole, and he did so, and we saw nothing. When the shock had happened, we saw something white through the port - holes, and we saw water on the ports. When the waiter opened the port-hole we saw nothing except a clear night.
About a minute after the waiter had opened the port holes we all left the cafe. Marechal put the cards in his pocket., and so did I - I went all round to find my friends to go on with the game. We waited a very long time, and told us there was nothing at all. About 12:30 we saw the Captain and the 1st officer going up to the bridge. All around about 50 or 60 women and men were waiting anxiously to know what was happening. The Captain came down with the 1st officer the Captain was chewing a toothpick and he said "You had better put your life-preservers on, as a "precaution." Then I went down to my cabin, a few floors down, and I put my life - belt on. Then I went up to the boat deck, and it was deadly cold. I came back to my own cabin, took off my life - belt and put on my overcoat. Then I came up, and put on again my life - belt. I was then on the boat deck, a boat was let down. The 1st officer saw me and asked me if I wanted to get in. Some of the passengers shouted to me not to get in as they had such confidence in the ship. I saw that the sea was very calm, and on calm reason I thought it better to jump into the boat and see what would happen. I jumped two or three yards, and landed in the boat anyhow. We were twenty nine in the boat. The boat could not have held more than thirty in any case. I personally consider and state that the idea of putting sixty people in a boat or on a raft is ridiculous. I have a photograph in my posession which shows how ridiculous it is to attempt to put 50 or sixty persons in one of these boats or rafts. I consider it a monstrosity to state that one could put 60 persons in a boat in safely.
When we were being lowered, about 15 yds from the sea, a man put one rope much lower than the other one and we nearly went over. Then we went down and touched water. Then it was difficult to get free and we had to cut the rope to get free.
When we were in the water we started to row away from the ship. I was rowing. We had about 22 women on board. Marechal my friend was on board, and I did not recognise him till the morning. We rowed up to about 150 yards from the ship. We saw the ship sink gradually - she sank to starboard.
We had no lights in our lifeboat, no compass, no chart, but we had a small cask of water, and I heard that we had a small box of biscuits.
After the ship had gone down and before, we saw a light far off, about eight or ten miles. Everyone thought it was another ship - a sailing or steam boat. We saw it plainly. We all cheered up, thinking we were going to be saved; we saw it gradually disappear.
We thought it was either a sailing boat that could not move on account of the very calm weather, or else an optical illusion on our part.
Then we waited until dawn. Then the "Carpathia" came up. We were royally treated on board the "Carpathia". Any man who was saved by the "Carpathia" will always have in his mind the faces of the Captain and officers. I know personally how much the captain of the "Carpathia" had at heart to save the "Titanic".
One of the look out men was in our boat. He told us that he had seen the iceberg about three minutes before the shock. I am no sailor, but if he did so, we must take into consideration that the ship was going 20 miles an hour at least, i.e. he saw the iceberg 1760 yards (and advised it) before meeting it.
I consider as a passenger, that two people knew that the icebergs were around us - these two are the head of the company and the Captain - I ask, how is it that neither of those two said a word for the safety of the passengers? We passengers always consider that we have to deliver our safety to the captain, and therefore have a right to know if our life is properly looked after, and if in case of records for speed we have to risk it for the benefit of companies.
After the disaster, the captain and officers behaved like gentlemen.
A.F. Omont
Sworn by the said Alfred Fernand Omont
in the presence of
James Walsh
British Vice Consul
Havre
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