then "asked the operator if he was absolutely sure it was a distress signal from the Titanic." Cottam said that he had "received a distress signal from the Titanic, requiring immediate assistance," gave Titanic's position, and said that "he was absolutely certain of the message." Whilst dressing, Rostron set a course for Titanic, and sent for the chief engineer and told "him to call another watch of stokers and make all possible speed to the Titanic, as she was in trouble." Cottam, meanwhile, messaged the Titanic that Carpathia was "coming as quickly as possible and expect to be there within four hours." Second Officer Bisset writes that Cottam refrained from sending more signals after this, trying to keep the air clear for Titanics distress signals. However, Cottam testified that while Carpathia sped to Titanics position, he was kept busy relaying messages from other ships in the area that Phillips was having difficulty hearing because of noise from the sinking ship. He also delivered updates to the bridge. Final calls and sinking Around 1:45 a.m., Cottam received Titanics final intelligible message: "Come as quickly as possible, old man, the engine room is filling up to the boilers." He replied that "all our boats were ready and we were coming as hard as we could come" but received no further response. The British Wreck Commissioner's inquiry found that other ships in the area continued to hear broken or unintelligible CQD and SOS calls from Titanic after the last message Cottam received, but all signals cut off abruptly at 2:17 a.m., three minutes before Titanic disappeared under the water. Despite receiving no reply, Cottam continued to update Titanic on Carpathias progress, instructing Phillips to look for their signal rockets. Rescue and aftermath Carpathia arrived at the distress position shortly after 4:00 a.m., approximately an hour and a half after the Titanic went down, and five hours before any other ship. Cottam recalled seeing floating wood and debris at the scene, but no bodies. For the next four and a half hours, the ship took on the 705 survivors from Titanics 20 lifeboats before setting course for New York. From the morning of 14 April before the disaster, to the evening of 18 April, when Carpathia arrived in New York, Cottam did not go off duty and slept less than ten hours. He testified to the Senate that the first four days, he worked