Jesse first. A good example would be
Carpathia's mast lights coming up above the horizon in the early morning hours about 3:30 AM Still before any daylight). According to Beesley's account they noticed the two mastlights come up rapidly, first one then a second below the first. As far as I can tell from photographs of the
Carpathia, her mast lights were about 90 and 110 ft above waterline. If that were the case, and taking height of eye in the lifeboat at 3 ft above water, the mast lights of the Carpathia were visible when she was 13 to 14 miles off while the rest of the ship was still below the horizon.
Paul Lee. Gibson did say that Stone was taking bearings, but that does not mean it was literally on a continuous basis. Stone did not have his glasses on the steamer's lights all the time by his own admission if I recall correctly.
And I still believe the swinging of the Californian may not have been in the same clockwise direction all the time which would have added to the confusion. Gibson was asked at one point which way he saw his ship swing:
7772. To show you her red light she must have been heading to the northward of N. N. W., on your story? - Yes.
7773. And your head was falling away; which way? - To northward.
7774. To northward and westward? - Northward and eastward.
7775. You were heading E. N. E.? - Yes - to northward and westward.
7776. To the northward it was at any rate, and if you pass to northward you would get to the northward and west? - Yes.
7777. I understand you to say you got to W. S. W.? - Yes.
7778. What was causing that? - We were swinging round.
7779. You told us you never saw the green light of this vessel? - No.
7780. Was the glare of light which you saw on the afterpart of this vessel forward or aft of the masthead light? - Abaft the masthead light.
7781. So that you would be seeing her starboard side? - No, her port side.
7782. The glare of light which you say was aft, was aft of the masthead lights? - Yes.
7783. Was that to your left or your right as you were looking at her? - To the right.
7784. Do you mean the masthead light was to the right? - No, the masthead light was to the left.
7785. Was that before you saw her apparently steaming to the south-west? - Yes.
7786. Did you see her turn round? - No.
Yet despite all this, the relative bearings of the rockets he reported were continuously advancing from starboard side to port side showing an average swing in the clockwise direction. Was Gibson confused? Or did Gibson notice the lights of the steamer swing to the right as his ship was swing counter-clockwise when Stone reported that she was "steaming away to the SW?"