Captain Moore himself testified that no passenger could have witnessed an event such as rockets bursting over a ship since no passenger was on deck at 12 o'clock at night to be able to see it. Over the years, attempts have been made to stir up further controversy over Mount Temples role in the sinking of the Titanic, often in a thinly-veiled attempt to deflect blame and responsibility from the Leyland liner Californian, which was probably closer to the scene of the tragedy, and whose officers reported seeing a number of rockets bursting over an unidentified ship they were watching.
Captain Moore testified that no passengers could have witnessed rocket explosions above a ship at midnight. Over time, there have been efforts to revive disputes about Mount Temple's involvement in the Titanic sinking, frequently with the intention of shifting blame from the Leyland liner Californian, which was likely closer and whose crew reported seeing rockets over an unidentified vessel.