Page 113 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

1868. Where was the crash - what was it you felt or heard or saw? - Water came pouring in two feet above the stokehold plate; the ship’s side was torn from the third stokehold to the foreword end. 1869. We will get this slowly, because it is important. Just let us have that again. You said something about the water coming in? - Yes. 1870. Did it come in on you? - Yes. 1871. Did it come into this No. 6 section No. 10 stokehold? - Yes. 1872. Then you said something about the side of the ship being torn? - Yes. The Commissioner: Before you leave that will you tell me where the water came from? 1873. (The Solicitor-General.) It is the same thing as I was upon, my Lord. (To the Witness.) Where did the water come from? - Well, out of the sea, I expect. 1874. (The Solicitor-General.) I think your last question and mine meant the same thing, my Lord. (To the Witness.) I wanted to know where it came from - underneath or from the side or from the port side or from the starboard side? - The starboard side. 1875. Can you tell us at all compared with where you were standing whether it came from above or below? - About two feet from where I was standing. The Commissioner: That is what I want to know - exactly where the water came from. He says from the starboard side. 1876. (The Solicitor-General.) We will get it by degrees, my Lord. (To the Witness.) About two feet from above where your feet were? - Yes. 1877. On the starboard side? - Yes. 1878. What is it you stand on in the stokehold? - We call them plates. It is like a floor. 1879. Iron plates, I suppose? - Yes. 1880. I expect you can find your way about a plan. Do you think you could point on this section here with a pointer what would be the level you were standing on? - Yes. The Solicitor-General: I think it would be well if he did that, my Lord. The Commissioner: Yes. (To the Witness.) Just do so. Perhaps we could understand it better if he did it on the upper plan. The Solicitor-General: I will get it from the lower one first and then turn to the other. (The Witness pointed out on the plan.) 1881. (The Solicitor-General.) Is the place you are pointing out now No. 6 section and No. 10 stoke-hold? - Yes. (The Witness further pointed out on the plan.) 1882. And is the place you are pointing out now the floor level where you would be standing? - No, that is about here. (Pointing on the plan.) 1883. Lord Mersey thinks you might also be able to point it out on the section above. You see there is the water level outside the ship where she would be? - The plates were supposed to be six feet above the tank tops. That is what it is reckoned to be. 1884. The floor you are standing on is supposed to be six feet above the top of the tanks? - Yes. 1885. What tanks are those? - I could not tell you. 1886. The tank top is marked there, is it not? - Yes. (The Witness pointed out the position on the top plan.) There would be about six feet over these tank tops. 1887. (The Commissioner.) Those were the plates you were standing on? - Yes. 1888. Did the water come up through those plates? - No, from 2 feet over those plates. 1889. Did the water come through the side of the ship? - Yes. 1890. Before you go away can you point out to me whereabouts in the skin of the ship the water came from. Look at the top plan? - I cannot judge by the top plan. I can judge better by this one.