Page 115 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

1909. One of them was saved? - Yes. 1910. Did he get through the watertight compartment with you? - I could not tell you where he got to. 1911. What was his name? - Beauchamp, I think it was. 1912. He is the man who has given evidence here this morning, because he said he was in No.10. As far as you know were any others of your gang saved? - I could not tell you. 1913. Now point out in this bulkhead whereabouts in the section of it does this watertight door come that you jumped through? - This connects in the amidship part of the ship. There is a pass connecting this bulkhead. It is further aft than that, it is about here in the centre of the ship (pointing on the plan). 1914. It is in a passage, is it? - Yes. The Commissioner: Is that a door that works automatically, or is it a door that has to be shut? 1915. (The Solicitor-General.) I think we shall find out, my Lord. (To the Witness.) Can you tell me whether that is one of the watertight doors that is worked from the bridge? - It is. 1916. At the time the accident happened it was open. You and Mr. Hescott [Hesketh] got through it just in time and it shut down behind you? - Yes. 1917. Then when you got into the next section, No. 5, did you find water there? - I went through this bunker here - it is a coal bunker - and then the water was rushing in. 1918. You say you went through the coal bunker, which is immediately abaft of the watertight door which you had passed through? - Yes. 1919. And did you find water coming in in that bunker? - Yes, pouring in the bunker. 1920. Was it coming in rapidly? - Yes. 1921. Could you tell us from what level it was coming in? The same as the other? - Two feet above the plates. 1922. Still the same? - Yes. 1923. And then did you get into the stokehold, here? - We were in the stokehold. 1924. And water was coming into the stokehold? - No, only into the bunker. 1925. And that is as far aft as the rent seemed to go? - Yes. 1926. Then what did you do when you got into No. 5? - Mr. Hescott [Hesketh] shouted out “all hands stand by your stations.” That is for the men to stand by the fires. My station was in the next boiler room, and Mr. Shepherd and I went up an escape and down to the boiler room, but we could not get in. There were 8 feet of water in it. 1927. (The Solicitor-General.) I do not know whether your Lordship caught that. I will ask it again. It is more satisfactory than my telling you. (To the Witness.) I was asking you, and I will get you to repeat it slowly and clearly, what happened when you got through this doorway and into No. 5? You told me that Mr. Hescott [Hesketh] gave an order? - Yes. 1928. What was the order he gave? - “Every man to his station.” 1929. Your station was No. 6? - Yes. 1930. The one you had just come from? - Yes. 1931. Then what did you do? - Me and Mr. Shepherd, that is the engineer who is in my section, go up the escape of No. 5 and down No. 6 escape. 1932. You tried to go back into the place you had come from? - Yes, we did go back, but we could not go in there because there were about eight feet of water when we got there. 1933. You could not get back to No. 6 through the doorway because it was shut? - Yes. 1934. So you had to go up one escape and down another? - Yes. 1935. When you came into No. 6 what water did you find in it then? - Eight feet above the plates. 1936. That is a rise of six feet since you left it? - Yes. 1937. (The Commissioner.) How long? - It was not a quarter of an hour, just on ten minutes.