Page 118 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

2005. It was only in No. 5 it had gone out as far as you know? - Yes. 2006. Then the lamps are got and you take them down to No. 5, and how soon did the electric light come back? - It just came back as we got the lamps. 2007. When you got back to number 5 was it still clear of water, or not? - Still clear of water. 2008. What was the condition of the boilers at this time? - I looked at the water. There was no water in the boilers. 2009. You looked at the water gauge? - Yes. 2010. And there was no water in the boilers? - No. 2011. Then it had been let out, had it? - With the ship blowing off it had blown it out. 2012. Then after you had looked at the boilers and found they had no water in them what was the next order you got from Mr. Harvey? - To fetch some men down to keep the fires pulled. 2013. Would that be in all the sections? - No; only in No. 5 section. 2014. How many men were wanted for that? - I got between 15 and 20 down. There were 30 furnaces to pull. 2015. How many furnaces are there in each section? - There are 30 in some sections, and there are 24 in some. 2016. But in No. 5 there are 30? - Yes. 2017. And you got some 15 men to help about it? - Yes. 2018. And did they draw the fires? - Yes. 2019. How long do you think it would take them to draw the fires? - It would take them 20 minutes. 2020. And after they had drawn the fires what happened to them? - I sent them up again. 2021. They went up again? - Yes. 2022. Did you stay below? - Yes. 2023. With Mr. Harvey? - Yes. 2024. Then what was the next order? - He asked me to lift the manhole plate off. 2025. Where was the manhole plate? - On the starboard side of No. 5 section. 2026. When the plate was in position what was it - closed? - It is something you lift up to get at the valves. I do not know what valves it is. It is just like a hole in this table. You lift it off to get to the valves to turn on the pumps or something. 2027. Is it in the floor? - Yes. 2028. And did you do that for him? - Yes. 2029. That would leave a hole in the floor? - Yes. 2030. And what happened then? - Mr. Shepherd was walking across in a hurry to do something and then fell down the hole and broke his leg. 2031. He did not notice the manhole plate had been lifted? - No. 2032. He broke his leg? - Yes. 2033. What did you do with him? - We lifted him up and carried him into the pump room, me and Mr. Harvey. 2034. Is that the pump room in No. 5? - Yes. 2035. At this time, in this No. 5, was it easy to see? - No, all the water which had been thrown on the furnaces when they were pulled out was making the stokehold thick with steam. 2036. And then you attended to Mr. Shepherd as best you could. Did you stay there after that? - Just about a quarter of an hour after that. 2037. And during that quarter of an hour did No. 5 keep free from water? - Yes. 2038. Then tell us what happened at the end of a quarter of an hour? - A rush of water came through the pass - the forward end. 2039. You say the forward end of the pass. What is the pass? - It is a space between the boilers where we walk through.