Page 143 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

2454. No. 1 or No. 2 what? - Hold - water coming in there down in the firemen’s quarters. I was not relieved till 12 o’clock. The Commissioner: I am not following this. 2455. (The Attorney-General.) Neither am I, my Lord; I did not even hear it. Do you mind telling us again what you said then? I could not hear you. Try to speak up? - I did not leave there until 12 o’clock. When I went down at 12 o’clock water was coming into that compartment. That was just outside the seamen’s quarters, down below. 2456. I think that does help us. Did you know the seamen’s mess? - Yes, that is what I am talking about. 2457. That is what I want. Then I know where it is. It was just about there that the water was coming in? - Just outside there. The door is on a level, and the water was coming in down below. The ship was making water down there. You could see it from underneath the tarpaulin; you could look down below and watch the water coming in. 2458. Is No. 1 hatch just opposite the seamen’s mess amidships? - Yes. The Attorney-General: Your Lordship has that plan, and you will see at once where it is. The Witness: This was at 12 o’clock though. 2459. That is what you saw at 12 o’clock? - When I came down from aloft, yes. 2460. Did you see the water coming in? - Yes, I could hear it, and then I looked down to see what it was, and it was water pouring in from the ship’s side or the bottom, anyway. 2461. Which side? - The starboard side apparently. 2462. Where did you see the water coming in? - It was coming on the deck down there. 2463. What do you mean by that? - Down in the firemen’s quarters. 2464. On the starboard side of the firemen’s quarters; is that right? - Well, it is amidships there; their quarters are down below there. Perhaps it is the deck below that. 2465. I do not know whether you understand it. You know where the seamen’s mess is? - Yes. 2466. That is on the port side is it not? - That is on the port side. 2467. Is the firemen’s mess on the starboard side? - Oh, I mean down below, on the deck below there. If you look you will see; there are firemen’s quarters down there. 2468. The quarters are below that? - Yes. 2469. That gives us the side, at any rate? - I think it is about two decks below that where those other quarters are. 2470. Yes, you are quite right. I think we can follow it from the plan: First of all, there is a deck where there are the seamen’s messes and the firemen’s messes? - That is under the forecastle. 2471. Then below, and again below that, that is in the next deck and the deck under that, there are quarters for the firemen? - Yes. 2472. For the firemen and the greasers and some of the other men. Is that what you mean? - That is where water was coming in then, because the men brought their bags up from there who were going on the 12 to 4 watch, because the watch was coming in there. 2473. Wait a minute. You say the men were bringing up their bags from the one deck? - They could not stay down there with the water coming in. 2474. We understand that, but from what deck was it that they were bringing their bags up? Perhaps we can get at it if you will tell us where they brought the bags to? - I cannot tell you the name of the deck, but from their quarters. 2475. Where did they bring their bags to? - They put them on the forecastle on top of the hatch there, and then they were no good to them; they had to leave them behind. 2476. That was because of the water coming into their quarters where they slept? - That is so. 2477. And is that where you saw the water? - I saw the water coming through - well, I saw water down there.