Page 201 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

3992. (The Attorney-General - To the Witness.) What were you doing there? - Repairing the electric fans. 3993. You were at work there with the chief electrician, were you not? - Yes. 3994. Do you remember feeling something happen? - Yes. 3995. Just describe it to us? - There was just a slight jar - just lifted us off our feet. 3996. Just a slight jar - just lifted you off your feet? - Yes, it just moved us like that (demonstrating). 3997. Did you take any notice of it as regards your work, or did you go on with your work? - No, we turned round and saw the turbine engine was stopped. We turned round and looked into the engine room and saw the turbine engine was stopped. 3998. (The Commissioner.) Was it stopped? - Yes. 3999. (The Attorney-General.) Do you mean at the time you felt the bump? - About two minutes afterwards. 4000. First of all you felt the bump? - Yes. 4001. Then did you go on with your work? - Yes. 4002. Then, if I understand you, about two minutes afterwards you looked around and saw the turbine engine had stopped? - Yes. 4003. Is that right? - Yes. 4004. Then what did your chief electrician do? - He went down below and stood by the main lighting engines. 4005. That would be down on the tank top? - Down on the bottom platform. 4006. It is the same one we were looking at just now, 3; I pointed out to you, first of all, there was a reciprocating engine room, and then we went along the boiler rooms. Now, if you go aft, the next to the reciprocating engine is the turbine-engine room, and just aft of that you will find an electric engine. That is what you mean, is it not? - Yes. Your Lordship will see on the big plan it is very well marked. There is the turbine engine which my friend, Mr. Rowlatt, is pointing out. Just abaft of that you see “electric machinery” in the centre. That you see from the tank top plan here and fresh water tanks at the sides. That is really only giving you there what you have on the tank top plan. The Commissioner: The chief engineer went below and stood by the electric engines? 4007. (The Attorney-General.) Yes. (To the Witness.) You stopped in the workshop, did you? - Yes. 4008.(The Attorney-General.) The chief electrician, not the chief engineer, my Lord. (To the Witness.) When did you get the order from your chief electrician? - About a quarter of an hour afterwards. 4009. Then you remained there in the workshop for a quarter of an hour? - Yes. 4010. Were you doing your work? - Yes. 4011. Mending an electric fan? - Yes. 4012. And during the time you were there, did you know that anything had happened? - I knew the ship had struck something. 4013. You knew that? - Yes. 4014. (The Commissioner.) By this time the ship had stopped, I suppose? - Yes. 4015. (The Attorney-General.) You got an order from your chief, did you? - Yes, to go and stop all the electric fans, the stokehold fans first. 4016. Do you know what that was for. So that the steam would not rise in the boilers, I think. The Commissioner: I do not understand that. 4017. (The Attorney-General.) To keep the draught down, I suppose - to reduce the draught. I suppose that is the object of it. (To the Witness.) How many fans were there to close down? - There were 45 working.