Page 209 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

“Olympic.” They are practically the same - for all purposes they are the same, but I have not got the same letters. The Solicitor-General: We will find it for you. The Commissioner: It does not create any confusion. 4199. (The Solicitor-General.) Mr. Rowlatt is just putting the point of the pointer on the bunker. Your Lordship will see that the vertical line is marked “G” there at the bottom. (pointing.) (To the Witness.) That is where you were, Cavell? - Yes. 4200. Was there anybody else with you in the bunker at the time? - No. 4201. Tell us what happened? - I felt a shock, Sir, and with that all the coal round me fell around me. I had a job to get out myself. 4202. You felt a shock and the coal fell in the bunker. Did the shock knock you over? - It did not have time to knock me over. The coal surrounded me before I knew where I was. 4203. You were carried down with the coal? - Yes. 4204. And you got out? - Yes. 4205. You got out into the stokehold there, I suppose? - Yes. After that I came up right up to the bunker door, and then came into the stokehold. 4206. Is that higher up, at a higher level? - Yes. 4207. And you climbed out of that, did you? - Yes. 4208. And you got into the stokehold? - I came down the ladder and came into the stokehold. 4209. On to the plate? - Yes. 4210. When you got there did you find that the signal for “stop” had appeared on a red disc? - Yes. 4211. Who was in charge - who would be the leading hand? - A leading fireman. 4212. In charge of No. 4? - Yes. 4213. Did you hear him give any orders, or had they been given already? - I never saw him, Sir. 4214. Did you notice - had the dampers been put in by the time you got down? - No. 4215. Now tell us what happened or what you did? - After I came into the stokehold the lights in the stokehold went out. 4216. In No. 4? - Yes. 4217. Did that happen at once or was there a little time before that happened? - It happened as soon as I got into the stokehold. 4218. Out went the lights? - Yes. 4219. Did you notice whether the watertight doors fore and aft of your stokehold had been closed? - I heard the bell go and I knew in a minute what it was for. 4220. You heard the warning bell? - Yes. 4221. And so you knew they had closed? - Yes. 4222. When the lights went out what happened? - I went on deck to see what it was, and I saw people running along wet through with lifebelts in their hands. 4223. Did you go up the alleyway? - My mate said we had struck an iceberg. 4224. How far up did you go; what deck did you go up to? - The alleyway. 4225. Was it along the alleyway that you saw the people going? - Yes. 4226. Were they passengers? - Yes. 4227. (The Commissioner.) And they had lifebelts on? - They had lifebelts in their hands. 4228. (The Solicitor-General.) This alleyway that you came up to, I think, is on E deck. Is it the working alleyway on the port side or is it the one on the starboard side? - On the port side. 4229. And to get up to it from No. 4 - I think we were told about No. 5, that there was a stairway that went over the boilers and came out in the alleyway? - You have to go across the boilers and up an escape ladder.