Page 210 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

4230. Is there a different escape ladder from each section? - Yes. 4231. Did you get into the alleyway immediately above No. 4? - Yes. 4232. When you got up into the alleyway and you saw these passengers, was there any light in the alleyway? - Yes. 4233. So that the lights had not gone out there? - No. 4234. You said you saw people going along with lifebelts wet through? - Yes. 4235. And saying that she had struck an iceberg? - Yes. 4236. Can you remember which way they were going? - They were going towards after-way. 4237. Coming from the forward end? - Yes. 4238. Could you tell what class passengers they were? - I should think they were the third- class passengers. 4239. Your Lordship will see - perhaps it is possible for you to see it there on the plan - that the E deck on which the alleyway is, is the E deck, if you carry your eye forwards, which runs forward to the part marked “third-class and crew” (pointing). (To the Witness.) They were coming from there, were they? - Coming from forward to aft. The Commissioner: The alleyway runs straight aft? The Solicitor-General: Yes. The Commissioner: The whole length of the ship? 4240. (The Solicitor-General.) Yes, practically. (To the Witness.) You went up, I understand, to get some lamps. Did you get them? - Yes. 4241. Did you go back to your stokehold? - Yes. 4242. With the lamps? - Yes. 4243. What about the lights in the stokehold? - They were on by the time I got back. 4244. (The Commissioner.) The lights only went out for a few minutes? - Yes. 4245. (The Solicitor-General.) It is the same story as No. 5, your Lordship sees. (To the Witness.) There is a thing I have not asked you that I ought to have asked you before. Up to the time that you left No. 4 and went up to the alleyway, had you seen water in No. 4? - No. 4246. Not coming through the floor, or the sides, or anywhere? - No. 4247. When you came back to No. 4, and you found the lights were on again, did you see any water in No. 4? - No. 4248. When you got back to No. 4, do you remember hearing an order being given? - Yes. 4249. What was it? - Draw fires. 4250. Is that any part of a trimmer’s work as a rule? - In an emergency. 4251. In an emergency you would do it, of course? - Yes. 4252. And did you lend a hand to draw the fires in No. 4? - Yes. 4253. And were they drawn? - Partly drawn. 4254. What would there be - 30 furnaces? - Yes. 4255. Were the firemen there helping to draw, too? - Yes. 4256. You say they were only partly drawn? - Yes. 4257. What happened then? - The water started coming up over her stokehold plates. 4258. In No. 4? - Yes. 4259. Did that happen gradually or did it happen suddenly? - It came gradually. 4260. The water - you moved your hand, you raised it; did it seem to come up from below? - Yes. 4261. As far as you saw in No. 4, did any water come in from the side of the ship? - Not so far as I saw. 4262. When the water came up through the plates what was done then? - We stopped as long as we could. 4263. That is right? - And then I thought to myself it was time I went for the escape ladder.