Page 52 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

The Commissioner: But what is this patent raft? Is it a thing which is carried on board the boat? Mr. Butler Aspinall: Yes, my Lord. The Commissioner: Is it a thing which is constructed by the passengers or by the crew? Mr. Butler Aspinall: I think it is part of the equipment of the ship. The Commissioner: I have not heard of it. Mr. Butler Aspinall: I think they are so constructed; they are put all about the deck, are not they? The Witness: Yes. I will show you on this model. There is one at the end of this boat and there is one on the other side on the boat opposite to this one. The Commissioner: Are these things which are carried in accordance with the Regulations of the Board of Trade? I never heard of them. Mr. Butler Aspinall: I have heard of them before, my Lord. The Commissioner: Do you know anything about them, Mr. Attorney? 449. (The Attorney-General.) Yes. It is a frame, and you can make round it by the arrangements there are there a bulwark of canvas. That is as I understand it. (To the Witness.) Is that right? - That is correct, Sir, but there are air boxes there that form the seats of that raft. Those are tanks. The Commissioner: Those are air boxes which help to float the thing. 450. (The Attorney-General.) I presume so, my Lord. (To the Witness.) Do you know what an Englehardt collapsible boat is? - No; the only collapsible boat I have had any dealings with is the Berthon boat and I understand that thoroughly. 451. I am not sure what he is dealing with in regard to collapsible boats. Do you know how many there were? - No, I do not know how many there were. The Commissioner: Is he talking about collapsible boats? The Attorney-General: He may be. The Witness: No, not collapsible boats. The Commissioner: Is there anyone here, Sir Robert, connected with the White Star Line who can give us any information about these rafts, because I know nothing about them? Sir Robert Finlay: Yes, my Lord. Captain Steele, the Marine Superintendent, will. The Commissioner: Will you tell me, Captain Steele, what these things are? Captain Steele: They are similar to an ordinary boat; just like the bottom of an ordinary boat, only there are air spaces in them, and they have canvas bulwarks. The Commissioner: They are things which have to be rigged up I suppose when they are needed? Captain Steele: They have; the bulwarks have to be raised, yes. The Commissioner: How many of those are carried on board the boat? Captain Steele: Four. The Commissioner: Two on each side? Captain Steele: Two on each side. The Attorney-General: Will your Lordship ask him whether they are things we have been calling the Englehardt collapsible boats? Captain Steele: Yes, they are. The Commissioner: Are they the collapsible boats? Captain Steele: Yes, they are, the Englehardt collapsible boat. The Commissioner: They are the collapsible boats that you spoke of, Mr. Attorney. The Attorney-General: Yes, I spoke of four Englehardt collapsible boats. The Commissioner: Now I understand. They are not something additional to what you mentioned in your opening? The Attorney-General: No.