Page 56 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

two spare oars.” The Commissioner: Now stop a moment. Did you see whether the boat that you were on, No. 14, was equipped with a proper complement of oars? - With a proper complement of oars, yes. The Commissioner: Now what is the next? Mr. Scanlan: “(b) With two plugs for each plug-hole, attached with lanyards or chains, and one set and a half of thole pins or crutches, attached to the boat by sound lanyards.” The Commissioner: Did you look for those? The Witness: My position in the boat - 521. Now, will you answer the question? Did you look for those? - Not for the plug, but for the crutches. 522. You looked for some; did you find them? - Yes. 523. And the others you did not look for? - No. 524. I suppose it was not your business to look to these things? - Not as regards the plug. Mr. Scanlan: “With a sea anchor, a bailer, a rudder, and a tiller, or yoke and yoke lines.” 525. (The Commissioner.) Did you look for those things? - No. Then you cannot tell us whether they were there or not? - No. The Attorney-General: There was a tiller, my Lord; he said he used it. The Witness: Not in that boat, Sir. The Commissioner: This man was not there for the purpose of seeing whether the boat was properly furnished or not. Mr. Scanlan: “A painter of sufficient length and a boat-hook.” 526. (The Commissioner.) Did you look for the painter and the boat-hook? - Yes. 527. Were they there? - Yes. Mr. Scanlan: “The rudder and bailer to be attached to the boat by sufficiently long lanyards.” 528. (The Commissioner.) Did you measure the lanyards? - No. Mr. Scanlan: “A vessel to be kept filled with fresh water shall be provided for each boat.” The Commissioner: That was there; it was there after the collision. Mr. Scanlan: In those rules the next Section (6) is headed “Additional equipments for boats of Section (A.) and Section (B).” The Commissioner: What does that mean - “(A.) and (B)?” Mr. Scanlan: I understand (A.) are lifeboats. It gives Section (A.) in the general rules, “Section (A.). A boat of this Section shall be a lifeboat of whale boat form properly constructed of wood or metal, having for every 10 feet of her cubic capacity as in Rule 2 at least one cubic foot of strong and serviceable enclosed airtight compartments so constructed that water cannot find its way into them. In the case of metal boats an addition will have to be made to the cubic contents of the airtight compartments so as to give them a buoyancy equal to wooden boats.” The Commissioner: This man will know nothing about that unless he was a skilled naval architect. Mr. Scanlan: This was an ordinary lifeboat. Section 6 provides that the boat should have two hatchets or tomahawks - that is the language of the Board of Trade Rules - “one to be kept in each end of the boat, and to be attached to the boat by a lanyard.” 529. (The Commissioner.) Did you see the hatchet or tomahawk? - No, my Lord. 530. Do you mean to say they were not there or that you did not look for them? - I did not look for them. Mr. Scanlan: “With a mast or masts and good sail and proper gear for each.” 531. (The Commissioner.) Was that there as far as you know? - Yes. The Commissioner: What is the next? Mr. Scanlan: “With a line becketted round the outside of the boat, and securely made fast.” 532. (The Commissioner.) Had it that? - Yes.