Page 60 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

lower the boats successfully? - No. 596. You mentioned in regard to one of the boats that the falls were rather short; is that so? - Not the falls short; the falls being new, I take it, it twisted and so prevented it from rendering, from overhauling properly, as we call it. 597. Am I correct in saying that McGough was in the boat? - No. 598. He assisted you? - Yes, he lowered that fall. 599. He did not go into the boat? - No. 600. You gave in your evidence that the third-class passengers would have very little chance of going by your boats because they did not have access to the embarkation deck? - I will not say that, because every barrier is down in a case like that. The Commissioner: You do not listen to him. Every barrier was down, he says, and therefore every one could get on to this deck. The Witness: Yes, the decks were quite open. 601. (Mr. Lewis.) Have you sailed in the “Olympic”? - No. 602. Do you know the character of the “Titanic” fairly well; did you know its form? - No, I do not know anything about the structure of the vessel. 603. Could you say whether it was difficult for the third-class passengers to obtain access to the deck which you were referring to just now? - Yes, it is difficult. 604. (The Commissioner.) In what sense? - There is only one ladder. May I point to the model? 605. There is only one ladder to approach that deck for the third-class passengers? - There is a ladder here goes on to this deck and you have to go inside this part here and up another ladder, but there are other ladders here on the afterpart of this deck-house, but they are only rungs on the side of a house, hardly ladders. They are straight up and down, and anybody outside seafaring men would find it a difficult job. 606. He would find it a clumsy job to do? - Yes. 607. Point me out where you were during this time - during the lowering of the boats? - This was the last boat I worked on, No. 13. That was the last one I worked on. My boat was on the other side of the ship. 608. You were on the port side? - Yes; I went to my own boat afterwards. 609. You were on the port side about where you have put your finger? - Yes. 610. Did you see any third-class passengers coming up? - I saw none coming up, but I saw some there. 611. You were close to this ladder that you talk about? - No. 612. Show me how far away the ladder was from where you were standing. - The ladder is here and I am right away on the other side. 613. Is there not a ladder on each side of the ship? - No. 614. Do you mean to say there is only the ladder on the starboard side of the ship? - No, there is one each side of the well deck. 615. Of course there is; there is one on the starboard side and one on the port side? - Yes. 616. And could you see the ladder on the port side? - No. 617. Then you do not know how many people were coming up that ladder? - No. 618. (Mr. Lewis.) At the time you placed the women and children on board, were the decks at all crowded near your boat? - There were people round about my boat, but I could not say what space there was beyond the cluster of people I saw there. 619. How many years have you been at sea? - Eighteen years. 620. You have had a fair experience. How many seamen were on your boat? - On boat 14? 621. No, on the “Titanic” itself? - I do not know the number. 622. Would it be round about 42 or 43? - Yes, it would be round about that. 623. How many men did you say it required to prepare and lower a lifeboat? - At least four.