Page 19 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

how far below the top of the watertight bulkhead would it be at the time? Mr. Laing: 16 feet 3 inches. The Attorney-General: Which bulkhead is that? The Commissioner: The Admiral tells me it would be about 16 feet below the top of the bulkhead; so you see that the water he saw would have to rise, assuming the doors to be closed, 16 feet before it would break over the top of the bulkhead. Is there any watertight bulkhead, Mr. Laing, above deck E? The Attorney-General: That is just what I am asking, my Lord. According to the plan it looks as if it reaches D in this particular bulkhead. It looks as if the bulkhead B reaches this particular place, that is, this particular bulkhead reaches deck D. I am just asking the question. The Commissioner: I see the thick dark line which stops at the bottom of deck E, and then I see the line extending upwards, but it does not look to me as if it was intended to indicate a continuation of the bulkhead. The Attorney-General: My friend, Mr. Laing, ought to be able to tell us; but it looks from the plan as if it does. Mr. Wilding will tell your Lordship at once. (Mr. Wilding explained the plan to the Attorney-General.) The Attorney-General: It is right; it does go to D, my Lord; it is shown on this section. It does reach D. The Commissioner: The collision bulkhead A does not go higher than the floor of deck E, does it? The Attorney-General: I understand it does; it is stepped forward. This one is stepped aft. The Commissioner: It is not shown on the plan. The Attorney-General: No, my Lord; but I think this one is on my plan. It is stepped aft from G deck to D deck. Both A and B reach D deck. The Commissioner: Mr. Wilding, will you come round here? (Mr. Wilding explained the plan to the Commissioner.) The Commissioner: - to the Attorney-General: Will you look at this plan? I have marked in red pencil how high the bulkheads extend. (The plan was handed to the Attorney-General.) The Attorney-General: Yes, my Lord, that is right. A is stepped forward to D deck, B is stepped aft to D deck. The Commissioner: The water that he saw would be about 5 feet above the external waterline? 11398. (The Attorney-General - To the Witness.) You saw this water below the coamings? Is that below the coamings on which there are hatchway covers? - Below the coamings is where the hatches come on, and also the cover. 11399. That makes it quite plain that it is G deck. As I understand you, you did not have much time to look at it? - No, I had just time to see the water come in when the order came, “All hands on the boat deck.” 11400. You say you saw water coming in; will you help us about that? Was it coming in fast? - Yes, coming in at what I call a moderate pace. 11401. Could you see where it was coming in from? - No, you could only discern by the look of it that it was rising from the starboard side. 11402. (The Commissioner.) I suppose the hatch covers and the tarpaulins were not on the hatchway of deck G? - Yes; the hatch cover was there, all covered up and battened down. 11403. How could you see the water? - I did not know it was coming in over this hatch. 11404. Through the hatch covers? - I could not see whether it was making its way through the hatch cover, but it was running over the hatch, and it looked as if it was mostly coming up the far end of the starboard side - the foremost corner. 11405. (The Attorney-General.) The hatchway in G deck was covered up in the ordinary way by the tarpaulin and hatches? - Yes.