Page 215 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

15269. Do you think it would be safe to lower 60 people in one of those boats from a height of 70 feet? - I do not know what I might do if I was placed in that position. 15270. I say now supposing you had to go through the operation again do you think it would be safe to put 70 people in or 68 people? - I would do now, yes, because I have found out since you could lower 80 in them. 15271. When you were in the “Oceanic” did you ever see bulkhead door drill take place? - I did not witness it, no. 15272. Is it not the duty of the officer, either the Chief Officer or First Officer, to go round at 11 o’clock each day and see the bulkhead doors closed? - The Commander does, yes. 15273. Was it done on the “Titanic”? - That I cannot say. 15274. You do not know. Do you know where the hand bulkhead doors are situated there? - Yes, I know where some of them are. 15275. Did you see any closed that night? - I did not go below that night. 15276. You said you took two men off in the boat. Do you know who they were? - I took two men? 15277. Yes? - What do you mean, members of the crew? The Commissioner: Six men passengers. 15278. (Mr. Cotter - To the Witness.) Six men passengers you took. Who was in the boat with you? Do you know any of the crew that were in the boat with you? - Yes, a steward by the name of Guy was one. 15279. Were the rest seamen or firemen? - One seaman, one fireman and two stewards. The Commissioner: Do you want to ask anything, Mr. Laing? Mr. Laing: Yes, my Lord, one or two questions. Examined by Mr. LAING. 15280. Was it any part of your duty to attend to the navigation of the ship, or does the Commander do that - the setting of the courses, and so on? - The Commander always sets the courses. 15281. And as junior officer have you got specified duties in the chart room? - Yes. 15282. To work up observations, and so on? - Yes. 15283. And make rounds, I think, later on in the watch? - Yes. 15284. You have nothing to do with setting the course, or anything of that sort? - The Commander is the only man who does that. 15285. A question was asked you about bulkhead doors. Whose duty is that - is it the stewards or the deck, to look after the doors? - The stewards; the bulkheads come into their department. 15286. Does the Commander make rounds every day? - Yes, weather permitting. 15287. At Belfast did you yourself, with Mr. Boxhall, go round the boats with a view of taking an inventory of their equipment? - Yes, the starboard side. 15288. You took the starboard side, or was it the port side? - No, port side, that is right. 15289. Did you go through the whole of the equipment of each of these boats? - Yes. 15290. Did you find all the regulation equipment there? - Not all in the boats, but it was on board the ship. 15291. That is what I want. Did you find, for example, on board the ship everything that the boats ought to have? - Everything. 15292. Although they may not have been exactly in the boat at the moment? - I found everything that was required. 15293. Do you know where they keep the lamps in these boats? - In the lamp room. 15294. Do you know where they keep the compasses? - Yes, in a locker on the afterpart of the