Page 144 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

18647. Is he a survivor? - He is not. 18648. I think it was decided then that some day in the course of the voyage you would run the ship up to her full speed? - It was. 18649. And you expected then to take 28 knots out of her? - I beg your pardon! 18650. You expected then that she would do 78 revolutions? - Yes. 18651. Who suggested that it was possible for you to arrive in New York on Tuesday? - Nobody. 18652. I thought you said in answer to the Attorney-General, that Mr. Bell said that you could arrive on Tuesday night? - That we could not arrive - we could not arrive in New York on Tuesday. 18653. Did you fix with him the time it was suitable to arrive? - I told him I thought we should arrive at the Ambrose lightship about 5 o’clock on Wednesday morning. 18654. Had you made any calculations to enable you to come to this conclusion? - I had not. 18655. Now, Mr. Ismay, I want to ask you this question: What right had you, as an ordinary passenger, to decide the speed the ship was to go at, without consultation with the Captain? The Commissioner: Well, I can answer that - none; you are asking him something which is quite obvious; he has no right to dictate what the speed is to be. Mr. Scanlan: But he may as a super captain. The Commissioner: What sort of a person is a “super captain”? Mr. Scanlan: I will tell you as I conceive it, my Lord. It is a man like Mr. Ismay who can say to the chief engineer of a ship what speed the ship is to be run at. The Commissioner: I do not know that he did. You know the Captain is the man who must say all those things. Mr. Scanlan: I daresay, my Lord, but I think it is important that this conversation and this decision was not arrived at with regard to the speed of the ship in the presence of the Captain, but was arrived at at a meeting between this gentleman and the Chief Engineer. The Commissioner: I suppose the Captain would or ought to know hour by hour what his ship is steaming? Mr. Scanlan: I should think, my Lord. The Commissioner: Never mind, we will not argue about it. The question you put to him is answered by me. You take my answer that he had no right at all to do anything of the kind. Mr. Scanlan: I will take it that that would be his answer, my Lord. The Commissioner: I do not know whether it would. 18656. (Mr. Scanlan - To the Witness.) Were the designs for the “Titanic,” the plans and designs, submitted to you? - They were. 18657. The builders’ plans? - They were. 18658. Those plans included the plans for the davits and lifeboats? - Yes, they would be on the plan. 18659. Did you examine those yourself? - I could not say whether I did or not. 18660. I want to draw your attention to a statement which appeared in the “Daily Mail” of April 18th. Let me put this to you: Is it correct to state that in the original plans and designs there was provision made for having four lifeboats on each pair of davits for the “Titanic,” which would have meant a total of over 40 boats? - I have no recollection of it whatever. The Commissioner: What is that? Is this the “Daily Mail’s” statement? Mr. Scanlan: It is, my Lord. The Commissioner: Do tell me again what it is, because I do not understand it. Mr. Scanlan: This is a statement of an alleged interview - I can see your Lordship does not believe everything the “Daily Mail” says - The Commissioner: There is a great deal that I believe.