Page 147 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

you have provision for 3,000, say - 2,500 to 3,000 - on the “Olympic.” Do you agree with me in this, that it is necessary to have a larger number of trained men to look after those boats? The Commissioner: This question, again, is put in the interests of your union. Mr. Scanlan: If I may respectfully say so, it is put in the interests of this Enquiry, and to assist your Lordship. The Commissioner: You know you are asking a question that does not assist me; it does not assist me at all. It is quite obvious that if you have more boats, you must have more skilled men to attend to them. You are asking something that is quite obvious. 18696. (Mr. Scanlan.) I will ask another question, my Lord, which, I think, will show the justification of my insisting on the point. (To the Witness.) You have doubled the boat accommodation on the “Olympic,” is not that so? - I do not know whether it has been doubled or not; I know it has been considerably increased. The Commissioner: Are you going to ask whether they have doubled the men on that? Mr. Scanlan: I am not going to put it just that way, my Lord. The Commissioner: That is what it is leading to, and it has nothing to do with this Enquiry. 18697. (Mr. Scanlan.) If I may respectfully say so, my Lord, it is not just that that I am going to ask. (To the Witness.) Can you tell my Lord what alteration, if any, has been made in the crew of the “Olympic” and your other ships to correspond with the increase you have made in boat accommodation? The Commissioner: I will not have that question asked. I am not going to inquire into any such matter. 18698. (Mr. Scanlan.) Very well, my Lord. (To the Witness.) We have had it from a captain of a ship of the Canadian Pacific Railway fleet, the “Mount Temple,” that his company issue instructions in regard to ice-fields that their captains are not to enter an ice-field under any conditions. I am reading from page 194 of the examination of James Henry Moore? The Commissioner: “Those instructions we usually get, that we are not to enter field ice, no matter how light it may appear.” That is it? 18699. (Mr. Scanlan.) Yes, my Lord. (To the Witness.) I take it you do not issue any similar instructions to your captains? - We do not. 18700. He is also asked at Question 9264, “When you got warning there was ice ahead, what precautions did you adopt?” And then, at Question 9267: “Do you make any change in the look- out?” and the answer is: “If we expect to see ice we always double the look-out.” You do not give any similar instructions to your captains about that. May I ask how many men they have on the look-out? Sir Robert Finlay: Yes; I think the next two questions should be read on that. Mr. Scanlan: “On this occasion, in daylight, when you were warned there was ice ahead, did you double the look-out? - (A.) No, because I made sure I could pass that ice. (Q.) At night, even going at 11 knots, do you double the look-out? - (A.) No, unless we expect to see ice.” Sir Robert Finlay: No; but it is the next question. “If you expect to see ice, do you double the look-out? - (A.) Oh, yes. (Q.) When you double the look-out, just explain to my Lord what you do. (A.) Put an extra hand on the forecastle head, besides the look-out in the crow’s-nest. (Q.) In ordinary circumstances, have you two men in the crow’s-nest? - (A.) Only one. (Q.) And one on the forecastle head. - (A.) Yes, or on the forward bridge. We have a look-out on the forward bridge. (The Commissioner.) Not in ordinary circumstances. (Mr. Scanlan.) No. (To the Witness.) In ordinary circumstances have you any man stationed at the forecastle head? - (A.) No. (Q.) Supposing there was ice ahead of you, would you double the look-out? - Certainly! There was only one man on the look-out.” 18701. (Mr. Scanlan - To the Witness.) You do not issue any similar instructions to your captains? - We carry two look-outs always.