Page 155 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

The Commissioner: What I think you want to suggest is that he took upon himself to ask that it should be done. Apparently he did. 18789. (Mr. Harbinson.) It was his influence that was responsible for it, perhaps not actively for carrying it out, but he instigated it. (To the Witness.) You used the word “our” there, you notice? - It was the intention. 18790. And you say this further on page 3 in answer to a question. The question was put: “You spoke of the revolutions on the early part of the voyage? - (A.) Yes, Sir. (Q.) Those were increased as the distance was increased? - (A.) The “Titanic,” being a new ship, we were gradually working her up.” You see you use the same personal pronoun “we,” incorporating yourself? - I could not say I was gradually working her up. 18791. You could have said “the Captain”? - I daresay I could. 18792. You said “we”? - Perhaps I should have said: “She was being gradually worked up.” The Commissioner: I have often been on these steamers, or similar steamers, and I have said to another passenger, “We are doing so many miles a day”; but I never imagined that I was interfering in the navigation or was responsible for it. 18793. (Mr. Harbinson.) No, my Lord, I should think your Lordship is much too good a maritime lawyer to ever dream of doing so. (To the Witness.) There is one suggestion I should very much like to make to you, Mr. Ismay, and it is this: It did strike you as rather an exceptional thing the Captain showing you this Marconigram with regard to the ice, the message that he had received from the “Baltic”? - No, it was not an exceptional thing. 18794. I suggest to you that the Captain in doing so, in showing this Marconigram to you, the Managing Director, was inviting an expression of opinion from you on the question of the speed that the vessel should take? The Commissioner: Really, you must not ask such a question. Ask questions about facts, and then when you come, if you ever do come (I do not know we shall ever reach it) to the time when you make a speech, then you can make these suggestions to me, but at present confine yourself to asking the witness about facts. Have you any other question? Mr. Harbinson: No, my Lord, I think not. Examined by Mr. CLEMENT EDWARDS. 18795. Were there any financial relations at all except those for building the ship, between the International Mercantile Marine and Harland and Wolff, the builders? - Absolutely none. The Commissioner: I do not know whether you have exhausted that question? Mr. Edwards: My Lord, I have not. The Commissioner: Very well, I will wait. 18796. (Mr. Edwards - To the Witness.) Had the International Company, or have the International Company, any shares in Harland and Wolff? - None. 18797. Have Harland and Wolff any shares in the International? - That is a matter which I know nothing whatever about. The Commissioner: That is not what you want to ask. 18798. (Mr. Clement Edwards.) I am only laying the foundation, my Lord, for a certain other question. (To the Witness.) None of your boats are classed with either of the registration societies, are they? - They are not. 18799. Had they been classed with Lloyd’s or the other registration societies, there would have been an independent survey by the Surveyors of those societies? - I believe that is so. 18800. Before the “Titanic” sailed, was there any independent survey of her at all? - That I do not think I can quite answer, but I think she would have been surveyed by the Board of Trade. 18801. Except by the Board of Trade, do you know of any other survey? - No, not that I know