Page 190 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

19104. That indicates in general language the points, and Mr. Wilding will deal with them when he comes? - Yes, I think that would be better. 19105. Now the fourth question is about the officers, which I want to ask you about in some little detail. We will come to the boats in a moment. The fourth question is, “Was the ‘Titanic’ sufficiently and efficiently officered and manned”? Captain Smith - what was his standing in your service? - He was our senior commander; he had been in the service since 1880; he had been a commander since 1887; he was an extra master; he was a retired Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve, and a man in whom we had special confidence; otherwise, he would not have been in the position. 19106. Then the three senior officers, I think, also held an Extra-Master’s certificate? - They did. 19107. Were the officers in the Naval Reserve? - I think they all were. 19108. And had been in your service some years? - Yes. 19109. And I see at the end of the fourth question there is a question about charts. You produce, do not you, the report of Captain Smith before he sailed on this voyage? Let me just hand that up to you (Handing same). Is that his report to your Company before this ship sailed from Southampton? - Yes; it is written from Southampton. 19110. What is the date of it? - It is dated the 10th of April. 19111. It is quite a short report. Just read it, will you? - “I herewith report this ship loaded and ready for sea. The engines and boilers are in good order for the voyage, and all charts and sailing directions up-to-date. - Your obedient servant, Edward J. Smith.” 19112. (The Commissioner.) The sailing directions were those books to which reference was made this morning? - No doubt he refers to what is usually supplied by the Marine Superintendent for the purpose of navigation on board the ship. 19113. (The Solicitor-General.) The only other thing is the watches. I had better just give your Lordship the reference. It is the first page, I think, in the Report. Just turn to page 10. (To the Witness.) Just a question about the watches. There is a question the Court is asked to answer, whether the watches of the officers and crew were right and proper. I see on page 11 there are set out what the senior officers’ watches are to be, and the junior officers’ watches? - That is true. 19114. We have had some evidence about it from Lightoller. So far as you know, was the usual course followed? - It was. 19115. Now we go to No. 5; that is boats. Just give us the evidence. What is the number of boats of any kind on board the “Titanic,” and then I am going to ask about their carrying capacity and so on? - She had 14 lifeboats of large size, two what we call working boats or emergency boats, making 16, and 4 Englehardt boats - collapsible boats. 19116. The Board of Trade Regulations distinguish between boats carried under davits and boats which are not? - Yes, they do. 19117. Of those, I think, the 16 were carried under davits? - Yes. 19118. The 14 lifeboats and the two emergency boats? - Yes. 19119. Let us first take the 14 lifeboats. What number of persons was each of those lifeboats to carry - the capacity? - 65. 19120. And what is the number of persons for each of the two emergency boats? - 40. 19121. And for each of the four Englehardt’s? - I believe the Board of Trade passes them for 47. 19122. I will just take those three figures: 14 lifeboats, each carrying 65, gives 910 persons; 2 emergency boats, each carrying 40, gives 80; and 4 Englehardt boats, each carrying 47, gives 188, and that is a total of 1,178? - That is correct. The Attorney-General: May I just say, my Lord, to avoid confusion that your Lordship will remember in opening I gave according to our calculation the figure of 1,167. My learned friend,