Page 203 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

these men do not get the necessary opportunity to familiarise themselves with the boats, if they would be so good as to help us by making their examination and drill, so-called, more extensive than had been their practice. And we have experienced, as you have seen from those reports, great difficulty in getting this drill carried out in Southampton owing to the reluctance of the men to comply with the orders. 19248. There is one further thing about it. Take one of these drills at Southampton when two boats are lowered, manned and pulled round. I want to understand. Are the crew that go into the boat on that occasion the people that are allotted to the boat - a steward and a trimmer, a fireman and a sailor or two - or are they a crew of sailors? - I am afraid I am not able to answer that, I would not like to say. 19249. Who would be able to tell me? - I do not know whether the Marine Superintendent could tell you. Captain Bartlett: They are generally a crew of sailors. 19250. (The Solicitor-General - To the Witness.) It is a crew of sailors? - Yes, it seems so. 19251. So that it is not a practice of the people who are allotted to the boats? - No, it does not seem to be so. Sir Robert Finlay: The lists are not made up for the boats until the ship is sailing. The men join up at the last moment. 19252. (The Solicitor-General.) It looks rather as though the object of this boat drill is rather to be sure that the boat is in good order and the falls work and all that sort of thing than to give any practice to the crew? - It would seem so from what the Marine Superintendent has said. 19253. I think you can give me the number of lifebelts and buoys. We ought to have those. I have the figures. It is 48 lifebuoys with beckets. What are beckets? - Just ropes round them, weaved round them. 19254. Of the Board of Trade approved pattern, I think, and 3,560 lifebelts? - Those are the figures. 19255. (The Solicitor-General.) I think one can go to Question 6 now, my Lord. (To the Witness.) We have heard a good deal about wireless telegraphy. Have you got the agreement which exists between your Company and the Marconi Company, or are we to get that from the Marconi people? - It will be handed in; it is in Court. (The document was handed to the Solicitor-General.) 19256. (The Solicitor-General.) It is “Agreement of the 9th August, 1909, between the Marconi International Marine Communication Company, Limited, and the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company. The Marconi Company undertakes to maintain at its own cost on board such of the White Star steamers as are already equipped with the Marconi system of wireless telegraphy a set of all necessary apparatus for the transmission and receipt of messages.” Then: “The Marconi Company undertakes to provide and pay the salary of the necessary operator or operators.” Of course the ship provides the current. And then paragraph 6 is “The Marconi Company shall receive and transmit free of charge messages having relation to the navigation of or any business connected with ships passing between the masters of the ships and the ship owners or between the masters of the ships and the master or other person in charge of any other ship,” with a limit of number of words, and a charge for excess. So that those masters’ messages by this agreement are to go free? - That is so. 19257. Your company, the White Star Company, by paragraph 7, is to provide suitable cabin accommodation for the exclusive use of two of the company’s operators and their apparatus, and you are to feed them and you are to sign the operators on the ship’s articles, and through your Master supervise and report to the company on the operators’ general conduct? - That is for purposes of discipline. 19258. And save to that extent do the Marconi operators remain the servants of the Marconi