Page 215 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

The Commissioner: That is the right way to answer. Mr. Scanlan: There is a plan here, my Lord, which I should like to submit to him, to ask him if he thinks it is practicable. There is printed on this “s.s. ‘Olympic’ and ‘Titanic’ building, by Messrs. Harland and Wolff, Limited, Belfast, for the White Star Line. Each vessel fitted with a new Welin double-acting davit, handling in all two lifeboats.” Will you look at this, Mr. Sanderson. (Handing the plan to the Witness.)? The Commissioner: What is this? Mr. Scanlan: This is a plan, my Lord, referred to in papers produced by the inventor of those davits. The Attorney-General: Which davits? Mr. Scanlan: The Welin davits. The Commissioner: What is the question upon it? 19386. (Mr. Scanlan.) This is the question, my Lord. (To the Witness.) Was such a plan submitted to you showing the working of each pair of davits of two boats, one carried outboard and the other inboard, as shown there? - A newspaper with this in it was sent to us by a firm called Crawford and Company in Liverpool in 1910. 19387. Your firm, then, did not authorise the production of this? - Certainly not. 19388. Or the statement that this provision was being made for the boatage of those ships of yours? - Certainly not. 19389. Looking at this plan (a plan was submitted to you yesterday, which I have not seen, by my Lord), do you see any difficulty in working with those davits supplied to the “Olympic,” at least, two boats for each pair? - Off-hand, I should say it would be practicable to have two boats opposite each pair of davits. 19390. And, of course, if you had two with the davits which were carried, 16 pairs, you would have 32 wooden lifeboats? - You would. 19391. I think you stated yesterday that in addition to that there could be lifeboats on the boat deck in the free space between the forward and the after boats? - There are positions here where you could not put boats. You have handed to me a plan and do not give me time to study it, and I should say offhand that more could be put, but there are positions there where only ignorant persons would put boats. 19392. Now, may I ask you if you have seen the statement made in the lecture delivered by the inventor of this davit, Mr. Welin, at the spring meeting of the session of the Institution of Naval Architects on March 29th this year, the President being the Hon. Sir Charles Parsons, in which he stated - 19393. (The Commissioner.) First, let us have the question. (To the Witness.) Have you read the account of that meeting? - I have not read it, and I do not think I have ever seen a. report of it. Mr. Scanlan: Then the next question is this, my Lord, if I may refer him to the statement made there. The Commissioner: Yes, certainly. Mr. Scanlan: “On the boat deck of the White Star Liner ‘Olympic’ and also of the ‘Titanic’ this double-acting type of davit has been fitted throughout in view of coming changes in official regulations. It was considered wise by the owners that these changes should be thus anticipated, and so make it possible to double, or even treble, the number of boats without any structural alterations, should such increase ultimately prove to be necessary.” The Commissioner: Now, what is the question? 19394. (Mr. Scanlan.) This is the question, my Lord. (To the Witness.) Do you agree with this statement in so far as it says that you, as representing the owners, considered it wise that the changes which you expected should be anticipated, and that it was for that purpose that those