Page 230 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

transfer purposes. 19561. Purely for transfer purposes? - That is my judgment. 19562. That is to say, transferring from ship to shore in the event of disaster, or from ship to ship in the event of disaster? - That is my view. 19563. And that the case of being in such a situation as that there are no ships to which to transfer is a risk that must always be taken? - Yes, and it is a very, very small one. 19564. We all thought it was, I daresay, Mr. Sanderson. Now, yesterday you stated that in certain respects the construction of the “Titanic” exceeded the requirements of Lloyd’s? - I did. 19565. You stated with regard, first of all, to the watertight bulkheads, that she was superior to Lloyd’s requirements? - In regard to her strength I am told that she is. 19566. May I take it, with regard to her height, that there are 15 bulkheads on the “Titanic”? - Yes. 19567. Do you know up to what decks they came? - They came up to the E deck forward and D deck aft. 19568. And intermediately in the bunkers in the boiler section? - The same thing - E deck until you come aft and then they go up to D deck. The Attorney-General: The two forward ones go to D deck. The two forward decks are stepped one forward to E deck and the other one aft to D deck. The Witness: I am sorry I made a mistake. I suggest, however, that this is a question which really had better be answered by the builders; it is technical. The Commissioner: If Mr. Edwards will promise me not to ask the next witness the same question, we will have it now. Mr. Edwards: I should not have attempted to examine Mr. Sanderson upon this point if it had not been for the statement which he made in reply to the learned Solicitor-General yesterday. The Commissioner: What was that statement? 19569. (Mr. Clement Edwards.) The statement that he made yesterday was this, my Lord: “I should mention that she had a specially powerful wireless installation, long distance. She was built with an unusual number of watertight bulkheads, 15 in all; those bulkheads were of special construction, carried up as much as possible in one fair line, and they were built in excess of the requirements of Lloyd’s.” (To the Witness.) Now, take the bulkhead immediately in front of boiler section No. 6, what is the height of that? - It seems to go to E deck. 19570. Do you say that it does go to E deck? - I am looking at the plan, and I think I am correct in saying that it goes to E deck. The Attorney-General: Which one? Mr. Edwards: The one immediately in front of boiler section 6. The Attorney-General: Yes, that is right; it goes to E deck. 19571. (Mr. Clement Edwards.) Now, take the bulkhead between boiler sections 6 and 7, does it run continuously? - There is a step in that one apparently up to E deck. I think you will find I said so far as possible in a fair line. Sir Robert Finlay: We have had a model made, my Lord, which shows in a very convenient form the watertight compartments, and which, I think, may save time, and which shall be shown to your Lordship. The Commissioner: That will be much more intelligible than these plans. (The model was handed to the Commissioner.) Sir Robert Finlay: It shows the two forward bulkheads going up to D deck, and the other to E deck. Mr. Laing: The decks are numbered. Sir Robert Finlay: The number is on the decks. You will not see it if it is lying flat in that way. The Commissioner: Now, Mr. Edwards, what is your question?