Page 231 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

Mr. Edwards: I just asked as to how high the bulkhead between boiler sections 5 and 6 ran, and the Witness said there appears to be a step. The Commissioner: According to this model it goes to E. Mr. Edwards: I have not seen the model, my Lord. It runs fairly to E. Does it show the step? The Attorney-General: There is no step. The Commissioner: There is no step in that. Mr. Edwards: May I ask if between 4 and 5 there is a step shown? The Commissioner: Yes, there is. Now that I have it in my mind, I will hand it down to you, Mr. Edwards. 19572. (Mr. Edwards - To the Witness.) You spoke yesterday about the bulkheads being superior to the requirements of Lloyd’s. Are you familiar with requirements of Lloyd’s? - No, I am not. 19573. Why do you say that this is superior to the requirements of Lloyd’s? - Because I am advised so by the builders. 19574. So that it is not upon your own information? - These are matters on which I accept information from the builders. 19575. If you were told that Lloyd’s requirements as to bulkheads were that they were to be taken right through to the height of the upper deck, fair, would you then say that your bulkheads were superior to Lloyd’s requirements ? - If what you say is correct, apparently they would not be. 19576. I will take you now to the question of the strength of the bulkheads. Do you of your own knowledge know what the plate thickness of the bulkheads in the “Titanic” was? - I do not know. 19577. Do you know anything in respect of that what Lloyd’s requirements are? - I do not know. 19578. Do you know any particulars as to the stiffness of the bulkheads of the “Titanic”? - No, I am not familiar with those details. 19579. Do you know what Lloyd’s’ requirements are in that respect? - No, I have said that. I do not know what they are. 19580. So that I may take it that while you said yesterday that in certain respects the construction of the “Titanic” in the matter of bulkheads was superior to Lloyd’s, that is entirely based upon what you have been informed by the builders? - It is. 19581. Then I will not trouble you any further upon that point. I should like to ask you one or two other questions. Have you had any experience at all of classification for Lloyd’s register? - No. 19582. (Mr. Clement Edwards.) Do you know that if you had sought the “Titanic” to be classified there would have been independent Surveyors superintending the construction? The Commissioner: I know it. You need not trouble about it. I know it well. The Witness: It is so. 19583. (Mr. Clement Edwards.) Then I will not pursue that point any further, my Lord. (To the Witness.) You spoke of complying with the regulations of the Board of Trade in the construction of the “Titanic”? - Yes. 19584. What you really meant was, was it not, that what you did was to satisfy, after the construction, the inspectors of the Board of Trade? - I think we have to do a little more. I think that while the ship is under construction she is subject to a certain supervision by the Board of Trade. 19585. You do not suggest, do you, that you have to answer certain elements of construction to comply with any definite Regulations of the Board of Trade? - I believe there are such, but what they are I am not in a position to tell you.