Page 254 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

provided from the engine rooms? - Yes, going up this way, and then up that way like that (Showing.), up the engine room skylight direct to the boat deck. They can also again come out on to E deck. There are doors from the engine room on to E deck, but, of course, if the watertight doors between D deck and E deck are shut, they must go up the ladders. 19922. Are there also ladders from the other engine room? - Yes, from the turbine engine room there are similar ladders up the base of the dummy funnel. 19923. And also from the electrical machinery room? - There is a special escape up from the afterend up to E deck, and then they can come out and use the stairway. There is no exit on to B deck. 19924. Supposing there was somebody in the tunnel, what would he do? - There is a similar arrangement that brings them up into the afterend of the working passage, and then they can come out like the third class passengers. 19925. If anybody was in the after tunnel what would he do? - There is a special tunnel escape up here, up into the steering gear house (Showing.). 19926. We have had some evidence of one man especially being released, one greaser? - That was quite unnecessary in his case. He must have been a stranger to the ship. It is not a nice passage, but there is no difficulty in getting up it; I have been up it several times. 19927. Is there any passage from here to there? (Showing.) - Yes, it is quite open. That line is only a web, a frame for carrying the heavy castings - a steel plate-frame for carrying the heavy castings. 19928. (The Commissioner.) It does not represent a bulkhead? - No; it is not marked as such, my Lord. 19929. (Mr. Rowlatt.) The stewards and the engineers’ accommodation communicates through the working passage - I need not take you through that in detail? - Yes. Mr. Rowlatt: There was one question I ought to have asked you while we were on page 3. The Commissioner: Have you left this question of the means of egress from the different classes? Mr. Rowlatt: Yes, my Lord. 19930. (The Commissioner.) I want to ask a question about that. (To the Witness.) Take the third class passengers. In order to enable them to get to the boat deck they would have to go through parts of the ship ordinarily reserved for the first class? - For the second class, my Lord - the afterend. 19931. Would the second class passengers have to pass through parts of the ship ordinarily reserved for the first class? - No, my Lord. The second class can get up by their own entrance. 19932. Are there any doors of any kind, or rails, or other impediments, between the egress of the third class passengers and the boat deck? - There are rails on the outside. On this ladderway at the afterend of B deck there is a hinged gate which anyone can lift and walk through - port and starboard. 19933. Is that the only thing? - That is the only thing preventing third class passengers in the ordinary course getting up to the boat deck. 19934. The only thing? - The only block. 19935. Is it a rail which can be lifted up by hand? - Quite readily, my Lord. 19936. Is it kept locked or fastened? - Not in any way. There is no lock on it, and no means of locking it provided. 19937. Then there is nothing to prevent a third class passenger who desires to do so passing in to the second class part of the boat? - Except the watchfulness of the stewards and men. 19938. Except the rules, there is no actual impediment? - No actual impediment. 19939. (The Attorney-General.) Is it this that is shown here? (Showing.) - Yes. The Commissioner: I remember, I think, Mr. Rowlatt, a statement being made by several