Page 260 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

disturb effectively that watertight wall. The Commissioner: In other words, the ice must have penetrated into the ship more at this point than 3 feet 6 inches. 20025. (Mr. Rowlatt.) Yes, and have penetrated in sufficient bulk to break this partition at the end of the 3 feet. It must have been a good heavy sharp piece that succeeded in coming in as far as this in order to do further damage. (To the Witness.) Is not that so? - It probably came in gradually. It started some few feet further forward and came in gradually; I do not think it went in with a bang. 20026. You do not think the puncture was necessarily confined to this spot in the vessel? The Commissioner: No, no; but at that spot there must have been a puncture which penetrated at least 3 feet 6 inches into the ship at that point. 20027. (Mr. Rowlatt.) How much further forward than that you cannot say? - No, we cannot say, but we know damage was done in the 4 feet. My Lord, we put a mark upon the model, if you remember, at the time down here, as showing the position, when Hendrickson’s evidence was given. I remember that. 20028. (The Commissioner.) And that, you say, is where the ice penetrated if there was water in that tunnel as described. It was there that the ice would have penetrated and have admitted the water? - That is right. 20029. (Mr. Rowlatt.) Now, Mr. Wilding, on page 10 you then go to the inner bottom of the ship? - Yes. 20030. You say it extends fore and aft through about nine-tenths of the vessels length, and on this were placed the boilers, machinery and auxiliary machinery and the electric lighting machines. Now, the top of that blue space running the length of the ship was what we heard of as the tank top, was it not? - Yes, the inner bottom or tank top are absolutely synonymous. 20031. Now, you say it runs fore and aft about nine-tenths of the vessel’s length? - Quite right. Of course, it stops in the forepeak and it stops a little forward of the after-peak; it stops at the afterend of the forepeak. 20032. That means that when I see your peak tank there are no longer two floors to the peak tank, so to speak; the peak tank goes right down to the bottom of the ship? - Yes, to the shell of the ship. 20033. And then it comes here abaft the bulkhead (Pointing.)? - In the aftermost piece of the tunnel. It does not go right to the afterend. 20034. It stops two-thirds of the way between O and P, does it not? - Yes, that is right, two- thirds of the way between O and P. The Commissioner: Just look at this plan, and tell me whether it is accurate. (The Witness explained upon the plan.) 20035. Are these structural tanks at the bottom of the ship, ballast tanks? - Yes. For ballast and fresh water, my Lord. 20036. Some of them are used for fresh water for the use of the ship? - Some of them are available for fresh water. 20037. And the others are available for sea water, are they? - Those in the way of the boiler rooms are available for sea water only. Most of the others are available for fresh water. 20038. And on this voyage do you suppose they were full or empty? - One or two of them would be full as she neared the end of the voyage. 20039. Full of fresh water? - All would be full of fresh water when she left, and then it would be gradually used during the voyage. You do not put salt water into the same tanks to preserve the same stability outside the ship, but you do put salt water into some of the salt water tanks. 20040. When you start on your voyage are these tanks full of fresh water? - I believe every tank was full, all of the fresh water tanks.