Page 143 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

it is to other persons. But there is one point which occurs to myself which has not been elucidated. My clients will not be in a position to do it, and I do not know whether my friend the Attorney-General could not do it or get it done very shortly. Your Lordship has had evidence this morning with regard to speed, and speed in the past is most material as to whether it was negligent or not to go at a certain speed. Another question also occurs to me as to what should be the speed in the future - whether your Lordship should make any recommendations or not in regard to speed in the future under certain circumstances. That depends upon one fact, or is influenced by one fact which is not before your Lordship, and that is that with ships of these dimensions what is the turning circle, or perhaps it would be more correct to say the turning curve of the vessel at any given speed, at full speed, half speed, and so forth. That depends upon information as to the details of the rudder and so forth, and the construction of the vessel, which my friends from the Board of Trade may be able to procure from the persons whom they have available. I do not know how that commends itself to your Lordship as a point which your Lordship will have to consider. Your Lordship quite understands what I mean by the turning circle. The Commissioner: I do. Mr. Roche: It occurs to me it would not be a lengthy matter, and these are factors which your Lordship and those who advise you will probably have to consider. The Commissioner: Are you going to put any evidence before us on this point, Mr. Attorney? The Attorney-General: We did not intend to, but it can be done. If there is any question which suggested itself to my friend, it would have been better if it had been asked of the witnesses. The Commissioner: It is suggested that the point was put to Mr. Lightoller, and that there then came an intimation from you - I do not know if it was from you personally, but it was from someone with you - to the effect that that matter would be dealt with later on. The Attorney-General: It certainly can be done. The Commissioner: It does affect the question of speed. The Attorney-General: Yes. The Commissioner: I mean to say the question of how the ship would answer to her helm and what curve she would make at different speeds may be a matter to be considered. The Attorney-General: Your Lordship shall have it. The Commissioner: You will think about it. Mr. Roche: I am very much obliged to your Lordship. In explanation of not putting the questions, I may say I was desirous of not putting questions of that sort to people who had not made the calculation. It would not have been satisfactory. The Attorney-General: I am not making any complaint, but if my friend had told me he wanted it I would have called evidence about it. Mr. W. M. R. Pringle: May I resume my application for leave to appear on behalf of the Shipwrights’ Association. You may remember at the earlier stages I made an application on two occasions on behalf of this Association. At that time you allowed me to remain. The Commissioner: I thought I had enough, and I still think I have got too many; but at the same time if you have any questions to ask of any of the witnesses who come into the box, and will suggest them to me, if I think them the least relevant. I shall no doubt allow you to put them. You must remain here and listen to the evidence, and then if any questions occur to your mind, suggest them to me, and if they appear to me to be really relevant I shall, of course, allow you to put them. Mr. Pringle: Of course, I should not think of interfering in any circumstances in which I should not be assisting your Lordship in the Enquiry.