Page 180 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

the space occupied by the engines and boilers is not to be included in the estimated cubic capacity of the boat. Subject to the provisions contained in paragraph (f) of these Rules, such additional boats or rafts shall be of at least such carrying capacity that they and the boats required to be placed under davits by the Table provide together in the aggregate in vessels of 5,000 tons gross and upwards, three-fourths, and in vessels of less than 5,000 tons gross, one- half, more than the minimum cubic contents required by Column 3 of that Table. For this purpose three cubic feet of air case in the life-raft is to be estimated as ten cubic feet of internal capacity. Provided always that the rafts will accommodate all the persons for which they are to be certified under the Rules, and also have 3 cubic feet of air case for each person. All such additional boats or rafts shall be placed as conveniently for being available as the ships arrangements admit of having regard to the avoidance of undue encumbrance of the ship’s deck, and to the safety of the ship for her voyage.” Now, that is the scale that is applicable. Mr. Scanlan: Look at the qualification on page 16. The Attorney-General: That, of course, we have had. I will read it again. The Commissioner: We have had it, but you had better read it again. 22399. (The Attorney-General.) One must bear in mind it does not apply to this particular case, but, of course, it is a general Rule. On page 16 is the one, Rule 12. That is the one we discussed yesterday: “When ships of any class are divided into efficient watertight compartments to the satisfaction of the Board of Trade, they shall only be required to carry additional boats, rafts, and buoyant apparatus of one-half of the capacity required by these Rules, but the exemption shall not extend to lifejackets or similar approved articles of equal buoyancy suitable to be worn on the person.” We have the three provisions and to work that out, as I understand it, is this. First of all, if it is a vessel of more than 10,000 tons, you must, in accordance with the scale at page 17, have a minimum of 16 boats with a cubic capacity of 5,500 feet minimum? - Yes, and those are the boats under davits. 22400. That you must have, but then in addition to that, in accordance with what is provided in the Rules at page 6, there must be a boat accommodation but not necessarily an accommodation under davits, of an addition of three-fourths of the minimum cubic capacity required under the scale at page 17? - Quite right. 22401. So that would mean that you would have to have not only the 5,500, but in addition you must have three-fourths of 5,500 cubic feet capacity measured in boats; in other words, you would have to have boats with a cubic capacity of 9,625 cubic feet provided on that ship? - Quite right. 22402. And of the boats making up that cubic capacity of 9,625 cubic feet, 16 at least must be boats placed under davits? - Quite so. 22403. That is what it comes to? - Yes. 22404. But if the vessel had applied under Rule 12 on page 16, and the Board of Trade had been satisfied that her subdivision into watertight compartments was efficient and satisfactory, then instead of having to carry additional boats to the extent of three-fourths of the 5,500 cubic feet capacity, should would only have had to carry one-half of that cubic capacity? - That is quite right. 22405. So that instead of 9,625 cubic feet in boats of that capacity in sum total, she would have had to provide boats with a total capacity of 7,750 cubic feet? - Quite right. The Commissioner: That is absolutely correct, so far as I follow it. The Attorney-General: If your Lordship pleases. We have had the evidence. I cannot put my finger on it; but my impression is that the evidence as it stands is that the “Titanic,” with the boat accommodation she had, including collapsibles, that is taking the 20 boats, had a capacity for 1,178 persons and a cubic capacity, I think, of 11,325 cubic feet. Mr. Laing: That is right.