Page 204 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

mean the number of masters and so on. 22560. Masters, and so on? - One master, two mates, two certificated engineers. 22561. One master, two mates, two officers of the rating of mate, and two certificated engineers? - Yes. 22562. Is that all? - Yes, I think that is all the statutory requirement. 22563. Of course, it would be manifestly an improper thing to let a ship depart on a voyage with such an incomplete crew as that - a ship like the “Titanic.” Am I right in thinking that unless you call the requirements which you have indicated to my Lord a manning scale there is no such thing in existence as a manning scale for modern ships? - Yes, that is so. 22564. (The Commissioner.) I heard your question, but I did not hear the answer. Please speak out a little? - I am so sorry, my Lord. The answer is that there is no definite manning scale for merchant ships. 22565. Do not use an adjective of that kind. I do not know what you mean when you say “definite.” Is there any? - No. The Commissioner: Then you can leave out “definite.” 22566. (Mr. Scanlan.) Has the attention of the Board of Trade been frequently called to the importance of stipulating for a minimum scale of manning? - Yes, the Board of Trade has frequently had its attention called to that point. 22567. (The Commissioner.) Have they considered the matter? - Oh, yes, it has been considered, my Lord. 22568. What has happened upon the consideration? - That no manning scale hard-and-fast has been laid down. 22569. You have used another qualification. I do not know what “hard-and-fast” means. Has any manning scale been laid down at all? - Well, instructions have been issued to the officers as to the number of deckhands that must be carried as a minimum, or else the vessel is regarded as not being fit to go to sea and seaworthy. The Commissioner: Where are those instructions? The Attorney-General: Do you mean with regard to emigrant ships? The Witness: In order to answer Mr. Scanlan’s question, I should really have to read you these requirements in the Circular. 22570. (The Commissioner.) In what circular? - In the “Instructions relating to Emigrant Ships” that your Lordship has before you. 22571. What page do you want to read? - I want to give an instance of the engine room staff. 22572. What page? - Page 11, paragraph 23. There are instructions to our Surveyors there that: “The following scale has been prepared for the guidance of the Emigration Officers with regard to the manning of the engine room and stokehold.” Then there is a Table on page 11 of these “Instructions relating to emigrant ships.” The Commissioner: What was the horse power of the engines of the “Titanic”? Mr. Wilding: Indicated, or nominal, my Lord? The Commissioner: Nominal. Mr. Wilding: I have not got the nominal figures here, my Lord. The total indicated horse power plus the shaft horse power was about 60,000. The nominal horse power appears in the certificate, and I have not got the figures. 22573. (The Commissioner.) I am told the nominal horse-power was 6,906. (To the Witness.) What in this scale would indicate the number of engineers to be carried in a vessel the nominal horse-power of which is 6,906? - I am very sorry not to be able to answer your Lordship, but I am unable to answer that question. The Commissioner: Am I right in saying that there is nothing in the scale to indicate it? Mr. Scanlan: Six thousand nine hundred and six I take to be the nominal horse-power, my