Page 49 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

20705. (Mr. Edwards.) Is it not the fact that in the “Mauretania,” as far as you can see from the plan, there is running up from what I will call the inner bottom skin, an inner side skin running the whole length of the boiler space? - The longitudinal bulkhead not the inner skin. The two things are technically different. 20706. What is the difference between a longitudinal bulkhead and an inner skin running up the sides of the ship? - In the case of the inner skin the two would be closely connected together forming one girder and part of one structure. They would be connected at every frame or at alternate frames. In the case of a longitudinal bulkhead, the connections would be much more widely spaced, probably something like 30 feet apart instead of six. 20707. So that in the one case what you might have in strength by what I will call the intrinsic strength of the bulkhead, you would probably lose in there being less binding between the outer and inner skins? - Very likely, yes. 20708. Do you know that in the case of the “Mauretania” they utilised the space between - I will drop the term inner skin and adopt your term - the space between the longitudinal bulkhead and the outer skin for coal? - Exactly; that is one of the features of their design. 20709. At all events so long as that space is effectively used for coaling purposes there is not anything like the risk of serious danger from the corrosion of which you spoke yesterday? - I am afraid corrosion is just as bad in a bunker as it is anywhere else, but it has this advantage; a bunker is a much more accessible thing. It is a much larger and more open space, because of the more widely spaced connections, and, therefore, you can get about in it and look after it better. 20710. It has also the advantage if it is used for coal that, while at all events there is the coal there, there is no room for the water? - Yes, that is quite true, but you must remember that when there is coal there the coal has to be got out of there. As I pointed out to his Lordship this morning - 20711. There is no reason why the coal should not be evenly trimmed from the bunkers on either side of the ship, is there? - There is no reason whatever, but that is not the point. To do that it means both sides must be open. You cannot pass coal through a watertight bulkhead except with the watertight door open. 20712. That I should gather. Supposing there had been in the “Titanic” a longitudinal bulkhead there would have been greater safety? - That is a very complicated question. 20713. I noticed that you said that you took the case of the inner skin of the “Titanic” on the starboard side of the spiral space? - Yes. 20714. And you said that as that inner skin was a certain distance - I think you said at 3 feet 6 inches? - 3 feet 3 inches, I think it is. 20715. That as the water was coming through there it is quite clear the ice must have penetrated at least that distance? - I agreed to a suggestion of that sort. 20716. I am glad you call it a suggestion, because I am not aware of any definite evidence here that water was coming in through that skin on the side of the spiral staircase? - Look at Hendrickson’s evidence, and you will see it. He saw water rushing from the starboard side at the bottom of the spiral stair. 20717. He said he could not tell where it was coming from, it was such a rush? - But he saw it coming from the starboard side. 20718. That is the starboard side? - At the foot of the spiral stair. 20719. It would be possible for water to be coming from the starboard side to have either been coming out fore of the spiral staircase or a little aft. That is to say, even supposing water was coming more or less from that side, that is not in itself conclusive that there was penetration in the area of the spiral staircase? - The spiral staircase being in a watertight trunk both at the fore end and across the fore end, and at the side and at the afterend, some part of it must have been penetrated. I mean the side and end and bottom are all watertight, and water can only get in if