Page 54 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

MR. C. ROBERTSON DUNLOP watched the proceedings on behalf of the owners and officers of the s.s. “Californian” (Leyland Line). (Admitted on application.) Mr. H. E. DUKE, K. C., M.P., and MR. VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (instruced by Messrs. A. F. and R. w. Tweedie) appeared as Counsel on behalf of Sir Cosmo and Lady Duff Gordon. (Admitted on application.) MR. F. LAING, K. C., and MR. ALFRED BUCKNILL appeared on behalf of Messrs. Harland and Wolff. (Admitted on application.) EDWARD WILDING, Recalled. Examined by Mr. SCANLAN. 20749. Did you see the plans prepared for the “Titanic” boats? - Some of them. 20750. You personally, I take it, had nothing to do with the preparation of those plans? - Not directly; no; they were made in the drawing office. 20751. You had nothing to do with it yourself? - Not personally. Some of the information in connection with the boats had a bearing on the design, and I was consulted about that. 20752. Who was the manager, or who was responsible for the preparation of the plans in Messrs. Harland and Wolff’s yard? - Of which plans? 20753. For the boats; I am confining myself entirely to the lifeboats? - They are made in the drawing office, in the principal shipyard drawing office, under the direction of whoever is taking charge of that work. 20754. Would it be done under the direction of Mr. Carlisle? - If Mr. Carlisle chose to interest himself in it, yes. 20755. Were those plans to your knowledge submitted to the White Star Line? - Some plans, I believe, were submitted to the White Star Line. 20756. You have stated that you saw some of the plans, not all of them, for the lifeboats? - I saw some of them prepared. I think I have seen all the plans. 20757. I want to ask you if the plans, which you saw, provided for two or more lifeboats for each set of davits? - I saw plans prepared for discussion amongst ourselves which did show two boats under each pair of davits. 20758. Did you see any plans showing three boats? - I think there was a plan submitted to us by Welin showing three boats. I do not think we made any plan ourselves. 20759. You do not know whether any plan was prepared by yourselves for three boats? - I do not remember; I do not think there was; I think only two. 20760. Would those plans in the ordinary course be submitted to the White Star people? - Not of necessity. 20761. So far as your knowledge goes, you cannot say whether or not? - We, of course, have been making a search in all our records, and as far as I can ascertain they were not. 20762. As to your own knowledge you cannot say? - Of course, I was not at all the meetings with the White Star Line. 20763. If lifeboats to the extent necessary to provide for everyone on board have got to be provided for vessels like the “Titanic,” what do you say as to the suitability of having such an arrangement as is indicated in that plan, that is working three boats on each set of davits? - Pardon me, I did not quite take your question. 20764. You say you saw a plan for two? - Yes. 20765. And you think there was a plan showing three boats to be worked from each set of davits? - Supplied to us by the davit patentee. 20766. Would that be a suitable arrangement if the number of lifeboats were to be considerably