Page 56 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

to carry the same number of passengers as the “Titanic”? - She was a much earlier design. 20788. I daresay she was, but that involves, it seems to me, putting the passengers in the “Amerika” much closer together than you would have them in the “Titanic”? - It does my Lord. Perhaps I may explain that the number in the “Amerika” was largely made up of third class passengers, who take less space than the first class. 20789. Yes, I am sure they do not get as much accommodation as the first class passengers; but it comes to that, that the “Amerika,” being half the size, carried about the same number of passengers and crew? - Yes. 20790. Or passengers, at all events? - Yes; I have the figures, my Lord. 20791. Wait a moment. And that the boat accommodation was substantially the same? - Broadly speaking, yes. 20792. You will get me the particular figures? - Yes. 20793. I have no doubt you can do that. Were there lifeboats on the “Amerika,” carried on the poop? - My memory says that they were; I will verify that. 20794. The “Amerika,” of course, sails under the German flag? - She does, my Lord. 20795. Have you taken any pains to ascertain what the requirements of the German law as to lifeboats are? - In general terms, my Lord, they are very similar to the British. 20796. “Very similar” does not quite satisfy me? - I do not think the difference exceeds about 10 percent, or something of that sort. 20797. You mean to say the German requirements are 10 percent in excess? - For the very large ships; that is my impression. They are in excess, but not very much in excess. 20798. Can you tell me this? I shall no doubt get it later on, but I want now the information from you, if you can give it to me. Can you tell me whether there are specific requirements in Germany as to lifeboat accommodation in ships ranging, we will say, from 10,000 to 40,000 tons? - There are. 20799. In that respect the requirements differ from the requirements of the Board of Trade? - The British requirements say all above 10,000 tons. They class them all; they do not separate them. 20800. There are no specific requirements for steamers above 10,000 tons under the Board of Trade Rules? - Well, they are specific; they say they will only require the same as for ships of 10,000 tons. 20801. That is what I mean by not being specific. They say that a certain number of boats shall be provided for steamers of 10,000 tons, and then they say for all steamers above that it will be sufficient if the same number is carried? - That is the British Board of Trade. 20802. What I want to know is, whether the German requirements proceed step by step as the tonnage increases from 10,000 tons, and specify what boat accommodation is to be provided? - Yes, my Lord, they do. I do not remember the details of the steps, but there are steps. 20803. I daresay you do not remember at what point the German requirements stop? - I might be able to find out now. I think the Germans go up to 50,000 tons. 20804. What was the tonnage of the “Imperator”? - That is just about the tonnage of the “Imperator.” 20805. Then, if they intend to build ships bigger than the “Imperator,” and continue the policy which dictated the drawing up of those rules, they will have to extend them. I suppose that is so. It follows? - My impression of the German rules is that they would automatically extend them for a larger ship. 20806. But there is no provision in the requirements as at present drawn up for what one may call an automatic increase? - The words as far as I can follow them are these: It says for 50,000 and upwards a proportionately larger number. 20807. Have you the information there? - It was a privately printed copy from some of them.