Page 63 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

Grand Total 14,102 2 1,516 Persons Total number of souls on board 3,991 British Board of Trade require 9,625 C. ft. | American Law requires 11,520 “ | In each vessel. German Law requires 13,343 “ | 20888. (The Commissioner.) What line does the “President Lincoln” belong to? - The Hamburg-Amerika Line. 20889. And also the “President Grant”? - They are sister ships practically. The Commissioner: I see, according to this paper, that on the “President Lincoln,” designed to carry 4,108 souls, the boat accommodation is 1,465, and with reference to the “President Grant,” with a total number of souls on board 3,991, the boat accommodation is 1,516. How does that bear with reference to the “Titanic”? 20890. (Mr. Laing.) Have you calculated the relation between the capacities and the boat accommodation? - Broadly speaking, the proportion is about the same. 20891. I will take your word for it at present? - It will, of course, have to be worked out, my Lord. Mr. Laing: Your Lordship sees at the bottom of that paper the various countries are noted with their requirements for particular ships. The Commissioner: “Cubic feet.” What does that mean - cubic feet for the boat accommodation? Mr. Laing: For the boats, yes. The Commissioner: Looking at those figures, I find the requirements of the Board of Trade are considerably less than the American requirements. Mr. Laing: Yes. The Commissioner: And that observation applies with greater force again to the German requirements. Mr. Laing: Yes. The Commissioner: But I thought the American law substantially the same as our Board of Trade requirements. Mr. Laing: I understood so. I will ask Mr. Wilding. He knows. The Commissioner: This does not appear to bear that out. Mr. Laing: With regard to the British steamers, as I understand it, the American authorities have agreed, by convention, to accept the British requirements. Is not that so? The Witness: Quite right. The Commissioner: Very well. Mr. Laing: Of course, that would not apply to a German ship. The Commissioner: Are there any large American liners afloat at all in this trade? 20892. (Mr. Laing - To the Witness.) There are some big liners which belong to the American flag, are there not? - Yes, four in the Transatlantic trade. 20893. Just mention them? - The “Philadelphia,” the “New York,” the “St. Louis,” and the “St. Paul.” 20893a. (The Commissioner.) And where do they sail from and to? - Southampton to New York, my Lord. 20894. Then have you here the carrying capacity of those ships? - No, my Lord, I have not got the figures. We did not build any of them. 20895. I know you did not, but I thought perhaps you could get them? - I have not got them.