Page 66 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

20934. Moving 800 people through 50 feet would right her 2 degrees? - About 2 degrees. 20935. (The Commissioner.) That is to say, it is negligible? - It would show quite perceptibly on the deck. You would think you were walking uphill on these very flat decks 2 degrees is about 1 in 28, and 1 in 28 on a road is quite an appreciable hill. 20936. (Mr. Laing.) There was a suggestion in one of the wireless messages said to have been sent out by the “Titanic” that the engine room was flooded? - Yes. 20937. Do you think that is possible until a very late moment of the life of this vessel? - Certainly not. The engine room being in the afterpart of the ship, as the forward end was flooded, would tend to be raised rather than lowered, and consequently there would be no tendency till a very late stage for water to get into the engine room. 20938. Is the term engine room often used for boiler spaces as well as the engine room? - It is often loosely used for the whole space occupied by the motive power of the ship. 20939. I do not know that it is very material, but have you an explanation of the failure of the lights in Nos. 4 and 5 boiler rooms, which was described? - The lights in all the boiler rooms are run on two circuits. There are two common circuits - The Commissioner: I do not think that is material. 20940. (Mr. Laing.) If your Lordship pleases. I only wanted to clear it up if your Lordship thought it was material. (To the Witness.) With regard to the access from the third class accommodation both forward and aft, have you, for the sake of experiment, tried how long it would take to walk from the very lowest part of the third class accommodation on to the boat deck? - I have. 20941. And what was the time - I mean at a walking pace? - I went at a slow walking pace. On one occasion one of the Assessors accompanied me; on one occasion one of the Board of Trade Counsel, and on one occasion the Counsel for the third class passengers. The times varied a little, but they were always between 3 and 3 ½ minutes. That is right down from the lowest third class cabin that was occupied. 20942. Bringing your mind to the double bottom and the extension of it round the turn of the bilge, is that a usual thing or not, to extend round the turn of the bilge? - Very few ships have it carried to the top of the bilge. 20943. Very few? - Very few. 20943a. Again, referring to the longitudinal bulkhead question, and the number of watertight doors, how many watertight doors would there be on the tank top of the “Mauretania”? I believe it is 38, but I am not sure? - I am not quite sure that my information is absolutely reliable, but I believe there were 47 doors on the tank top of the “Mauretania.” 20944. Forty-seven? - Yes. 20945. As against your 12? - Against our 12. 20946. Again, with regard to the “Mauretania,” she was, as I think is common knowledge, intended as an auxiliary cruiser? - She was. 20947. Is the belting of coal put round her with the longitudinal bulkhead an Admiralty plan? Is that common in the Navy? - The Admiralty adopted that plan in most warships, and it has always been put forward by the Admiralty as a thing they like to have in a vessel which they propose to subsidise at any time as a cruiser. 20948. I suppose they have to consider torpedoes, shot, and so on? - Torpedoes and gun fire. 20949. There was one matter about the float. You know the float which operates all the watertight bulkheads? - Yes. Mr. Laing: There was some little difficulty about explaining that, and Mr. Wilding has a very good photograph of it which I should like your Lordship to have. The Commissioner: The watertight door of the bulkhead? 20950. (Mr. Laing.) Yes; this is the picture. (Handing photograph to the Commissioner.) The