Page 68 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

20960. Is there any means by which you can compare Lloyd’s Rules? - Lloyd’s make no requirements as to floatation at all. Sir Robert Finlay: I think it is at page 516. Your Lordship put it to Mr. Wilding on Friday last, at Question 20343. Shall I read it? The Commissioner: Yes. Sir Robert Finlay: “I thought the evidence pointed,” your Lordship says, “to water coming in as far aft as No. 5? - (A.) No, my Lord; you will find it in Dillon’s evidence. (Mr. Rowlatt.) I think No. 5 is the furthest place aft where we have any evidence of a wound in the side of the ship, but water from some source not quite explained was rising in No. 4 also. (The Commissioner.) If the water was rising in No. 4, it must, if the watertight bulkhead between 4 and 5 was holding, have been through some external means? - (A.) Yes. (Mr. Rowlatt.) Only we have not direct evidence of it. (The Commissioner.) But if the evidence is to be believed, that water was rising in No. 4, it follows that No. 4 was externally injured, does it not? (Mr. Rowlatt.) Yes, my Lord. (The Attorney-General.) I do not know that. (To the Witness.) Does it follow? - (A.) It follows, my Lord, because we know from the evidence that they were doing their best to pump out No. 4. If you remember, we have had evidence that they took pipes along,” and so on. There is a good deal more of it. The Commissioner: The suggestion made now is that it is possible that the water came over the bulkhead separating No. 4 and No. 5 boiler rooms. Sir Robert Finlay: I do not think, speaking from memory, that is reconcilable with the evidence of Dillon and Cavell, who speak to its rising. They would have seen it coming over in a sort of cascade more or less violent. 20961. (Mr. Laing.) One last question about this matter of the Welin Davit Company. Have you made a careful search through the correspondence and records of your company to find out whether any such suggested plan as my learned friend, Mr. Scanlan, suggests, was submitted by Messrs. Harland and Wolff to Ismay, Imrie and Company? - Our secretarial department, which has charge of the letters, has made a most thorough search. 20962. With what result? - We can find absolutely no evidence, either in letters, notes or plan, that any such plan was submitted to Messrs. Ismay. We often mark a plan which is submitted to the owners as approved or condemned, and the plan made bears no mark. 20963. With regard to the advisability of increasing the number of lifeboats on ships of this class, have Messrs. Harland and Wolff formed any opinion whether it is better to increase the floatability or to increase the boats? - We have a very strong opinion. 20964. What is the opinion that you have formed? - We much prefer to increase the floatation after damage. 20965. (The Commissioner.) If you could secure absolute floatation, you would not require any boats at all? - Except for collecting passengers from other ships. 20966. (Mr. Laing.) That is all I want, at all events - that your firm have formed that opinion and have expressed it to Messrs. Ismay? - And have expressed it. 20967. A question has been asked you by some of my learned friends about the desirability of carrying lifeboats in the forward well and after-well, or on the poop. I think you have told us already that you do not think that is a good place to carry them? - I do not. 20968. What are the reasons? - Boats, whether in the forward or after-well, are in the way of parts of the vessel where it is a good deal narrower, where her form is changing considerably. If there is any seaway, boats in that position are very difficult to launch and are not unlikely to be capsized. To both ends that applies. In addition to that boats in the forward well or forward of it are very liable to get damaged in heavy weather in winter; and boats in the after-well, and on the poop even, if they reach the water safely and are released safely from their falls, and all that sort of thing, are very near the big propeller blades, and a slight send of the sea might easily let the