Page 78 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

for our Marine Department, but when I have been at sea in the ships I know, as a fact, that the doors are closed every day at 12 o’clock. 21098. As a matter of precaution? - As a matter of precaution. 21099. (Mr. Raymond Asquith.) You were telling me about the system of the watertight doors. Are these watertight doors in the bunkers closed by an hydraulic system? - Not all. The principal doors are so closed. All the transverse doors are so closed, and all the large bunkers amidships are closed by the Stone-Lloyd system. 21100. Are you familiar with the Stone-Lloyd system of closing these doors? - Fairly familiar. 21101. Can you give us a general idea of how it works? - Yes. There are two pumps in the engine room, which are kept under a pressure of 700 lbs. per square inch; and pipes are led to the various doors along the centre of the ship and can be operated and the doors can be closed from the bridge, and they can be opened and closed locally. That is, if a man is inside a bunker or inside a confined space, he can work the door just as well from the inside as from the outside; but the door cannot remain open if the pressure is on from the bridge. 21102. But if the pressure is not on from the bridge, then it can be raised by hand? - Yes, raised and lowered by hand. I might add that all these doors are operated from the top deck; that is compulsory by the Board of Trade. They are geared up by rods and gearing to the upper deck. 21103. Are you speaking still of Stone-Lloyd doors? - Yes, I am speaking of all doors. All doors which are below the waterline are worked from the upper deck. 21104. If the pressure is not on from the bridge doors can be raised from any point? - They can be raised and lowered locally. 21105. (The Commissioner.) What is it you say obliges you to have all these doors moved from the upper deck? - The Board of Trade compel us not to rely upon any method other than that of gearing from the top deck. 21106. Is that a printed requirement? - I think so. 21107. Are you able to refer me to it? - I do not know that I can here, I shall have to look it up; but I know we are compelled by the Board of Trade to do that. 21108. What I want to know is, is it something that they require under their rules? - Yes. 21109. Or is it something that they require you to do by correspondence or criticism upon the plans. Is it something to be found in the rules? - I think it is found in the rules, but I am not sure. 21110. Perhaps between now and 2 o’clock you will find out, so that I can see it when I come back? - I will, my Lord. (After a short adjournment.) 21111. (The Commissioner.) Have you found the rule? - Yes. 21112. Show me what it is? - It is on page 10 of the Regulations issued to Surveyors. (Handing same to the Commissioner.) 21113. This is not quite what I wanted, Mr. Peskett. I understood you to say that there was a rule which required that these watertight doors in the bulkheads could be worked by hand gear from the upper deck? - That is so. 21114. This does not say anything about hand gear? - It says it is to be worked from the upper deck. 21115. Yes, that is just the difference. The watertight doors in the bulkheads of the “Titanic” below the waterline were automatically worked from the bridge, were they not? - I believe so, my Lord. 21116. By electric gear? - By electric gear. 21117. Now, where is there anything in these rules which says that they must also be workable by hand gear? - I do not know. I did not know that the Board of Trade would allow them to be