Page 81 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

or otherwise should be workable from above the bulkhead deck.” [Cd. 6405, 1891.] That is the point this gentleman was on. The Commissioner: That is synonymous with the upper deck. 21129. (Mr. Raymond Asquith.) There are 69 watertight doors on the “Mauretania”? - That is the number. 21130. Are 10 of those above the waterline on the main deck, one on the lower deck? - That is so. 21131. Are those on the main deck all closed by hand? - Yes, they are hinged doors. 21132. And only by hand? - Only by hand. 21133. That leaves 58 other doors? - Yes. 21134. And 36 of those 58 are closed either by hand or by the Stone-Lloyd hydraulic system? - Yes. 21135. There is one question I want to ask you about the Stone-Lloyd system, because I am not sure it was made clear before lunch. I think you said if the hydraulic doors were closed from the bridge, it was impossible to open them locally? - It is impossible to keep them open locally, is what I meant to say. 21136. Supposing they had been closed from the bridge, would it, or would it not, be possible for a person down below to open them on the spot? - Yes, but not to keep them open. If a man was inside a compartment he could open the door and get out, and the door would immediately close again all the time the pressure is on from the bridge. 21137. You mean in order to keep it open he would have to hold on to the lever or handle? - Yes. 21138. And as soon as he let go, the thing would close automatically? - Yes. 21139. With regard to the question of having watertight decks, first of all watertight decks of a comparatively low level in a ship, and secondly on a higher level, what do you say as to the advantages or disadvantages of having a watertight lid or roof at some fairly low point in the vessel? - The advantages of a watertight deck in the lower position would be that if damage occurred below the waterline it would confine the water to that place; and if above the waterline you could tip the ship, and allow the water to go in aft, and so get at the damage in that way. 21140. (The Commissioner.) It seems to be a sort of homeopathic cure. You cure one misfortune by creating another? - Not exactly, my Lord. 21141. (Mr. Raymond Asquith.) It has been suggested that there would be a danger of the ship capsizing if the water got in above the level of the watertight deck? - That would depend entirely upon the subdivision. Do you think there could be a system of subdivision which would enable such a watertight deck to be of use? The Commissioner: Are there any watertight decks here, Mr. Asquith? Mr. Raymond Asquith: Well, my Lord, there are in a way. The three after compartments, your Lordship will remember, are covered over by a watertight deck. The Commissioner: That is in the afterpart of the ship. 21142-3. (Mr. Raymond Asquith.) Yes, and similarly in the forward part of the ship, I think. (To the Witness.) Have you yourself ever considered the advisability, in constructing ships that you have built of having a continuous watertight deck? - Yes. 21144. What conclusion have you come to? - The conclusion we have come to is we are doing so on the ships we are building now. 21145. (The Commissioner.) But there was not such a thing on the “Mauretania”? - Not a continuous watertight deck. There is only one hold there forward which has not got a watertight deck. 21146. That is above No. 2 hold? - That is above No. 2 hold. Of course, the deck of itself is of