Page 82 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

sufficient strength and watertight, with the exception that water would come up the hatchway there. 21147. (Mr. Raymond Asquith.) When you say a “continuous watertight deck,” I suppose there would have to be some interruption over the engine room? - The casings there would have to be made watertight - the casings round the hatchway. 21148. (The Commissioner.) Then you would have all the engineers in a watertight box? - They would be able to come up on deck in watertight hatchways, yes, on the top deck; that is quite an easy matter. 21149. Is it? Is it usual to have the engine space sealed at the top of the watertight deck? - No; you would take that right to the top deck watertight - the hatchway itself. 21150. You have not got it on the “Mauretania” or the “Lusitania”? - They are watertight in that way, that there is no position in which any two compartments being flooded could bring the bulkhead sufficiently low so as to let the water come over the top; and the engineers’ entrance to the engine room is on the weather deck. 21151. Which do you call the weather deck? - The entrance to the engine room of the “Mauretania” and “Lusitania” is on the C deck. 21152. Looking at this plan, it does not appear now that the main engine rooms have any watertight seal - by sealing I mean above the E deck - what I call the E deck, which is on your plans called the lower deck? - The transverse bulkheads are shown watertight there, and the deck with passes at the side is also shown watertight. 21153. But the E deck? - The E deck is shown watertight, but the decks themselves are watertight into the hatchways. The hatchways might also have been shown there to be watertight. 21154. They are shown. Is there any watertight seal above the engine room? - Not above the engine room hatch; certainly not. 21155. If you had a continuous watertight deck you would have to have it watertight above the engine room, would you not? - Not if it took it right to the top of the ship? - Watertight casings. 21156. However, you say you are building such a ship now. Has she got a name yet? - The “Aquitania”. 21157. Does she take the place of some previous “Aquitania”? - No, my Lord. 21158. Was there never an “Aquitania” before? - Not in the Cunard Company; I have never heard the name before. 21159. (Mr. Raymond Asquith.) What is the length of the continuous watertight deck on the “Aquitania”: would it extend to the level of what is called E deck on this “Mauretania” plan? - It would be a little higher, of course, the construction is different. 21160. A little higher in relation to the general structure of the ship? - Yes. 21161. And then, I understand, when that continuous deck gets to the engine room the transverse bulkhead abaft the engine room is carried right up to the top of the ship? - The engine room does not extend the full width after you get in this ship above D deck. Then the openings are comparatively small above that, and those are usually made watertight. 21162. (The Commissioner.) Do you make the hatches in the deck watertight now? - Up to the level of the top of the bulkheads. 21163. Are they watertight in the “Mauretania”? - Yes, all the hatches and all the main deck for 400 feet amidships is watertight also. 21164. For instance, in No. 1 hold are the hatchways watertight? - No. 1 hold in the “Lusitania” and “Mauretania”? 21165. Yes? - The hatchway on the deck which is shown watertight is a watertight cover secured by screwed bolts and rubber between the hatchway and the cover. 21166. (Mr. Raymond Asquith.) With regard to the last point, it has been said that there is great difficulty very often in keeping the place watertight when cargo has to be put into it and taken