Page 96 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

21415. Was the whole thing treated as quite tentative and simply just allowed to pass? - There is the ship and there are the boats shown on it, and that part was settled, as far as that goes; but how many boats would ultimately be fitted in the ship before she left Liverpool, Belfast, or Southampton was not settled when I was present, nor did I hear it. 21416. If it was not settled, was there any circumstance discussed or any time mentioned at which it should be decided what should be the number of boats? - Not that I heard of. 21417. Now then, from January, 1910, when this interview took place, until June, 1910, when you left, was there anything more said in your presence by the White Star directors or any member of the White Star Company? - No. 21418. Nothing? - No. I merely ordered the davits after that - the same month. 21419. That is to say, you ordered davits that should each take how many boats? - Four. 21420. And was there, while you were still connected with the firm, any decision arrived at to your knowledge with regard to the number of boats? - None that I know of. 21421. Do you know what you were waiting for at that time; that is to say, do you know why no definite decision had been arrived at up to June, 1910, as to the number of boats? - I would say they were entirely waiting to see what the Board of Trade would require. The Commissioner: Of course. They were living in hopes that the Board of Trade would not ask for any more. 21422. (Mr. Clement Edwards.) Now with regard to the Board of Trade, you have said that in May, 1911, at a meeting of the Advisory Committee, these plans for the davits were produced? - Copies. Those are photographs. It is much the same drawing. Photographs were produced. We have heard from Mr. Wilding that the Board of Trade Surveyor, whilst the “Titanic” was under construction visited the ship something like 2,000 or 3,000 times. The Commissioner: The fact is this, Mr. Edwards - I do not think you were here this morning - three or four different Surveyors, all representing the Board of Trade, visited the ship at different times, and if you add up all their visits they come to 2,000 or 3,000. Mr. Edwards: Nothing today, my Lord, turns on the arithmetic. The Commissioner: You were saying it was only one Surveyor; it was a number. 21423. (Mr. Edwards - To the Witness.) There were certain Surveyors of the Board of Trade who, between them, did visit the “Titanic” while she was under construction a considerable number of times? - Yes. 21424. Do you know whether on any occasion these plans for the davits were submitted to any one of the Surveyors? - They were not submitted while I was there. 21425. They were not submitted while you were there? - No, not that I know of. 21426. I think it was Mr. Sanderson who said that if this full number of boats were put upon the “Titanic” one of the effects would be to make the ship tender. What is your view as a practical man about that? - That is one of the objections. In a ship of that size that is the serious objection. 21427. That is what I wanted to get at. In relation to what you in drawing the plans deemed advantages, how do you place the disadvantage of the number of boats in making the ship tender? - Well, it is the top weight of the boats makes her more tender. You see if you only put sufficient weights on the boat deck you will roll her over, likely. 21428. Supposing you sacrificed a deck - by that I mean this: In the “Titanic” and the “Olympic” you have the boats super-imposed on what is called the boat deck? - Yes. 21429. That is to say, you have the height of the boats above the boat deck. Suppose, instead of having the boat deck as it is there, what is known as A deck were made the boat deck - that is to say, entirely sacrifice, for the height and weight of the boat, one deck? – I would think it a great mistake. 21430. From this very point of view of the tenderness of the ship, what do you say? - The