Page 97 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

working of the boats would be nearly impossible, and you could not work the four sets between decks at all. 21431. I am afraid I have not made my meaning quite clear. At present you have the A deck, which is a promenade deck? - Yes. 21432. Then you have the top deck of all? - That is A deck; (Pointing on the model.) that is the deck you are referring to. 21433. Yes? - I think it would be a great mistake to put the boats there, and an impossibility to work them properly. 21434. Instead of having boat deck, A deck, B deck and C deck, taking those three superstructured decks, I suggest you should do away with one of the decks so that the height of the ship in this case would be reached on A deck? - If you scrap one or two or three of the decks you might as well scrap the whole ship, you know. 21435. You think you could not meet the objection with regard to making the ship tender, by putting the boats on what is now the top deck? You do not think you could meet that effectively by sacrificing entirely one of the decks? - Certainly not. 21436. Why? - Why, because it is such a short distance down that there would be very little difference. The 8 feet or 7 feet 6 inches of the height would be a mere nothing. She would still have the tenderness with the boats up there. 21437. Now take the area of the boats, and the weight of the boats in relation to the single deck, there would be a less area of boat and less weight of boats would there not? - I do not see it. 21438. You are familiar with the construction of this ship. Take the boat deck: What would be the weight of that deck? - It is a very light deck. It is merely what we know as an awning deck. In old times the passengers had awnings over them, and instead of those loose awnings flapping all the time, we gradually commenced to put on light wood. It is not very heavy, because it does not require to be heavy for the sake of the boats, because where the davits are the deck is stiffened with steel underneath, and, therefore, there is very little weight in it. 21439. May I take it the superstructure above A deck, which is involved for the purpose of constructing the boat deck, would be a good deal heavier than the total weight of the 48 or 64 boats? - Oh, no; I think the boats would be much heavier. 21440. You think they would? - Yes. 21441. What would be the weight of the boats? - I do not know. 21442. What would the weight of that deck be? - I do not know. 21443. Then how do you arrive at the idea that the boats would be heavier than the deck? The Commissioner: Can you suggest to him what the weight of the boats would be? 21444. (Mr. Clement Edwards.) This is not in accordance with Lloyd’s contract, my Lord, so I cannot suggest what the weight would be. (To the Witness.) You cannot tell the weight of the boats? - I cannot say. 21445. Is it not the fact that those boats weigh a ton and a half? - I do not know. 21446. Will you take it from me they do weigh a ton and a half? - No doubt, if you have that in evidence from the firm it will be correct. 21447. Do you suggest that that deck would not weigh more than 64 times a ton and a half; that is to say, not more than 100 tons? - I do not think so. 21448. You do not think so? - I do not think so. 21449. You made a plan which involved, as I understand it, the placing of 64 boats on that very deck? - Yes. 21450. At the time that you made that plan, with the full responsibility as managing director of the building firm, did you think that the advantages of greater safety which the larger number of boats would give would outweigh this disadvantage of greater top weight? - Ships when they are