Page 119 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 23 - 26

Examined by Mr. HARBINSON. 24122. Did you make an examination of the doors and the ladders leading from the third class quarters? - Yes, I did. 24123. That is, the means of ingress or egress? - Yes, I did. 24124. At the time you made the examination were those doors locked? - Some of them were. 24125. And were the barriers in any way obstructed? - Well, they were locked. 24126. How long before the ship left Southampton did you make your examination? - I started about 8 o’clock in the morning. I started to make my examination then, and she left at noon. 24127. So far as you know, when she left were these doors locked? - No doubt some of them were, but those are only emergency doors that are locked, not the doors to the third class passengers. 24128. Quite; that is the emergency doors that led to the boat deck? - Yes. Would you like to know the reason? 24129. I do not mind? - Well, the reason for having those doors locked is to keep the firemen and stewards and other people from passing through into the different places on sailing day. They are very congested. The ship is very congested from a lot of visitors - something like a thousand visitors. Mr. Harbinson: I think it is quite fair you should give that explanation. Examined by Mr. HOLMES. 24130. I suppose you have had considerable experience at sea as a master mariner? - Yes, I have had 22 years at sea altogether. 24131. And that would make you eminently qualified for the surveying of deck equipments, boats, and that kind of thing? - Well, I should think so. 24132. Better than an engineer? - Well, you had better ask my Department about that. 24133. The deck equipment would be your department, and not the engineer’s. And are you the only nautical Surveyor so far as you know who ever went on board the “Titanic”? - I am the only nautical Surveyor, but there was another nautical Surveyor that visited after me, Captain Sharp, at Queenstown. 24134. And was your examination limited to what was necessary for the emigration clearance? - Yes. I followed up Mr. Carruthers’s survey; he took the first part and I took the second part. 24135. Supposing this had not been an emigrant ship, would you have had to go on board her at all? - No. 24136. Would there have been any nautical Surveyor? - No. 24137. Are you satisfied that the present method of measurement of space for persons in boats according to the Board of Trade Regulations is satisfactory? Do you think there really is room in the boats for all the people? - Do you think that is a question I should answer before my superior officers, my Lord? The Commissioner: I am sure I do not know. The Attorney-General: There has been a question raised about the proportion of depth to breadth. Mr. Holmes - To the Witness: As a practical man, you ought to know. 24138. (The Commissioner.) If you are going to ask everybody whether he cannot suggest anything better, we shall have endless suggestions. I never knew a person in his position who had not ideas of his own, which differed from the ideas of everybody else. We shall have endless suggestions. (To the Witness.) But I see no objection to your answering the question. Do not you take exception to the way in which these measurements are taken? - I think the Board - my department - are already considering the subject. 24139. (The Commissioner.) That is not the question at all. First of all, will you answer me one question? - Yes. 24140. Do you think the method employed at present is right? - No. The Commissioner: I knew he would say “No,” and if you called a dozen other people they would all say