Page 125 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 23 - 26

Cubic Persons. Feet. 13 Lifeboats 7,750 775 11 C and 2 D boats 7,750 968 15,500 1,743 The Attorney-General: It will be rather difficult to follow all this on the Table. This is one of the Reports which your Lordship will remember - one of the four with the Tables which I said I would have printed in a Memorandum. I have the Proofs, if I may hand them up. I do not know whether there will be anything to alter, but I have not had time to revise them; they have only just come in. I propose to hand up to your Lordship now this Print, so that it may be followed while the Witness is in the box. It may be necessary to revise them, and, if so, your Lordship will let us have them back. The Witness had just read to the bottom of page 17 and was going to the top of page 18. The Commissioner: He has referred to the 13 lifeboats and the 11 C and 2 D boats. 24249. (The Attorney-General.) Yes. Now we are going to the top of page 18. The Witness: “According to the Rule of 19th April, 1910, this would require 10 sets of davits on each side of the vessel, which would probably not be impracticable in a vessel of 50,000 tons, but if any difficulty is experienced in this respect, one-third of the total number of boats might be allowed inboard. Probably the chief difficulty in adopting the above scale may be found in providing sufficient hands to launch and man 46 boats in the case of a vessel which is not subdivided to the satisfaction of the Board; I have, however, no information as to the usual number of the various ratings in very large passenger vessels.” 24250. (The Commissioner.) That is the end? - Yes. The Commissioner: What is the next table of figures? Mr. Butler Aspinall: I thought that was a sort of Appendix, because it seems to give effect to the views he has expressed. The Attorney-General: I think so. The Commissioner: “Minimum number of boats to be placed under davits”? 24251. (The Attorney-General.) Yes. The Witness: My report contained a diagram, and that is substantially this table, although I see a slight alteration has been made. The Commissioner: Very well. 24252. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) The outcome of it is that, apart from this question of the shipowner getting any exemption by reason of having efficient watertight compartments, your view is that in the case of a vessel of 50,000 tons and upwards, she ought to have a sum total of cubic contents amounting to 27,125 feet? - That is so. 24253. That is in the neighbourhood of 2,500 people? - Yes. 24254. That is what it comes to? - Yes. 24255. Your report is dated 28th February, 1911. In view of the disaster to the “Titanic,” do you still hold the same opinion, or has it been in any way altered or modified? - No, my opinion has been to some extent modified. 24256. Will you tell me in what respect? - In the first place, I think the Rule No. 12 which grants a certain exemption to vessels when efficiently subdivided should be discontinued. Mr. Butler Aspinall: That is page 16 of the book on “Life-Saving Appliances,” at the bottom, No. 12. The Attorney-General: That is the Exemption Rule. 24257. (The Commissioner.) Yes, I remember it. The Witness: In the second place, I think that the total boat capacity required should no longer be