Page 131 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 23 - 26

24291. Reach another ship? - Yes, reach another ship. 24292. Would they require as large a crew to navigate them as the lifeboats? - They would require, I think, as large a skilled crew; they could not be navigated with less than two skilled men. 24293. But, with two skilled men, would they require any other men at all? - I should think with two skilled men they could be worked. 24294. Satisfactorily? - So far as I am in a position to judge, my Lord; I am not a nautical man; I have no nautical experience. The Attorney-General: Just before my friend proceeds, my Lord, may I supplement what I was saying just now to you about the German requirements. I wanted to refer your Lordship to a passage of the Notes. Your Lordship will remember I gave you upon the last occasion the figures agreed between my friend representing the White Star Line and ourselves, of the cubic capacity which would have been required in boating accommodation according to the German requirements for the “Titanic.” The difference is that in the figures which we have given here at page 627 of the Note that we allow there that the “Titanic” would have received the dispensation on account of efficient watertight bulkheads in the “Titanic,” and therefore would have only been required to supply a supplementary half and not the total figure. The difference, therefore, between the figure which you find here of 42,656, which is the total required under davits, and a similar cubic capacity required not under davits, that is altered at page 627 by bringing the figure to a cubic capacity of 31,992, giving accommodation for 3,198 persons. That is how it stands. If you add what I have called your attention to here on page 627, you get the figure which is an agreed figure of calculation, and which corresponds with this figure, although it does not appear at first sight to do so, because in the last columns on the right-hand side you will see the vessel is treated as not having efficient watertight bulkheads, and therefore you get the double cubic capacity required, amounting to 42,000 odd. If you treat her as having efficient watertight bulkheads then the figure is the one I gave at page 627 of 31,992, giving a person accommodation of 3,198. That is what is agreed would have to be provided by the “Titanic” according to the German requirements. The Commissioner: Being 300 or 400 less than the number which would by law be permitted. The Attorney-General: Yes, the total number was 3,547. Examined by Mr. CLEMENT EDWARDS. 24295. I would like, first of all, to get from you precisely what your position is in the Marine Department of the Board of Trade in relation to the other officials. As I understand it, you are the Shipwright Surveyor? - The Principal Ship’s Surveyor. Mr. Edwards: You are a Shipwright Surveyor, are you not? The Commissioner: I understood him to say “Principal Ship Surveyor.” 24296. (Mr. Edwards.) I am only putting the question for the purpose of getting the distinction between a shipwright and an engineer? - My title is “Principal Ship Surveyor.” 24297. Having got your title, I should like to know your duties. In the case of the construction of a ship, where any question arose as to the construction, would it come before you? - Any question regarding the construction of the hull of the vessel would come before me, either directly from the Surveyor or through the Assistant Secretary of the Marine Department. 24298. With regard to questions of the machinery, would they come before you or the other officers? - They would come before the Engineer Surveyor-in-Chief. 24299. You are the responsible officer in the matter of the construction of the hull of the “Titanic.” Is that so? - Yes, that is so. 24300. And any questions which were referred to the Marine Department by your Belfast Surveyor were questions which, in fact, came before you for the expression of your opinion and advice? - Yes. 24301. Was there any question that came before you as to the number and character of the bulkheads in the “Titanic”? - As to the character of the bulkheads, yes.