Page 148 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 23 - 26

24469. And during that six months, do they have any instruction from the Board of Trade? - Yes, they do. 24470. In what form? - I do not know exactly in what form. 24471. Do you give them a book to read, and then examine them on that? - Oh, no, so far as I understand the matter they go with a senior colleague and assist him in the performance of his duties. 24472. And at the end of that time you consider they are competent. For instance, an engineer is competent to survey boats? - I do not consider that unless I find it so after I have examined him. 24473. Do you examine him as to deck equipments, compasses and that kind of thing? - Not compasses, no; it is not part of my duty. 24474. Is it not part of his duty when he becomes a fully qualified Surveyor? - He has to examine certificates with the compass adjuster and see they are in order. 24475. Things like sea anchors and patent logs? - I do not examine him in sea anchors or logs because I am not a nautical man; I am a shipbuilder. 24476. It becomes part of their duties to see that the ships are properly equipped with such things? - The ship is not equipped with a sea anchor; the boats are. 24477. The ship’s boats? - Yes. 24478. But you put them through no test? - As to sea anchors, no. The Commissioner: Can you tell me what a sea anchor is? Mr. Holmes: Yes, my Lord. The Commissioner: Describe it to me. Mr. Holmes: I am not an expert, my Lord. I believe the one supplied to the “Titanic” was a canvas bag. It is required for riding in a rough sea. The Commissioner: I know what it is for, but I thought you might be able to describe it to me. Mr. Holmes: They can be made of all sorts of things. The Commissioner: Have you ever seen one? Mr. Holmes: I have. The Commissioner: Well, I have not. The Attorney-General: They were on the “Olympic” when your Lordship went to see it. 24479. (Mr. Holmes - To the Witness.) You have told us you made calculations as to stress and that kind of thing? - Yes. 24480. Do you ever see that your recommendations are carried out yourself? For instance, did you ever survey the “Titanic” yourself? - I did not survey the “Titanic,” but I inspected the “Titanic”; I visited her once. 24481. And you rely, to see that your recommendations are carried out, on the local Engineer Surveyor? - I get a report from him. 24482. There is one other matter in which we were referred to you by Sir Walter Howell, and that is as to the reason why the regulations only provide for four of the ship’s boats being equipped with compasses and so on. Can you tell me why that is? - That is a matter upon which I speak with great diffidence as I am not a nautical man, but I imagine the idea is that the boats will keep in company. 24483. And the four they had sufficiently equipped would guide the others; is that your idea? - That is my idea on the subject. 24484. Do you suggest that four masts and four sails would be sufficient for sixteen boats? - I am under the impression that it would not be necessary to have a mast and sail for every boat. 24485. You think four masts and four sails are sufficient for all the boats on the ship? - On the whole. 24486. Four compasses for all the boats? - Yes.