Page 22 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 23 - 26

which are according to German law, and according to German law the “President Lincoln” was entitled to carry 4,108 persons and complied with the law in giving boating accommodation for 1,465 persons; that is, for 35.5 percent of the number which she was entitled to carry. The “President Grant” in the same way was entitled to carry 3,991 persons, and gave boating accommodation, complying with the law, for 1,516 persons. That is for 37.9 percent. The tonnage of these two ships was a little over 18,000 tons. Your Lordship will notice that in each case the ship was entitled to carry a larger number of persons than the “Titanic” by English law was entitled to carry. How many persons the “Titanic” by German law would have been entitled to carry I cannot say. The Commissioner: I remember we had that evidence. That must mean that the passengers in some way or another are packed close together. Mr. Maurice Hill: I am told that if the “Titanic” had been fitted up entirely for third class she might have carried 10,000 or 12,000; she had room for them. The Commissioner: She had cubic space for them? Mr. Maurice Hill: Yes. The Attorney-General: I agree with what my friend has said with regard to the “President Lincoln” and the “President Grant.” That is not the point on which I was dissenting from the calculation. I agree those were substantially accurate. The slight variation is not worth mentioning. One has to bear in mind always, and it is brought out by reference to the “President Lincoln” and the “President Grant,” that the German law equally does what we have done - that is, base its demands for boats upon tonnage, and not upon the number of souls carried, and in those cases it pans out rather differently. They carried a very large number of passengers, much more than the “Titanic” would carry, and yet, nevertheless, would have had to find many less boats than the “Titanic” according to the German law. That is the point of it. The Commissioner: Yes, that is the point, and it is an important point. The Attorney-General: Undoubtedly. The Commissioner: It was stated of the “Titanic” that it provided large spaces for what has been called luxury, adding of course to the tonnage of the vessel. If the lifeboat accommodation were calculated with reference to that tonnage which is not occupied by passengers in the sense of carrying passengers, why of course it makes the provision of boats very much larger than it would otherwise be. The Attorney-General: Certainly. The Commissioner: So that in that sense the provision of these large spaces for what are called luxury - racquet courts and swimming baths and suchlike things - would tend to increase the lifeboat accommodation, although they tend to decrease the number of persons carried. The Attorney-General: That is so. Sir ALFRED CHALMERS, Sworn. Examined by Mr. BUTLER ASPINALL. 22843. I believe you hold a Master’s certificate? - Yes, I do. 22844. I believe you served at sea for some 17 or 18 years in the Mercantile Marine and in various classes of vessels? - I did. 22845. And in the year 1877 you joined the Board of Trade, did you not? - I did. 22846. I think you joined the Survey Department, and in 1896 you were appointed Professional Member of the Marine Department? - That is so. 22847. In that year you became the Nautical Adviser. That is what it really comes to, does it