Page 35 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 27 - 31

travelled along the ship, from forward, aft as far as the boilers. Sir Robert Finlay: I think that is what it must mean. The Attorney-General: As far as the boilers? But, according to the evidence, it was there long before this - in some of the boiler sections. Is there any evidence that before this time (which was 1.45) the water had reached as far aft as the last boiler? The Attorney-General: No, not before that. The Commissioner: It is suggested by one of my colleagues that the meaning of this expression is that water aft had got as far aft as the aftermost boiler. The Attorney-General: In other words, that the water was in all the boiler sections? The Commissioner: Yes. The Attorney-General: Yes, of course it might mean that. There are no boilers in the engine room proper, and, therefore, it cannot mean those. 25397. (The Commissioner.) No, that is so. (To the Witness.) How do you understand that message? You have got the message in your mind? - Well, I really understood that message to mean that there was water in the engine room probably as high as the boilers, on a level with the boilers. 25398. There are no boilers in the engine room? - No, there are not boilers in the engine room, certainly. The Attorney-General: We tried to elucidate this before, your Lordship will remember. Sir Robert Finlay: I think your Lordship will find that Mr. Wilding said that the water would not get into the engine room until the ship took the final plunge. The Commissioner: Is it not the fact that all the engineers went down? Sir Robert Finlay: Yes. The Commissioner: I cannot suppose that there was any depth of water in the engine room at that time. Not one engineer came up to the surface, as far as I know. The Attorney-General: Oh, yes, they were seen on deck undoubtedly. The Commissioner: When were they seen on deck? The Attorney-General: Almost at the last. The Commissioner: As I understood, they were working in the engine room as long as it was possible to work. The Attorney-General: Yes, I should gather from the evidence that what happened was when the water began to rise they came up on deck, but not till then; they remained there as long as they possibly could. The Commissioner: 1.45 is more than half an hour before the foundering. The Attorney-General: Yes. Sir Robert Finlay: It was only at the last moment that any of the engineers came up. The Commissioner: And not one of them was saved, I think. Mr. Laing: No, my Lord. 25399. (The Attorney-General.) I am sorry we interrupted you, Captain. We had got to this. Your last message had come from the “Titanic” at about a quarter to two: “Engine room full up to boilers,” this message which we have read? - Yes. 25400. You were making all speed towards her? - Yes. 25401. Will you go on and tell us? - At twenty minutes to three I saw a night signal, as I was saying, and it was just about half a point on the port bow, practically right ahead. At a quarter to three I saw what we knew was an iceberg by the light from a star - I saw a streak of light right on the iceberg. We saw it, I cannot say the distance off, but some distance - not very far; and from then on till four o’clock we were altering our course very often to avoid the bergs. At four o’clock I considered I was practically up to the position, and I stopped, at about five minutes after four. In the meantime I had been firing rockets and the Company’s signals every time we