Page 53 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 27 - 31

The Attorney-General: I should accept that. Sir Robert Finlay: Sir Ernest put it too high. My learned friend will not want evidence on that point. The Attorney-General: No, I accept that statement. Sir Robert Finlay: Mr. Wilding will be here on Monday if my learned friend desires him to make the statement. Mr. Clement Edwards: My Lord, in this Enquiry, except in the case where certain reflections were passed by a Witness on the conduct of particular passengers, there have been no passengers called to give evidence. I know there is a perfectly satisfactory explanation why that is so, but I think in the public interest it might be well if the learned Attorney-General indicated why that course has been taken. The Attorney-General: I am quite ready to do so. I thought I had already done so, but I will state it in two sentences. We found it useless to call passengers who could only state what has already been stated by the officers and crew who have been called. If I had found in any proof or document submitted to me that any passengers could prove anything which was in conflict with what had been said on any material point, of course, I should have called them. As your Lordship knows, at an early stage, and since, as intimated to my learned friend, Mr. Harbinson, who naturally had some statements before him, I would call any passenger whose proof or statement was put before me, if it added anything to the testimony which we already have. My own view, after consideration of a great many statements was that it was useless repetition, and that therefore it was unnecessary to put it before the Court. The Commissioner: That will probably be satisfactory to Mr. Edward. There was one matter I was asked to bring to your notice. When the answers were being received to the C.Q.D. messages from the “Titanic,” apparently Phillips had a great difficulty in hearing them because of the noise of the steam. The question I was asked to put to you was this: Is it not possible to arrange that messages received in the Marconi room as well as despatched can be received in a silent cabin - I believe it is called. The Attorney-General: It would be the same room, would it not? The Commissioner: I am told it is so on board the vessels in the Navy. The Attorney-General: It would be in the same room. They are received and sent in the same room. The Commissioner: As I understand, they are sent from what is called the silent cabin, and the question is, could not it be arranged that they should also be received in a similar cabin, or in the same cabin, so that the noise should not interfere with hearing the message. The Attorney-General: My impression is that they are received and sent in the same room. I do not follow how they could be received in a different room from the one in which they are sent. I should think they are received and transmitted in the same room. The Commissioner: If that is so, I do not understand why the noise of steam should prevent them hearing. The Attorney-General: Mr. Turnbull is here. May we ask him the question? 25623. (The Commissioner.) Yes. (To Mr. Turnbull.) Will you please answer the question. Have you heard what I was asking? Mr. Turnbull: Yes. 25624. (The Commissioner.) What is the explanation? Mr. Turnbull: I think, on these large Trans-Atlantic liners, almost everyone of them, without exception, has the cabin in the most silent place in the ship. That is one of the specifications we always ask for. The cabin is placed amidships for two reasons - one because that is the most silent place, and another because it is the best place technically. In the case of the “Titanic” the instruments were divided into two rooms. The transmitting instruments, which cause a certain