Page 71 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 27 - 31

of the owners of the “Titanic.” I say nothing at all about Mr. Bruce Ismay as an individual. I may say, if I may respectfully say so, that I was very much impressed by the evidence of a number of Witnesses as to the amount of care he took and the amount of help that he gave to a number of women and children, in getting them into the boats when he was on the deck of the ship before he left it. But, insofar as he is a shipowner, and, insofar as he took any part in this voyage, I think all his actions are fair subjects for criticism and comment in this Enquiry. What I wish to direct your Lordship’s attention to now, is the question of lifeboat accommodation. This involves amongst the questions submitted, No. 3: “In the actual design and construction of the ‘Titanic,’ what special provisions were made for the safety of the vessel and the lives of those on board in the event of collisions and other casualties.” Then Question No. 5 is: “What was the number of the boats of any kind on board the ‘Titanic’? Were the arrangements for manning and launching the boats on board the ‘Titanic’ in cases of emergency proper and sufficient? Had a boat drill been held on board, and, if so, when? What was the carrying capacity of the respective boats?” Then Question 25 is, “When the ‘Titanic’ left th Queenstown on or about 11 April last, was she properly constructed and adequately equipped as a passenger steamer and emigrant ship for the Atlantic service?” This brings me to examine, which I shall do very briefly, the provision of lifeboats. We know the number of passengers she could have carried was over 3,500. She had on the occasion 892 of her crew and 1,316 passengers - a total on board of 2,208. Her lifeboat accommodation was for 1,178 persons. The Attorney-General: That covers all boat accommodation; they are not all lifeboats. The Commissioner: 1178 boat accommodation? Mr. Scanlan: Yes. The Commissioner: Give me the number she was entitled to carry. The Attorney-General: 3547. The Commissioner: That is with the crew? Mr. Scanlan: Yes; she had, in point of fact, 2208. The Commissioner: Is that 2208 an admitted figure? There was some question about two. The Attorney-General: Yes, about 2206 or 2208. The Commissioner: Am I to take it at 2208? The Attorney-General: We have analysed it for the purpose of getting at the exact figure. We have got it from the documents I referred to this morning, and the exact figure is 2201. I do not think you have had that before. The Commissioner: No, I have not. The Attorney-General: We have assumed always that it was 2206 or 2208, and which it was was not quite clear; but I think you had better take it as 2201, because we have taken that with considerable care. The Commissioner: What do you say, Sir Robert? Sir Robert Finlay: If it has been calculated, I am quite contented to take it as that; I am not certain that it is more exact than the other. But the difference is not very great. I am told by Mr. Furniss that he has agreed that with the Board of Trade. The Commissioner: Very well. Take it, Mr. Scanlan, at 2201; it makes no difference to your argument. Mr. Scanlan: No, I have made a note of that figure. Then we have the total number saved of passengers and crew, 703. The Attorney-General: No, 711 is the figure. That has been got this morning. Mr. Scanlan: That is so. The Attorney-General: Take that as the right figure. Mr. Scanlan: Yes, the figure we have got today, 711. Now I am to ask this question, my Lord: