Page 148 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 32 - 36

The Attorney-General: Yes, it must. The Commissioner: It really comes to this, that if No. 4 boiler section was holed, no bulkhead would have saved the ship. The Attorney-General: That is it. The Commissioner: But if No. 4 boiler section was not holed, and the bulkhead aft of No. 5 boiler section would have saved the ship or kept her longer afloat if it had been carried higher. The Attorney-General: Yes. The Commissioner: I think that was admitted by Mr. Wilding. The Attorney-General: Yes, I agree; he deals with it at page 518. The Commissioner: If this part of the case is really important - I do not know that it is - it is important to ascertain as nearly as we can whether No. 4 was holed or not. The Attorney-General: Yes. That depends upon the evidence of Dillon and Cavell. Dillon’s evidence begins at page 98. He is the trimmer. He gives evidence, first of all, about opening the watertight doors after they had been closed, with which I am not going to trouble you, because that is quite clear in your Lordship’s mind. Then at page 100, Question 3817, we get, I think, to the point which is material upon the question we are now examining. Perhaps I had better read a question or two before to introduce it: “Did you see any water before you went up in any of the boiler rooms or the engine room? - (A.) Yes, there was water coming in forward. (Q.) The furthest point forward you reached was No. 4 boiler section? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) Was it coming in there? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) Where was it coming in? - (A.) Coming from underneath. (Q.) From underneath the floor? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) And from what part of the floor, the forward part or the afterpart? - (A.) The forward part. (Q.) Did it come in large quantities or only in small quantities? - (A.) Small quantities. (Q.) Was there any depth of water standing on the floor? - (A.) No. (Q.) Do you mean the floor was just damp? - (A.) That is all. (Q.) And it seemed to be coming through the floor? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) Did you see any coming through the side of the ship at all? - (A.) I never noticed. (Q.) Was there any water anywhere else in any of the other sections? - (A.) No. (Q.) Then you got this order about a quarter-past 1, and you went up on deck.” If you look also at Questions 3810 and 3811, just preceding those, there is evidence of the time which your Lordship commented upon just now: “Can you give us any idea of how long it was after the ship had struck that you got the order to go on deck? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) About how long was it? - (A.) An hour and 40 minutes. (Q.) That would make it about 1 o’clock? - (A.) No. (Q.) After that - a quarter-past one? - (A.) Yes.” Then Cavell is at page 107, Question 4247: “When you came back to No. 4, and you found the lights were on again, did you see any water in No. 4? - (A.) No. (Q.) When you got back to No. 4, do you remember hearing an order being given? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) What was it? - (A.) Draw fires. (Q.) Is that any part of a trimmer's work, , as a Rule? - (A.) In an emergency. (Q.) In an emergency you would do it, of course? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) And did you lend a hand to draw the fires in No. 4? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) And were they drawn ? - (A.) Partly drawn. (Q.) What would there be - 30 furnaces? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) Were the firemen there helping to draw, too? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) You say they were only partly drawn? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) What happened then? - (A.) The water started coming up over her stokehold plates. (Q.) In No. 4? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) Did that happen gradually or did it happen suddenly? - (A.) It came gradually. (Q.) The water - you moved your hand, you raised it; did it seem to come up from below? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) As far as you saw in No. 4, did any water come in from the side of the ship? - (A.) Not so far as I saw. (Q.) When the water came up through the plates what was done then? - (A.) We stopped as long as we could. (Q.) That is right? - (A.) And then I thought to myself it was time I went for the escape ladder. (Q.) They were still drawing the fires, these men, were they? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) How high did the water get above the plates they were standing on? How much water were they standing in before they left?