Page 64 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 32 - 36

measurements, they are very apt to, and do, vary from the actual measurements taken of the ship when completed - by small figures, but they do vary, and vary sufficiently to upset this very nice calculation. My friend, Mr. Edwards, calculating with all the errors which I am pointing out on these figures, has only made a difference of 1.06, I think he said. The Commissioner: That is right. Mr. Laing: 1.06 inches. The Commissioner: He said 1.06 was quite sufficient to bring it over the line. Mr. Laing: Yes, that is what his point is, that she was 1 inch or something below the requirements of Table C. The Commissioner: And therefore the deck ought to have gone up? Mr. Laing: Yes. It is all very well for Mr. Edwards to say so, calculating the best he can, but when your Lordship has Mr. Archer, the Senior Surveyor, and Mr. Carruthers, the gentleman at Belfast, all saying that is not true, and that in fact she exceeded the requirements of Table C instead of being under them, there is only one possible conclusion on the evidence as it stands, that Mr. Edwards is wrong, and I am pointing out how he is wrong. I have had supplied to me, which I believe came from the Board of Trade, the corrected figures in red of these black calculations, and if one works them out you arrive at the actual freeboard assigned to this vessel and the actual figures required under Table C, of 10 feet 11 1/2 inches. The Commissioner: Is the 10 feet 11 1/2 inches in lieu of the 11 feet? Mr. Laing: Eleven feet 1 inch. The Commissioner: There is no 11 feet 1 inch. Mr. Laing: Mr. Edwards’ figures are that Table C requires a freeboard of 11 feet 1 inch. I say that is wrong. In truth, Table C requires a freeboard of 10 feet 11 1/2 inches. The Commissioner: And the 10 feet 11 1/2 inches, what figure is that represented by in the letter of 30th April, 1910? Mr. Laing: That is represented by a figure of 10 feet 9 inches, I think - minus 5. Your Lordship will see it is a most elaborate calculation. The Commissioner: What do you say that ought to be? Mr. Laing: It ought to be, in truth, 10 feet 11 1/2 inches, the requirements of Table C. The Commissioner: Then, if 10 feet 11 1/2 inches is right, instead of requiring the deck to go up above E, it might conceivably have been taken some very short space below deck E, or deck E might be lowered. Mr. Laing: Yes, your Lordship will observe an error in Mr. Edwards’ theory. He says the actual freeboard assigned was 10 feet 11 1/2 inches. If you take that 10 feet 11 1/2 inches it is simply equal to the requirements of Table C, but the real freeboard assigned was 11 feet 2 1/2 inches. Therefore she exceeded the requirements of Table C by 3 inches. Everybody is agreed that that is true. The Commissioner: The actual freeboard is what? Mr. Laing: 11 feet 2 1/2 inches. The Commissioner: Where do you get that from? Mr. Laing: I prove that by showing, as I just have done, that Mr. Carruthers said that she was 3 inches in excess of Table C Regulations. The Commissioner: But some calculation was put before me which I never understood and do not understand now. Mr. Laing: I can prove it in a sort of way, but it is very difficult. The Commissioner: I suppose Mr. Edwards’ contention involves saying that the freeboard certificate is wrong. Mr. Laing: Yes, it must do. The Attorney-General: The point I am going to take with regard to that is this: I am not going