Page 204 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

10139. You went up from there to E deck? - Yes. 10140. Pretty soon? - Yes, pretty soon, when I realised the ship’s condition. 10141. When you went along to get up you passed the position where the watertight bulkheads were? - Yes. 10142. Were they open or shut? - Open. 10143. Did you go down on to that deck again at any time? - No. 10144. You cannot tell us at all whether those watertight bulkheads were open or shut? - No, I cannot tell you. 10145. How long after the collision was it that you went up? Five minutes, ten minutes, or only a few minutes? - Well, after the collision, on being aroused first by a man coming from forward, a steward, he said there had been an accident, and I closed my eyes and went to sleep again; I did not believe it. 10146. How long for, do you suppose? - Oh, I should imagine somewhere about 15 or 20 minutes. 10147. And when you left 15 or 20 minutes or longer than that, after the contact with the berg, the watertight bulkheads were open? - Yes. Examined by Mr. HARBINSON. 10148. Did I rightly understand you to say that very shortly after the impact Kieran told you to go down to your people and rouse them up? - Yes. 10149. Did I rightly understand you also to say that you went round the whole of the two sections allotted to you? - Yes. 10150. Did you go to each of these cabins and arouse the occupants of each compartment? - Yes, those that were not already aroused. 10151. Those that were not already up or had not gone to bed. Now, I should like to know what are the means employed to prevent the third class passengers during the voyage from straying into the first and second class decks and quarters of the ship. First, are there collapsible gates? - Yes, gates that can be removed. Dividing the third class deck there is a companion; dividing the second class deck and the first class deck there is a barrier. 10152. Are those kept fastened during the course of a voyage - the barrier and the companion? - No. 10153. Are they open? - Well, the barrier that lifts over and the gate that fixes in, you can just take it out with your hand; it is never locked. 10154. Do I understand you to say that those gates are not locked at any time and the barrier is not fastened? - Not to my knowledge. 10155. So that at any time a third class passenger, by pushing the gate or by raising the barrier, can go to the second class deck or to the first class deck. Is that right? - That is correct. That is, of course, if there is nobody there on watch. There usually is a quartermaster standing by there or a seaman. 10156. Have you ever seen those gates locked? - No, I was not long enough on the ship to see them locked. 10157. I mean, any other ship. What ship were you on before you came on to this ship? - I have been in the whole four of the American Line boats. 10158. On any of the previous boats have you seen those barriers or gates locked to prevent the third class passengers straying on to the first or second class decks? - You see, the ships are built differently. The American Line boats are built entirely differently from the “Titanic.” 10159. I want to make it quite clear. Is it the usual practice on trans-Atlantic passenger steamers to keep the gates locked and the barriers fixed so that they cannot be opened by third