Page 233 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

and get all lifebelts and all passengers. 10944. What do you mean by getting the men up? - Most of them were down below at the time. 10945. By the men, do you mean the crew? - Yes, our own department. 10946. You would be one of the superiors responsible for a lot of the stewards? - Yes. 10947. You were to get them up? - Yes. 10948. Did you pass the word round? - Yes. 10949. You went to the stewards’ quarters? - Yes. 10950. And gave these orders? - Yes. 10951. And did the stewards turn out? - Yes, they were nearly all out when I got down there. 10952. They were nearly all out already? - Yes. 10953. What was the next thing? - They were all round the decks getting the lifebelts on the passengers, and getting warm clothing on them, which took, I should think, about half an hour. Then we got the word to pass all women and children on to A deck on the port side. 10954. I want to get it in order. At some time you returned to your own room, did you not? - Yes, that may have been before I went to the glory holes. 10955. Try and get it in order for me, because I think you saw some water when you went to your own room? - That was later on. 10956. Very well, tell it us in the right order. - It was, I should think, about ten minutes or a quarter to 1 when I got the order from Mr. McElroy again to get all the men to the boats - to their stations. 10956a. That is, all your stewards? - Yes. 10957. Did you pass that order along? - Yes, for as many men as I could see there; and then I went down below again and went down to my own quarters. I think you will find there were about six or eight rooms down our quarters, the Turkish bath attendants. 10958. There is a cluster of rooms on F deck there? - Yes. I went and saw if all the people were out of those rooms first, and as I was coming up there was water running down off E deck on to F deck, down our section. 10959. Water running down off E deck to F deck? - Yes. 10960. That is, from the higher to the lower? - Yes, it had come from E deck and was running down on to F. 10961. Can you tell us where it was you found this water falling from E deck to F deck? - It was running down the stairway. 10962. Is that the stairway near your quarters? - Yes, the only stairway down there. 10963. (The Commissioner.) In great quantities? - No, not very much. The Solicitor-General: Let us be sure I have the stairway which you are speaking of. The Commissioner: Is he saying there was water running from D to E deck? The Solicitor-General: No, my Lord, he has not said so yet; and I do not think he says so at all. The Commissioner: From E to F? The Solicitor-General: Yes. Your Lordship has the plan of E deck and F deck. The Commissioner: I have. The Solicitor-General: Will your Lordship look at the plan of F deck at the place where his own quarters were. It is the room marked “Assistant Second Steward.” Now, next to that, immediately level with that is a stairway. The Commissioner: Yes, going up to E deck. 10964. (The Solicitor-General.) If you trace it on the corresponding plan of E deck you see it again. (To the Witness.) Was that stairway which is opposite your quarters where the water was coming down? - Yes. The Commissioner: Then it was coming down from E deck towards F deck down the stairway?