Page 234 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

The Solicitor-General: Yes. The Commissioner: But not in quantities? 10965. (The Solicitor-General.) I want to see what he says. (To the Witness.) Was there a stream of water, or was it merely trickling? - It was more than trickling, and it was not exactly a stream. It was more than trickling, though. 10966. Was it continuing to fall? - Yes. 10967. When you were there? - Yes. 10968. (The Commissioner.) What time was this? - I should think it would be about a quarter or ten minutes to 1. 10969. A little more than an hour after the collision? - Yes, about an hour, I should think. 10970. (The Solicitor-General.) Supposing the watertight doors in F deck had been shut, as you shut the two you know about, this water could not have come back along F deck, could it? - No. 10971. But, of course, there are no watertight doors in E deck? - There is one right forward on E deck alleyway. 10972. There is one? - Yes. 10973. But the bulkheads as a whole do not go up to E deck? - No. Sir Robert Finlay: I think two bulkheads do go up to E deck. 10974. (The Solicitor-General.) In a sense you are right, and in a sense, I am right. What I mean is you cannot, on E deck, shut the door. I said the bulkheads did not come up to E deck. What I meant was, the top of the bulkhead is the floor of E deck, level with E deck? - You mean of the F deck bulkheads? 10975. I want you to help us about the water. You saw water that was apparently coming from E deck and falling down the stairway into F? - Yes. 10976. But you did not find water backing along F deck? - No. 10977. There are watertight doors on F deck, and you had shut two of them yourself? - Yes, I thought the water had come up the stairway leading down to the Post Office, and then ran along E deck, and then down on to F. 10978. And, of course, if the watertight doors on F deck forward of that had not been closed then water could have made its way along F deck, and would not have had to mount the E deck, and then return to F deck? - Yes, it would. The Commissioner: Is the suggested explanation that F deck, forward of the watertight doors which he had shut were by this time full of water, and that the water had risen up to E deck? Is that the idea? The Solicitor-General: That is the idea, my Lord. The Witness: No, my Lord; in the section forward of the bulkheads where I shut the doors, I do not think there was water there at all. 10979. Then we are agreed. Where did the water come from, that you saw falling down the stairway between E deck and F deck? - I think that had come from the Post Office stairway. 10980. (The Solicitor-General.) That is right forward? - Yes, and there is no bulkhead between the stairway and those stairs on E deck. 10981. I want to follow your idea; I think I do. You had already seen water in the stairway by the Post Office? - Yes. 10982. And that is on G deck? - Yes. 10983. And is there a stairway which mounts from that place near the Squash Racquet Court up to F deck, and from there up to E deck? - Yes. 10984. And assuming that the water rose high enough, is there anything there to prevent it from rising as high as E deck? - No. 10985. But supposing that the water rose there as far as F deck, it could not run aft on F deck,