Page 238 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

evidently the design of the thing in your head. As far as you know, supposing that water began to rise in that stairway which you spoke of near the mail room, is there anything to stop it from rising from the Orlop deck to G, from G to F, and from F to E? - No. 11033. It is merely a question of whether there is sufficient water to rise? - Yes. 11034. Is there any watertight door that could be shut to prevent that? - No. 11035. So, as far as the stairway is concerned, it is open for the water to rise. Is there anything which would prevent water, if it got into the stairway on F deck from running aft on the F deck? - Yes, there is an iron bulkhead there. 11036. (The Commissioner.) Is that the bulkhead in which there are no doors? - Yes. We have no doors. I do not know whether there are any doors down below, but there are none in our department. 11037. (The Solicitor-General.) None on F deck? - No. 11038. So that it is a continuous partition at that point? - Yes, as far as our deck is concerned. The Commissioner: I do not know, Sir Robert, whether you could explain it. Sir Robert Finlay: I understand that what the witness suggests is that the water rose forward of this bulkhead D till it got to the level of E deck. It could not get through this bulkhead, therefore it rose vertically till it got to E deck, and then ran along E deck and then down. The Commissioner: I understand that, but does not it follow from that, that all the part of the ship which was forward of the point where the water was rising was full of water? Sir Robert Finlay: Not necessarily all, my Lord; it is highly probable. The Commissioner: I do not see what part of it could not be full. Sir Robert Finlay: What I mean is, if the water was coming in forward of this D bulkhead, getting into that division, it would rise. The Commissioner: As I suggest? Sir Robert Finlay: Yes, and then over the top of the bulkhead, along E, and down the staircase. The Commissioner: And that is what I understand him to mean. Sir Robert Finlay: That is my impression. The Commissioner: Whether it is right or not, I do not know. I think you are right in a way. I mean, it does not follow that the forward compartments were necessarily full, although no doubt they would be if the vessel was holed at that part, Sir. Sir Robert Finlay: Exactly. The Commissioner: If she had had a tear right along, opening those parts, those parts would be full as well. Sir Robert Finlay: They would be full on their own account, so to speak. I think the evidence does show she was ripped up; at least it suggests so far, that there was a rip up on the starboard side for a very considerable way. The Commissioner: Yes, and right from forward, along. Sir Robert Finlay: From forward. The same thing would in all probability have been going on in the forward compartments. The Commissioner: Yes. Sir Robert Finlay: What the witness describes would have taken place even if this compartment only had been open. The Commissioner: Yes, I think I understand it now. 11039. (The Solicitor-General - To the Witness.) Have you a copy of the plan before you? - Yes. 11040. Look at the plan of F deck for a moment, will you? - Yes. 11041. Will you look where “Squash Racquet Court” is marked? - Yes. 11042. Now, I think the stairway which you are talking about is a stairway on the starboard side of that squash racquet court? - Yes, the starboard side.