Page 24 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

- so that you may ascertain what it is. Mr. Edwards: All the engineers are gone, and I wanted to get something more than mere theoretical evidence. The Attorney-General: Such evidence as we can give, we will call about it. 5799. (Mr. Clement Edwards.) Do you know anything at all about the working of the float? - No. I never saw a float. Examined by Mr. LAING. 5800. Do you know the “Titanic” was fitted for about 1000 third-class passengers? - No. 5801. Was there a large number of lifebelts in the third-class accommodation? - Yes, in this locker there were. 5802. You know she only carried about 700 third-class passengers? - I could not tell you. 5803. Do you know of the little disc we have been told about which shows what the engines are doing? - The revolutions? 5804. No, a little red-coloured glass which shows when the engines are stopped? - I hardly follow you. 5805. We were told that when the engines are stopped - Oh, that is in the stokehold. We know inside when the engines are stopped; that is in the stokehold; that is when they ring up separate from the telegraph. That is a little thing about so big to show when the engine is stopped. That is rung by one of the engineers in the engine room. 5806. Is it your view that the engines were not stopped until after the crash? - No. We did 75 revolutions at 11 o’clock. Mr. Laing: Your Lordship remembers Barrett, whose evidence was that the little red disc came up and he got an order about the dampers, and then followed the crash. The Attorney-General: Yes. Everything followed very quickly upon the other, but you are right in saying it was before. The Commissioner: What is the reference? Mr. Laing: Question 1855 down to 1862. The Commissioner: Will you read it to me? Mr. Laing: Yes. In Question 1856 he describes where he was, and at 1860 the question is: “Now just tell us what happened that you noticed? - (A.) There is like a clock rigged up in the stokehold and a red light goes up when the ship is supposed to stop; a white light for full speed, and I think it is a blue light for slow.” The Witness: I cannot say what light goes up in the stokehold. Mr. Laing: “This red light came up. I am the man in charge of the watch, and I called out, ‘Shut all dampers.’ (Q.)You saw this red light? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) You knew that was an order to stop the engines? - (A.) It says ‘Stop’ - a red piece of glass and an electric light inside. (Q.) Shutting the dampers I suppose, would be? - (A.) To shut the wind off the fires. (Q.) To shut the draught off the fires. And you gave an order, ‘Shut the dampers’? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) Was that order obeyed? - (A.) Yes. (Q.) What was the next thing that happened? - (A.) The crash came before we had them all shut. (Q.) They were shutting them when the crash came? - (A.) Yes.” That is Barrett. The Attorney-General: That is right. The Commissioner: Can that be accurate, that the crash came after he saw the red light? Mr. Laing: Yes. The Commissioner: “This red light came up. I am the man in charge of the watch, and I called out, ‘Shut all dampers.’” The red light means the engines are stopped. The Attorney-General: No, the order to stop, I understand; it is the order to stop. It does not