Page 43 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

6200. How would they get from the well deck to the boat deck? - That would be a difficulty, because they would have to get up two or three ladders, two or three staircases. 6201. They would have to go up two or three staircases. As a matter of fact, when you came across to the boat deck, did you see some of the people on this poop deck? - Very few on the poop deck. 6202. Where were the people whom you saw? - In the well deck. 6203. All in the well deck? - Yes. 6204. And they would get from the well deck to the boat deck? - This was at the finish I saw the people. I never saw them in that quarter of the boat till the end. 6205. And you do not know? - I saw third-class passengers coming straggling through the kitchen, and they even had their baggage then. 6206. What part of the boat was the kitchen in? - On D deck, that is just the deck above the emergency door we are speaking about. 6207. How would they get from D deck to the boat deck? - Just a short staircase, which, under ordinary conditions is private for the crew, but I suppose they walked through it. One man had two bags slung over his shoulder and one in his hand, an Italian, or some nationality like that. 6208. When the boat gave this lurch that you have described to us you say a great many people were thrown into one bunch. Have you any idea of the class of passengers they were? - I could not say. Examined by Mr. EDWARDS. 6209. You said when you went down to the pantry that you saw some water there. Did I understand you rightly about that? - When I went down to my quarters. 6210. Which deck is that on? - E deck. 6211. What time was this? - After 1 o’clock. The Commissioner: How long before the vessel went down? 6212. (The Solicitor-General.) You suggested he said that he saw some water. I thought he said he went to get a drink of water? - I went to the pantry, I said, to get a drink of water. 6213. (Mr. Clement Edwards.) I want to clear up the point about it - the water that he drank and the other that he saw. (To the Witness.) You went down to your quarters, you said? - Yes. 6214. And you there saw some water? - Yes. 6215. What time would that be? - A decent bit after one. 6216. (The Commissioner.) What did you say? - A decent bit after one. 6217. What water did you see, and where was it? - There was not very much water. It would just cover my feet, that is all. The list of the ship sent it down against my settee in the room. 6218. Sent it down from where? - I could not say where it came from. 6219. Was this place of yours on the port side of the ship? - Port side, amidships. 6220. (Mr. Clement Edwards.) Would you see the direction from which this water was coming? - I should say it came from forward. 6221. Was there much of it? - No, not much; it just went over my ankles I should say. 6222. Two or three inches? - That is all. 6223. Was it flowing at all rapidly? - No. 6224. You have said that when you were down, I think in the pantry, or was it again when you were in your quarters, you heard a noise that you thought was the cracking, the breaking of the ship? What time would that be? - A few minutes after I had been to my room, I should say - after half-past one. 6225. So that before you heard this noise like the breaking of the ship you had seen this water, on E deck in your quarters? - Yes.