Page 47 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

The Commissioner: I have got the plan of E deck. The Witness: To save confusion, I was occupying, and have occupied on the “Olympic” and the “Teutonic,” the confectioner’s room because it is a better room. 6306. (The Solicitor-General.) That is a little bit further aft? - Yes. 6307. There is a room which is marked on my plan, “Confectioner and Second Baker” - That is right, that is the room I occupied. The Solicitor-General: Does your Lordship see “Confectioner and Second Baker”? The Commissioner: I do. The Solicitor-General: That is his room. 6308. (The Commissioner - To the Witness.) Was the room that you occupied abaft of the bulkhead? - Yes. 6309. Just abaft of it? - Immediately abaft the bulkhead. 6310. (The Solicitor-General.) Has your room got a porthole? - Yes, one. 6311. The portholes on E deck are not the bottom row, but the bottom row but one, I think. Mr. Wilding tells me that is so. Because F deck has also got portholes. That was, or had been, a calm evening, I think? - Yes. 6312. Though it was cold, do you know whether your porthole was open or not? - It was closed. 6313. On E deck are the portholes in practice opened from time to time? - Very, very often we keep them open the whole of the passage. 6314. You say yours was closed, in fact? - Yes, on account of the weather, it being a wee bit cold, I suppose. 6315. So far as you know, though, of course, you could only speak of what you heard or saw, was there any order given after the accident about closing the porthole? - I never heard any order. 6316. I suppose when this ship is riding on an even keel the water would be some distance below your porthole? - Yes, a considerable distance. 6317. And, of course, below the portholes on the deck below? - Yes. The Commissioner: Does this model which I see here indicate the waterline on this particular voyage? The Solicitor-General: Yes, my Lord, I think it does, by the dotted line. The Commissioner: Is it the top of the pink? The Solicitor-General: I am told by Mr. Wilding it is a little lower than the top of the pink. Mr. Laing: It is just a little below the pink. The Commissioner: Is it marked on this model? If it is I cannot see it. Mr. Laing: No, my Lord, it is not. The Solicitor-General: I understood it was. Mr. Laing: But we could have it put on if it is any convenience. The Commissioner: It might be some convenience if you would have the waterline marked on this model. Mr. Laing: We will put it on with a little strip of paper. The Solicitor-General: Where one does see it, is on the upper of the two plans on this side of the room. There is the waterline indicated. The Commissioner: There I see it - those two blue lines, one on the right and the other on the left, you mean? 6318. (The Solicitor-General.) Yes. (To the Witness.) Do you see the plan there? - Yes. 6319. E deck would not be the line immediately above that, but the line above that again? - Oh, no - I could tell you from the model here, but I cannot tell you from that. The Commissioner: I am afraid I threw you out of your line of question.