Page 48 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 6 - 9

6320. (The Solicitor-General.) It was only to see where we were, my Lord. (To the Witness.) Now, with regard to this water, did you think that the water was sea water, or did you suppose that owing to the ship having a list, water had poured from somewhere inside the ship? - My idea was she had shipped some water forward, or a quantity of ice that had melted and had run down; but I did not give it a second thought, because it was not serious. 6321. Was there anywhere else on E deck that you saw any indication of water at all? - No. 6322. (The Commissioner.) I should like to ask a question about it. Did the water come under the door of your cabin? - The door was open. 6323. Then it was flowing from the passage; it must have come in from the passage outside? - It must have come in, yes. There is a scupper just at the outside. 6324. That passage outside is what you call an alleyway, is it not? - Yes. 6325. Is that what you call Scotland Road alleyway? - Yes. 6326. That was a fairly wide passage? - Eight or nine feet, I think, I am not sure. 6327. Was there water on the floor of that passage? - Very little. 6328. As the ship listed over to port the water flowed down into your cabin and left the alleyway from which it came fairly dry? - Yes. 6329. Did you see or believe that more water was coming in while you were standing there? - I could not see any coming; I did not know where it came from at all. 6330. Had your cabin a coaming? - A very small one; less than two inches. 6331. Two or three inches? - That is all, a wooden coaming like a doorstep. 6332. (The Solicitor-General.) After you had been in your room and seen this water there, you came out again in the alleyway, I understand, did you not? - No, I went up the middle staircase, what we call the crew’s staircase. 6333. Did you return to that same deck at all, or was it your last visit? - That was my last visit. 6334. And you told me you did not see water on that deck anywhere else? - Nowhere else. 6335. The only other thing is this. You say you saw men coming to close watertight doors; that is to say, those doors do not shut automatically? - That is right. 6336. Was that on E deck? - Yes, immediately outside my room. 6337. Watertight doors? - Yes. 6338. On E deck? - Yes. 6339. Was one aft of your room? - Immediately forward. 6340. Immediately forward of your room? - Yes. 6341. Then was it that watertight door, which you see on the plan is in the alleyway, which is in front of your room? - I am not sure, but I think it is No. 23 door. 6342. I do not know their numbers, but was it the one just forward of your room? - Yes, in the alleyway. 6343. And you actually saw them doing that? - Yes, they were working on it. 6344. You are quite right; it is No. 23 door? - We used to call it the skidoo door, on account of the number. That is how I remember the number. 6345. (The Commissioner.) I do not understand that? - It is an American joke. 6346. Will you explain it? - I could not explain it, my Lord. 6347. (The Solicitor-General.) At any rate it connects No. 23 with something about skidoo? - Yes. 6348. Did the men working at No. 23 door tell you they had got orders about it? - No, I did not speak to them. 6349. You do not know whether they were closing or had closed any other watertight doors? - No, I do not know. 6350. You spoke of seeing an interpreter in the third-class part of the ship trying to get the third-class people to come along and go up to the deck? - Yes.