British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry
Day 3
[ Counsel Present - Witnesses Called]
Mr. Roche:
I have an application to make to your Lordship on behalf of the Marine Engineers' Association. It is an application to take a limited part in this Inquiry, but there are certain things which affect the members of that society very deeply. It is an association, the largest, I think, and the most recognised association, of marine engineers in England, with 10,000 seagoing members, marine engineers. The magnitude of the society is shown by the fact that some half or a large proportion of the engineers of this unfortunate vessel were members of this society.
The Commissioner:
That seems reasonable.
The Attorney-General:
I see from the ratings there were 25 engineers on board. I think they ought to be represented.
Mr. Harbinson:
May I make an application to your Lordship? I have been instructed on behalf of a section of third class passengers, Irish passengers, 180 of whom left Queenstown on the "Titanic," and of whom I am informed only 20 were saved. I have been asked to apply to your Lordship, with the authority of the learned Attorney-General, for permission to take part in this Inquiry. I quite appreciate and understand that it will be undesirable that there should be any duplication or anything in the nature of overlapping in the evidence given or in the questions asked. That, my Lord, would be undesirable. With your Lordship's permission, perhaps, on behalf of this important section, I might supplement some of the others and add something to the information to be submitted to this Inquiry.
The Commissioner:
Will you put down in writing the names and addresses of those whom you represent and hand it in to my secretary, and I will then consider your application?
Mr. Harbinson:
That shall be done.
Mr. Clement Edwards, M.P.:
May I make an application on behalf of the Dock, Wharf, and Riverside Workers' Union? There is an application before your Lordship stating the names of persons on whose behalf I seek to appear. I do not know whether your Lordship has it in mind.
The Commissioner:
I have not seen such a paper, but you must give me the names and addresses of the persons who desire to be represented and state what the reasons are. If I grant all these applications, this Inquiry will get into a state of inextricable confusion, but I will try to give permission to everybody that I think ought to be heard, separately.
Mr. Edwards:
I have here a copy of the written application.
The Commissioner:
Well, then you must hand it in to my secretary, and I will look at it.
Dr. Jackson Wolfe:
I appear for the relatives of a number of third class passengers, Irish emigrants, who joined at Queenstown. I think there is some misapprehension as to the number of passengers.
The Commissioner:
Is this an application on behalf of another section of third class passengers?
Dr. Wolfe:
Yes, my Lord, and I am in a position to hand in the names and addresses.
The Commissioner:
Is it suggested I should allow the third class passengers to be divided into groups, and each group to be separately represented?
Dr. Wolfe:
If your Lordship would allow me to suggest, I am sure I could work in harmony with my friend.
The Commissioner:
Then you must consult him, and when you have arrived at some sort of agreement, let me know.
Dr. Wolfe:
I can hand in the names and addresses.
The Commissioner:
You can hand it in together with the list which that gentleman is going to hand in.
Mr. Harbinson:
I wish to say, my Lord, that Mr. Farrell, who instructed me to make the previous application to your Lordship on behalf of the third class passengers, represents almost the whole of the number, and tomorrow morning he can have authority practically from the whole.
The Commissioner:
Then what does that gentleman mean by telling me he represents a number?
Dr. Wolfe:
The number I represent is 21. The total number of Irish passengers who joined at Queenstown is 113. Of those, 69 were drowned, and of those 69 who were drowned, the relatives of 21 have instructed the solicitor who has instructed me.
The Commissioner:
You must put it all down so that I can understand it, but at present I am not at all disposed to let any one class split itself up into a number of groups and each group to be represented. I should not know really how to conduct this Inquiry if I did. (To Mr. Roche.) It has been suggested that I had not given you leave to appear; I certainly intended to do so.
Mr. Roche:
And I so endorsed my brief, my Lord.
The Commissioner:
Is there anyone else?
The Attorney-General:
No, not that I am aware of.
WITNESSES.
George William Beauchamp - Fireman, SS "Titanic"
Testimony - Biography
Robert Hichens - Quartermaster, SS "Titanic"
Testimony - Biography
(After a short adjournment.)
The Commissioner:
I have since the adjournment received a letter from Mr. Champness, a solicitor, a gentleman who applied to me to appear for one passenger, and I declined to allow him to do so. He now tells me that he is instructed by five altogether, one first class passenger, one-third class passenger, another third class, another third class, and fourth a third class, and he wants to appear for those five. He also says he is instructed by seven gentlemen who are constantly in the habit of making Atlantic voyages as passengers, and that they desire to be represented. In addition now I have a number of deceased Irish passengers; I daresay there are forty or fifty of them. Now, it appears to me quite impossible to allow gentlemen who are in the habit of crossing the Atlantic to be represented at all. I do not know where I should get to if I began that. I might as well admit the man in the street who takes an interest in this Inquiry to be represented. But I suggest that the representatives of passengers should consult together and agree upon some committee of passengers first, second, and third, and then if they can do that I shall be glad to have that Committee represented, so that the interests of the passengers may be in somebody's hands.
The Attorney-General:
I suggest that you might not see fit to object to representatives of each of the classes appearing. There may be some difference in the point of view taken.
The Commissioner:
I should have thought they could all have been entrusted in the hands of one man who would look after the interests of all three classes, but if you think we shall not get into difficulties by these innumerable people being present I shall not raise any objection. I have a strong objection myself to these numerous applications. One of the strangest is this last, in which gentlemen who occasionally or frequently make voyages across the Atlantic should be represented.
The Attorney-General:
If your Lordship could see your way to allow a representative of each of the classes to be present I think it would satisfy the demand.
The Commissioner:
I do not think so, but if it will, so much the better. Then let the representatives of the first class, the second class, and the third class - there is not a fourth class I hope - each form a Committee, and then they may be represented.
The Attorney-General:
If your Lordship leases.
WITNESSES.
William Lucas - Able Body Seaman, SS "Titanic"
Testimony - Biography
Frederick Barrett - Leading Fireman, SS "Titanic"
Testimony - Biography
(Adjourned to tomorrow at 10.30 o'clock.)
