BY SENATOR WILLIAM ALDEN SMITH, ON SATURDAY, MAY 25, IN THE FIREROOM ON BOARD S. S. "OLYMPIC," NEW YORK.
15572. What is your name?
- Frederick Barrett.
15573. Place of residence?
- Southampton.
15574. You were a fireman on the Titanic?
- I was leading fireman.
15575. Were you on duty on the night of the accident?
- Yes.
15576. Where?
- In 6 section.
15577. Were you there when the accident occurred?
- Yes. I was standing talking to the second engineer. The bell rang, the red light showed. We sang out shut the doors (indicating the ash doors to the furnaces) and there was a crash just as we sung out. The water came through the ship's side. The engineer and I jumped to the next section. The next section to the forward section is No. 5.
15578. Where did the water come through?
- About 2 feet above the floor plates, starboard side.
15579. How much water?
- A large volume of water came through.
15580. How big was this hole in the side?
- About 2 feet above the floor plates.
15581. You think it was a large tear?
- Yes; I do.
15582. All along the side of No. 6?
- Yes.
15583. How far along?
- Past the bulkhead between sections 5 and 6, and it was a hole 2 feet into the coal bunkers. She was torn through No. 6 and also through 2 feet abaft the bulkhead in the bunker at the forward head of No.5 section. We got through before the doors broke, the doors dropped instantly automatically from the bridge. I went back to No. 6 fireroom and there was 8 feet of water in there. I went to No. 5 fireroom when the lights went out. I was sent to find lamps, as the lights were out, and when we got the lamps we looked at the boilers and there was no water in them. I ran to the engineer and he told me to get some firemen down to draw the fires. I got 15 men down below.
15584. Did you not have fires in No. 6?
- Yes, the fires were lit when the water came.
15585. I would like to know how many boilers were going that night?
- There were five boilers not lit.
15586. How many were there going?
- There was 24 boilers lit and five without. Fires were lighted in three boilers for the first time Sunday, but I don't know whether they were connected up or not.
15587. This tear went a couple of feet past the bulkhead in No. 5. How were you able to keep the water from reaching?
- It never came above the plates, until all at once I saw a wave of green foam come tearing through between the boilers and I jumped for the escape ladder.
15588. Was there any indication of any explosion of a boiler?
- There was a knocking noise, but no explosion, only when the ship was sinking a volume of smoke came up.
15589. Can you tell us how long you have been on the Titanic?
- I only joined it at Southampton.
15590. How did you escape?
- I got in lifeboat 13.
15591. Was it a collapsible boat?
- I can not tell.
15592. You were in charge of No. 13 for about an hour - how many were in that boat?
- Sixty-five or 70.
15593. How many sailors?
- I can not tell.
15594. What officer was in charge?
- No officer in it. Because I had no clothes I felt myself giving out and gave it to somebody else. I do not know who it was.
15595. Was there any objection to your getting in the boat?
- No, sir.
15596. Where was it loaded?
- At A deck. It was lowered to A deck. They were very full up when we got in.
15597. Was there an officer there at the time?
- No, sir.
15598. You got in and took charge of the boat and remained in charge until you got chilled?
- Yes.
15599. Then who took it over?
- I could not say who it was.
15600. Was there any large number of people in A deck at the time you got up there?
- There was not, sir.
15601. How did you reach A deck?
- I came up along the hatchway.
15602. Did you meet any third class passengers?
- No, sir.
15603. Were they held off in any way?
- No, sir.
15604. They had the same privilege to go up on A deck?
- They had as much privilege as anybody else. About this signal (indicating).
15605. The white light up there indicates full speed?
- Yes.
15606. When you received the red signal the white disappears?
- A bell rings when the signal appears.
15607. When the bell rings you look up there and see the signal light?
- Yes, sir.
15608. The white light indicates full speed, and that was the light shown that Sunday night up to the time you got the red-light signal to stop, which was just before the collision?
- Yes.
15609. And that was the first time during the voyage that the 24 boilers were running?
- Yes.
(Witness Excused.)
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