Cal Haines
Member
Introduction
This is a spin-off of the thread in the Collision / Sinking Theories Topic message titled Abandoning Ship, which started out as sort of a damage control discussion, but has morphed into a discussion of damage and flooding (my fault). Since my post was getting pretty big, I pulled out the inquiry testimony of Leading Firemen Frederick Barrett and George Hendrickson, and Fireman George Beauchamp for posing here. I did not try to summarize or excerpt the entire testimony of the men, rather I concentrated on testimony that centers on the damage to the ship, the degree of flooding, and what each did in the boiler rooms.
Each section begins with a summary of the testimony, followed by excerpts from the Inquiry text. I have removed asides and redundant questions in an effort to make the testimony a quicker read.
The complete excerpt of Barrett's testimony is a bit much to post (even by my standards), so I have excerpted the key segments here. I can post the rest if there is interest. Enjoy!
Cal
Leading Fireman Frederick William Barrett
SUMMARY
Moments before the collision Barrett was talking with Second Engineer John Hesketh near the passage to the aft door of BR#6. The boiler-room telegraph went to STOP, causing Barrett and Hesketh to yell for the stokers to "shut the dampers". Before the dampers could all be closed there was a crash and water flooded in from the starboard side of the ship, about two feet above the floor plates. Barrett and Hesketh went aft, through the 18 foot-long passage and watertight door, entering BR#5 just as the door was closing.
Barrett looked in the starboard, foreward coal bunker of BR#5 and saw a stream of water, comparable to that of a firehose, coming in from the ship's side. He closed the bunker door and reported what he had seen to engineer in charge of the boiler rooms, Mr. Shepherd.
Hesketh ordered, "All hands, stand by your stations". Barrett went back to #6 with Shepherd and found it abandoned, with eight feet of water above the plates. Barrett and Shepherd then returned to BR#5 to find engineers Wilson and Harvey there (Hesketh had apparently departed). Next, the engine room ordered the stokers sent up and Barrett was kept behind by Harvey to run errands, as both of the watertight doors were closed. After the other stokers were sent up, the lights went out in the boiler room. Barrett was sent up to E-deck, found the lights working there and sent two stokers to the engine room for portable lamps, which Barrett then took back to the boiler room. About the time the lamps arrived the lights came back on in the boiler room. Barrett then discovered that the water level in the boilers was down and notified one of the engineers. Harvey ordered Barrett to draw the fires and Barrett went up to E-deck and rounded up 15 to 20 firemen--each man then worked to draw the fires from two or so of the 30 furnaces.
The stokers were then sent back up. Barrett remained below with engineers Harvey and Shepherd. On Harvey's orders, Barrett removed a manhole cover from the starboard side floor plates. The boiler room was full of steam and Shepherd did not see the open hole, falling in and breaking his leg. Harvey and Barrett carried Shepherd to the pump room. About 15 minutes after the stokers were released, Barrett saw a rush of water come though the passage way between the boilers, filling the gap and flooding the boiler room. Harvey told Barrett to go, and he climbed to E-deck where he saw water on deck, forward.
Barrett proceeded to the Promenade deck, where he was drafted to crew boat #13, one of the last boats to leave the ship. Titanic's forecastle was still above the water as Barrett's boat pulled away.
British Inquiry testimony (excepted):
Leading Fireman Charles George Hendrickson
SUMMARY
Leading Fireman Hendrickson was off duty when the collision occurred. He was awakened by a mate and went topside where he saw ice on the deck. He noticed that the ship was stopped and looked aft to see an iceberg astern. Returning below he saw water rushing into the passage at the base of the spiral stairs, coming in from the starboard side. Hendrickson went to report and met Mr. Hesketh along the working passage on E-deck. Hesketh told him to get lamps and some men and lay below. Hendrickson got five lamps (all that were ready) and returned to the boiler rooms, leaving men behind to fetch more lamps. He first tried to go into BR#6, where he was normally assigned, but found it flooded and went instead to #5, when he arrived the lights were still out. Mr. Shepherd told him to check the water levels in the boilers. Hendrickson apparently had to return to E-deck to light the lamps, when he returned to the boiler-room, Shepherd told him to start drawing fires. When Hendrickson started to do so himself, Mr. Harvey told him to go get some men to assist, which he did.
Hendrickson had been in charge of the crew that finished clearing the coal out of the bunker and reported that the bulkhead was damaged. He was one of seven crewmen who escaped aboard boat #1, with the Duff-Gordon's.
Fireman George William Beauchamp
Fireman Beauchamp was working in the aft stokehold of BR#6 when the collision occurred. He claims to have remained behind after Barrett and Hesketh fled, helping draw the fires in BR#6, yet that claim is absolutely at odds with the testimony of Barrett and Hendrickson. One possible explanation for the conflict is that Beauchamp actually helped draw the fires in #5, not #6--his statement that the only water was "coming through the bunker door and over the plates" is the giveaway.
This is a spin-off of the thread in the Collision / Sinking Theories Topic message titled Abandoning Ship, which started out as sort of a damage control discussion, but has morphed into a discussion of damage and flooding (my fault). Since my post was getting pretty big, I pulled out the inquiry testimony of Leading Firemen Frederick Barrett and George Hendrickson, and Fireman George Beauchamp for posing here. I did not try to summarize or excerpt the entire testimony of the men, rather I concentrated on testimony that centers on the damage to the ship, the degree of flooding, and what each did in the boiler rooms.
Each section begins with a summary of the testimony, followed by excerpts from the Inquiry text. I have removed asides and redundant questions in an effort to make the testimony a quicker read.
The complete excerpt of Barrett's testimony is a bit much to post (even by my standards), so I have excerpted the key segments here. I can post the rest if there is interest. Enjoy!
Cal
Leading Fireman Frederick William Barrett
SUMMARY
Moments before the collision Barrett was talking with Second Engineer John Hesketh near the passage to the aft door of BR#6. The boiler-room telegraph went to STOP, causing Barrett and Hesketh to yell for the stokers to "shut the dampers". Before the dampers could all be closed there was a crash and water flooded in from the starboard side of the ship, about two feet above the floor plates. Barrett and Hesketh went aft, through the 18 foot-long passage and watertight door, entering BR#5 just as the door was closing.
Barrett looked in the starboard, foreward coal bunker of BR#5 and saw a stream of water, comparable to that of a firehose, coming in from the ship's side. He closed the bunker door and reported what he had seen to engineer in charge of the boiler rooms, Mr. Shepherd.
Hesketh ordered, "All hands, stand by your stations". Barrett went back to #6 with Shepherd and found it abandoned, with eight feet of water above the plates. Barrett and Shepherd then returned to BR#5 to find engineers Wilson and Harvey there (Hesketh had apparently departed). Next, the engine room ordered the stokers sent up and Barrett was kept behind by Harvey to run errands, as both of the watertight doors were closed. After the other stokers were sent up, the lights went out in the boiler room. Barrett was sent up to E-deck, found the lights working there and sent two stokers to the engine room for portable lamps, which Barrett then took back to the boiler room. About the time the lamps arrived the lights came back on in the boiler room. Barrett then discovered that the water level in the boilers was down and notified one of the engineers. Harvey ordered Barrett to draw the fires and Barrett went up to E-deck and rounded up 15 to 20 firemen--each man then worked to draw the fires from two or so of the 30 furnaces.
The stokers were then sent back up. Barrett remained below with engineers Harvey and Shepherd. On Harvey's orders, Barrett removed a manhole cover from the starboard side floor plates. The boiler room was full of steam and Shepherd did not see the open hole, falling in and breaking his leg. Harvey and Barrett carried Shepherd to the pump room. About 15 minutes after the stokers were released, Barrett saw a rush of water come though the passage way between the boilers, filling the gap and flooding the boiler room. Harvey told Barrett to go, and he climbed to E-deck where he saw water on deck, forward.
Barrett proceeded to the Promenade deck, where he was drafted to crew boat #13, one of the last boats to leave the ship. Titanic's forecastle was still above the water as Barrett's boat pulled away.
British Inquiry testimony (excepted):
Leading Fireman Charles George Hendrickson
SUMMARY
Leading Fireman Hendrickson was off duty when the collision occurred. He was awakened by a mate and went topside where he saw ice on the deck. He noticed that the ship was stopped and looked aft to see an iceberg astern. Returning below he saw water rushing into the passage at the base of the spiral stairs, coming in from the starboard side. Hendrickson went to report and met Mr. Hesketh along the working passage on E-deck. Hesketh told him to get lamps and some men and lay below. Hendrickson got five lamps (all that were ready) and returned to the boiler rooms, leaving men behind to fetch more lamps. He first tried to go into BR#6, where he was normally assigned, but found it flooded and went instead to #5, when he arrived the lights were still out. Mr. Shepherd told him to check the water levels in the boilers. Hendrickson apparently had to return to E-deck to light the lamps, when he returned to the boiler-room, Shepherd told him to start drawing fires. When Hendrickson started to do so himself, Mr. Harvey told him to go get some men to assist, which he did.
Hendrickson had been in charge of the crew that finished clearing the coal out of the bunker and reported that the bulkhead was damaged. He was one of seven crewmen who escaped aboard boat #1, with the Duff-Gordon's.
Fireman George William Beauchamp
Fireman Beauchamp was working in the aft stokehold of BR#6 when the collision occurred. He claims to have remained behind after Barrett and Hesketh fled, helping draw the fires in BR#6, yet that claim is absolutely at odds with the testimony of Barrett and Hendrickson. One possible explanation for the conflict is that Beauchamp actually helped draw the fires in #5, not #6--his statement that the only water was "coming through the bunker door and over the plates" is the giveaway.
