Damage Assessment

[Arun Vajpey]

In the known case involving the message from Smith to Bell carried down by QM Oliver, Bell decided that whatever it was that Smith wanted him to do in that note, was not important enough to interrupt what he was already involved in. Bell's message to Olliver to take back to Smith was that he'll get to it when he has the chance.

Yes, I agree that it seems that way.

I seem to recall a discussion in another thread suggesting that the message might have been a request to pump ballast to correct the list.

That's a very interesting possibility and fits in with what Sam says that the Captain's note to Bell was about a task that could have waited a few minutes while the CE completed what he was already doing.

On a related note, I would like to know a bit more about the practicalities involved in the Titanic's ballast and the pumping that would be required to correct any list after the impact with the iceberg. I understand that the water ballast was located within the double bottom and was adjusted to optimal transverse stability at the start of a voyage depending on the payload (Anatomy of the Titanic, McCluskie 1998). Sam Halpern has also done a superb article called Titanic: The Hidden Deck about those double bottom tanks and their capacities (44 tanks, 5700 tons total)

Specifically with the Titanic, which was about 2/3 full of its passenger capacity at the time of its fateful maiden voyage (and presumably carried an equivalent or slightly proportionately higher amount of cargo), I assume that the ballast tanks would only have been about 30% full when the ship left Queenstown for New York. When the Titanic impacted with the iceberg, the ensuing damage and so water ingress was almost entirely along the side plates and the double bottom space was not breached; I believe the "grounding on the iceberg" theory has now been debunked. As I understood from an old conversation with Sam, the separate small seam that led to the later flooding of BR4 was actually located above the tank top level.

So, with the forward compartments flooding and the ship trimming by the bow, would Bell's crew have been able to adjust the ballast to correct the list, considering that the Titanic did not have a longitudinal WT bulkhead? If so, where were those pumps located?

 

[Julian Atkins]

Just as an aside, I would like to know why Olliver wasn’t called to provide testimony to the British Inquiry. He seems never to have gone to sea again.

There are a number of aspects to this.

He appears to have been employed latterly in a shore based capacity - which I presume meant a steady job - without having to go through the very uncertain process of crew signing on that could be hit or miss.

Another aspect is Olliver leaving Titanic quite early on in Pitman’s lifeboat. Are we to read anything into this?

(QM Wynn and QM Humphreys claimed witness expenses £11 and £9 for attending the British Inquiry; QM Olliver wasn’t even called to attend. What might be the significance of this?)

(Apologies for this serious thread drift, and happy for the Moderators to transfer elsewhere).

 

[Samuel Halpern]

If so, where were those pumps located?

Here is from the Wreck Commission report regarding Bilge and Ballast Pumps and pumping arrangements:.

The ship was also fitted with the following pumps: Five ballast and bilge pumps, each capable of discharging 250 tons of water per hour; three bilge pumps, each of 150 tons per hour capacity.
One ash ejector was placed in each of the large boiler compartments to work the ash ejectors, and to circulate or feed the boilers as required. This pump was also connected to the bilges, except in the case of three of the boiler rooms, where three of the ballast and bilge pumps were placed. The pumps in each case had direct bilge suctions as well as a connection to the main bilge pipe, so that each boiler room might be independent. The remainder of the auxiliary pumps were placed in the reciprocating and turbine engine rooms. Two ballast pumps were placed in the reciprocating engine room, with large suctions from the bilges direct and from the bilge main. Two bilge pumps were also arranged to draw from bilges. One bilge pump was placed in the turbine room and one of the hot salt-water pumps had a connection from the bilge main pipe for use in emergency. A 10 in. main ballast pipe was carried fore and aft through the ship with separate connections to each tank, and with filling pipes from the sea connected at intervals for trimming purposes. The five ballast pumps were arranged to draw from this pipe. A double line of bilge main pipe was fitted forward of No. 5 boiler room and aft of No. 1.

 

[Seumas]

Just as an aside, I would like to know why Olliver wasn’t called to provide testimony to the British Inquiry. He seems never to have gone to sea again.

The reason is unknown but Olliver wasn't a standout in this regard. Bo'suns Mate Bert Haines (the most senior surviving rating) was not questioned at all in the UK and given only a straightforward questioning in the USA. Whilst Master-at-Arms Henry Bailey (the second most senior surviving rating) was not called at all to testify in either the US or UK.

Another aspect is Olliver leaving Titanic quite early on in Pitman’s lifeboat. Are we to read anything into this?

No. And I've never read of any historian of the disaster who thought there was.