On April 23, 1912, the Lord Chancellor appointed a wreck commissioner under the merchant shipping acts, and on April 26 the home secretary nominated five assessors. On April 30 the board of trade requested that a formal investigation of the circumstances attending the loss of the steamship Titanic should be held, and the court accordingly commenced to sit on May 2. Since that date there have been 37 public sittings, at which 97 witnesses have been examined, while a large number of documents, charts, and plans have been produced. The 26 questions formulated by the board of trade, which are set out in detail below, appear to cover all the circumstances to be inquired into. Briefly summarized, they deal with the history of the ship, her design, construction, size, speed, general equipment, life-saving apparatus, wireless installation, her orders and course, her passengers, her crew, their training, organization and discipline; they request an account of the casualty, its cause and effect, and of the means taken for saving those on board the ship; and they call for a report on the efficiency of the rules and regulations made by the board of trade under the merchant shipping acts and on their administration, and, finally, for any recommendations to obviate similar disasters which may appear to the court to be desirable. The 26 questions, as subsequently amended, are here attached:
1. When the Titanic left Queenstown on or about April 11 last—
(a) What was the total number of persons employed in any capacity on board her, and what were their respective ratings?
(b) What was the total number of her passengers, distinguishing sexes and classes, and discriminating between adults and children?
2. Before leaving Queenstown on or about April 11 last did the Titanic comply with the requirements of the merchant shipping acts, 1894-1906, and the rules and regulations made thereunder with regard to the safety and otherwise of "passenger steamers" and "emigrant ships"?
3. In the actual design and construction of the Titanic what special provisions were made for the safety of the vessel and the lives of those on board in the event of collisions and other casualties?
4. Was the Titanic sufficiently and efficiently officered and manned? Were the watches of the officers and crew usual and proper? Was the Titanic supplied with proper charts?
5. What was the number of the boats of any kind on board the Titanic? Were the arrangements for manning and launching the boats on board the Titanic in case of emergency proper and sufficient? Had a boat drill been held on board; and, if so, when? What was the carrying capacity of the respective boats?
6. What installations for receiving and transmitting messages by wireless telegraphy were on board the Titanic? How many operators were employed on working such installations? Were the installations in good and effective working order, and were the number of operators sufficient to enable messages to be received and transmitted continuously by day and night?