{"id":222,"date":"2024-03-20T11:35:49","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T11:35:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/?p=222"},"modified":"2024-03-20T15:09:34","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T15:09:34","slug":"the-mystery-of-the-titanic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/index.php\/2024\/03\/20\/the-mystery-of-the-titanic\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mystery of the Titanic"},"content":{"rendered":"

R.M.S. Titanic<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Titanic

R.M.S. Titanic disembarking pilot off the Daunt Lightvessel, 11th April 1912<\/p><\/div>\n

    \n
  • She was the largest ship in the world at the time<\/span><\/li>\n
  • She was proclaimed unsinkable<\/span><\/li>\n
  • She collided with an iceberg<\/span> and sank on her maiden voyage<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The element of Greek tragedy<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • If only she heeded the 7 ice warnings, she received on the day of the sinking<\/span><\/li>\n
    • If only she had slowed down \u2013 she was travelling at 22 knots, close to maximum speed<\/span><\/li>\n
    • If only she had enough lifeboats \u2013 hopelessly outdated safety regulations resulted in the British Board of Trade\u00a0certifying her fit to carry passengers.\u00a0 Lifeboats on Titanic<\/em> had\u00a0 capacity for only 1,178 people even though she was carrying 2,228 passengers and crew on board, at the time of the disaster.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Out of the 2,228 passengers & crew, only 705 survived due to lack of lifeboats, insufficient emergency training of the crew and generally the unpreparedness of the Captain and officers for such an eventuality. The last survivor, a third class passenger, Millvina Dean died in 2009.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \"\"

      Olimpic<\/em> and Titanic in Belfast<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

      Background<\/strong>:<\/span> in 1867, Thomas Henry Ismay purchased the bankrupt shipping company, \u201cWhite Star Line\u201d for the sum of \u00a31,000. The new comp<\/span>any agreed to order all its shi<\/span>ps from \u201cHarland and Wolff\u201d in Belfast. The first ship, \u201cOceanic (I)<\/em>\u201d, was launched at Belfast in 1871. In 1891, Henry\u2019s eldest son, Joseph Bruce Ismay, took over the running of the company. In 1899 \u201cOceanic (II)<\/em>\u201d was launched. The keel for Titanic<\/em> was laid down in March 1909. Titanic<\/em> completion was planned for March 20, 1912 but in September 1911, Olympic<\/em> was involved in an accident and had to return to Belfast for repairs. This incident forced the White Star Line to delay the maiden voyage of Titanic<\/em> until 10 April 1912.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      \"\"

      A Marconi Radio<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

      Titanic<\/em> used the Marconi wireless system and the apparatus aboard the Titanic<\/em> was the most powerful on any vessel. In January Titanic<\/em> was assigned the call letters MGY. Marconi was an Italian and his mother was Annie Jameson whose family owned the Jameson Whiskey Distillery in County Wexford. One of Marconi\u2019s first paid commissions was to report on one of the highlights of the yachting calendar, the Kingstown Regatta, in 1898. Signals were sent from a converted boat in Dublin Bay to the Harbourmaster\u2019s House, now Moran Park House. Titanic\u2019s<\/em> sea trials began on\u00a02nd<\/sup> April \u2013 and following successful tests, Titanic<\/em> was certified fit to carry passengers by the British Board of Trade. It then steamed south to Southampton to begin its maiden voyage.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Southampton, Cherbourg & Cobh:<\/strong><\/span> in Southampton, <\/span>the fitting-out of the ship had to be completed \u2013 staterooms were completed to perfection \u2013 carpets laid, draperies hung etc. Cargo including food, drinks and a 25 hp Renault car etc had to be hauled abroad.<\/span>Fresh food supplies were transferred to the vessel\u2019s spacious refrigerators & storerooms on G deck plus beer, stout, wines, spirits etc. Included in the provisions were 8,000 cigars. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      \"\"

      Thomas Andrews<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

      Captain Smith himself was very fond of a good cigar. \u00a0 Thomas Andrews MD of H & W and J Bruce Ismay were complimentary passengers abroad Titanic<\/em>. Andrews lead the \u201cguarantee group\u201d, the people responsible with ensuring a smooth voyage and dealing with any unexpected problems, should they arise. \u00a0 Titanic<\/em> departed Southampton on Wednesday, 10 April 1912. On board were many prominent passengers: Mr Isidor Straus was born in Bavaria. He immigrated to the United States and acquired ownership of Macy & Co. in 1896. Isidor and his wife Ida were returning from a trip to Europe.\u00a0 They boarded the Titanic<\/em> (1st<\/sup> Class) at <\/span>Southampton with their manservant & maid. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      \"\"

      Thompson Graving Dock<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

      The Straus\u2019s ticket cost \u00a3221 15s 7d. Isidor Straus and his wife were both lost in the disaster.<\/span> Fr Frank Browne was born in Sunday\u2019s Well in 1880. His mother, Brigid, died the following day. His father died when Frank was in his teens. As a result the father figure in Frank\u2019s life was his uncle, Robert Browne, Bishop of Cloyne whose cathedral was in Cobh (Queenstown). Frank had a great love of photography from a very early age. In 1912, his Uncle Robert gave him a trip of a lifetime \u2013 a 2-day cruise on the world\u2019s largest liner, RMS Titanic<\/em>. He boarded Titanic<\/em> at Southampton (2nd<\/sup> Class) with his camera and disembarked at Cobh. \u00a0 Mr William Henry Gillespie boarded Titanic<\/em> at Southampton as a 2nd class passenger. Some of the carpets on the Titanic<\/em> were manufactured in Abbeyleix where he worked. Viscount De Vesci owned the factory. Mr Gillespie died in the sinking. \u00a0 During Titanic\u2019s<\/em> departure from Southampton and owing to the water disturbance caused by its huge propellers, the liner \u201cNew York\u201d suddenly snapped its moorings & its stern began to arch out towards Titanic<\/em>. Captain Smith narrowly avoided a collision by ordering \u201cFull Astern\u201d & halting Titanic<\/em>. After an hour delay, Titanic proceeded to Cherbourg \u00a0 In Europe, the \u201cseason\u201d was now approaching its end and there were many socially prominent passengers on the Cherbourg manifest. First Class passengers embarking were the super rich & rich of the time. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      \"\"

      John Jacob Astor and his wife, Madeline Talmage Force<\/p><\/div>\n

      The wealthiest was Colonel John Jacob Astor, 47 years old with his young pregnant bride, an 18-year-old New York girl, Madeleine Talmage Force. Colonel Astor was at the centre of a scandal because of his divorce and subsequent marriage. They were returning from a winter trip to Egypt & Europe. They boarded the Titanic<\/em> at Cherbourg with their manservant, maid and private nurse and their pet Airedale Terrier. Their ticket cost \u00a3224 10s 6d. (estimated to be about 63,000 British pounds today). J J Astor was lost in the sinking \u2013 his wife was saved on lifeboat No. 4. \u00a0 Also embarking at Cherbourg was Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon, who was educated at Eton and in 1900, married Lucy Wallace, a fashion designer.\u00a0 Sir Cosmo was a proficient fencer and represented Great Britain at the 1908 Olympics, held in London. \u00a0 On the journey to Queenstown, passengers spent their time inspecting & enjoying the comforts of the ship\u2019s public rooms, decks & staterooms. The \u201cguarantee group\u201d from H & W headed by Thomas Andrews oversaw a dress rehearsal of an emergency: the alarm bells rang out for a full 10 seconds & the watertight doors in the bulkheads slid down into place so that water could not escape from one compartment to another. \u00a0 Titanic<\/em> reached the Cobh Harbour opening at Roche\u2019s Point on Thursday morning. 113 3rd<\/sup> class passengers, 7 2nd<\/sup> class passengers, 3 1st class passengers embarked & 1,385 sacks of mail was ferried to the ship. Frank Browne, disembarked clutching a packet of photographic plates, pictures he had taken of the ship & the trip so far. Amongst the 3rd<\/sup> class passengers embarking was a family from Athlone: Margaret Rice & her 5 sons & Daniel Buckley from Ballydesmond, Co Cork. The Rice family were all lost in the disaster while Daniel Buckley survived. There were 706 3rd<\/sup> class passengers in all on board Titanic<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \"\"

      Titanic’s First Class Gymnasiun<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

      The Voyage: <\/strong><\/span>On its departure from Cobh, Titanic<\/em> followed the \u201cOutward Southern Track\u201d on its way to New York. Titanic\u2019s<\/em> 1st<\/sup> class accommodation was a\u00a0 work of sheer beauty: a grand staircase, oak-panelled corridors, revolving doors, cut glass light fittings, thick carpets, draperies, suites of cabins in period d\u00e9cor, Turkish & electric baths, swimming pool, squash court, library, gym & 3 elevators were all available to first class passengers. \u00a0 Second class accommodation was more luxurious than first class on other liners. Some 2nd<\/sup> class passengers, on embarkation, felt sure that they had been mistakenly assigned 1st<\/sup> accommodation; such was the luxury of it all. \u00a0<\/strong> Third class accommodation & food on E, F & G decks was better than\u00a0 3rd<\/sup> class on other vessels. They had their own promenade decks; open well decks forward and aft. However, 3rd<\/sup> class passengers were segregated \u2013 men forward & women aft. \u00a0 Sunday 14 April 1912:<\/strong> \u00a0<\/strong> Additional boilers were fired up on the Sunday morning anticipating a swift dash to New York. 24 of Titanic\u2019s 29 boilers were alight driving Titanic<\/em> at about 22 knots & it was planned for an all-out run on Monday.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \"\"

      Captain E.J. Smith<\/p><\/div>\n

      7 Ice warnings were received:<\/strong><\/span> Warning 1)<\/strong><\/em> 9am: \u201cCaronia<\/em>\u201d. This message was delivered to the bridge. Warning 2)<\/strong><\/em> 1.42pm: \u201cBaltic<\/em>\u201d. This message was delivered to Capt Smith who gave it to Mr J Bruce Ismay,\u00a0Chairman and Managing Director of the White Star Line, to consider. Bruce Ismay put it in his pocket and walked away. The Captain asked for its return at 7.15pm & posted it in the chart room as per normal practice. Warning 3)<\/strong><\/em> 1.45pm: \u201cAmerika<\/em>\u201d \u2013 This message was not sent to the bridge. \u00a0 Between 5.30pm & 7.30pm, air temperature dropped about 10\u06e8 F and water temperature dropped below freezing point. These were strong indications of ice. \u00a0 As a result, 3 precautions had been taken: (1) Altering the ship\u2019s course very slightly (2) Closing the forecastle hatch to prevent the lookouts being blinded. (3) Warning the lookouts (eyes of the ship) in the crows\u2019 nest: \u201cKeep a sharp lookout for ice\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \"\"

      SS Californian<\/p><\/div>\n

      However, the ship did not slow down. \u00a0 Warning 4)<\/strong><\/em> 7.30pm: the steam ship, Californian<\/em><\/strong>, sent this message. The ice message was taken to the bridge. Sunday evening, Captain Smith joined a dinner party given in his honour by the Wideners in the ship\u2019s A La Carte Restaurant. Mr Widener was heir to probably the largest fortune in Philadelphia. Captain Smith excused himself from the dinner party about 9pm, went to the bridge and met Lightoller where he discussed the flat calm. At 9.30pm, Capt Smith retired with the words: \u201cIf it becomes at all doubtful let me know at once, I shall be inside\u201d. \u00a0 Warning 5)<\/strong><\/em> 9.40pm: the steam ship, \u201cMesaba<\/em><\/strong>\u201d sent another warning. It never reached the bridge because Jack Philips was extremely busy with commercial traffic to the Cape Race shore station.<\/strong> \u00a0 At 10pm, First Officer Murdock relieved Lightoller and Fred Fleet & Reginald Lee relieved the lookouts in the crow\u2019s nest. (10.00pm \u2013 12.00pm) \u00a0 Warning 6)<\/em><\/strong> 10.30pm: a freighter from Halifax contacted Titanic by Morse Signal Lamp: \u201cHave just passed through heavy field ice and several icebergs\u201d. Titanic<\/em> replied: \u201cMessage received. Thank you. Good night\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \"\"

      Captain Stanley Lord<\/p><\/div>\n

       <\/p>\n

      At 10.30pm Captain Stanley Lord of the Californian<\/em> ordered his ship to stop, blocked by floating ice. Shortly afterwards, Lord noticed an approaching vessel to the east & at 10.55pm he asked his wireless operator, Evans, to identify it. When told that Titanic<\/em> was the only vessel in the vicinity, Lord ordered Evans to contact it & let her know that they were stopped in ice. \u00a0 Warning 7)<\/em><\/strong> 11.00pm: Evans immediately sent the ice message. Before he could finish, Jack Philips, senior wireless operator on Titanic<\/em>, abruptly broke in: \u201cKeep out! Shut up! You\u2019re jamming my signal. I\u2019m working Cape Race.\u201d Evans turned off his station & went to bed at 11.30pm, as usual. This ice warning never reached the bridge.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The Disaster:<\/span><\/h2>\n

      At 11.40pm Fleet banged the bell 3 times & grabbed the telephone: \u201cIceberg right ahead\u201d. Murdock immediately ordered engines stopped & reversed. The iceberg was higher than the forecastle but not as high as the crow\u2019s nest \u2013 about 100\u2019 above the water. Murdock shouted \u201chard-a-starboard\u201d & full speed astern. Titanic<\/em> very slowly veered to port but grazed off the iceberg with little discernible noise. Murdock immediately shut down the watertight doors in the bulkheads. The time between sighting the iceberg and the collision was about 37 seconds.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \"\"

      The iceberg with a streak of red paint, photographed 15 April from the Prinze Adelbert<\/p><\/div>\n

      A spur projecting from main bulk of the iceberg struck Titanic<\/em> underbelly about 12\u2019 above the keel, scrapping and bumping along a 300\u2019 forward length of it\u2019s starboard side opening it to the sea.\u00a0 According to some passengers it was a long faint grinding sensation.<\/span><\/p>\n

      To passengers & crew alike, the collision (lasting about 10 seconds) did not appear to be serious.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • It looked to the lookouts, Fleet & Lee, as nothing more than a close shave.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • QM, Thomas Rowe, on watch at the stern of the ship, felt a curious motion break the steady rhythm of the engines. He stared & thought he was seeing a windjammer pass along the starboard side. Then he realised it was an iceberg. Still, he did not think that anything very significant had happened and continued his watch.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Off-duty crew gossiping in the first class dining saloon heard the rattle of silverware & china set on the tables & one of them\u00a0 suggested the ship had probably only dropped a propeller.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • A Swiss girl, accompanying her father on a business trip, woke up with a start thinking it was like the lake ferries in Zurich making a sloppy landing.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Mr & Mrs George Harder, young honeymoon couple, heard a dull thump & felt the ship quiver & a sort of rumbling scraping noise along the ship\u2019s side. They looked out the porthole and saw a wall of ice glide by.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • In the smoking room on A deck, a group of 1st<\/sup> class men \u2013 playing cards, enjoying a final cigar & drink before bed heard a faint grinding noise. All were instantly on their feet and ran out onto the deck just in time to see the iceberg scraping along the starboard side, a little higher than the boat deck. Again, they felt that nothing much had happened and returned inside to their card game.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Lawrence Beesley, a 2nd<\/sup> class passenger and science teacher in Dulwich College, was reading in his cabin, pleasantly lulled by the dancing motion of the mattress, when he noticed a slight heave of the engines and shortly after the regular dancing movement on his mattress seemed to stop. He went up to the Boat Deck where the lifeboats were being cleared but then decided to return to his cabin and as he did so he noticed a strange sensation as he descended the stairs; the stairs seemed to be level but his feet did not fall quite where they should. He put on warm clothes and then returned to the Boat Deck. Beesley was allowed to board lifeboat No. 13 which was finally lowered away at 1.25am with 64 people aboard.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Down in boiler room No. 6, Leading Fireman Fred Barrett was talking to the second engineer when the warning bells sounded & light flashed red above the watertight door leading to the stern. Then they felt a thud\u2026 a grinding, tearing sound \u2026 and the whole starboard side of the ship seemed to give way\u00a0 \u2013 sea water cascaded in and the two men leaped through the watertight door into boiler room No. 5 as it slammed down behind them<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Several tons of ice crumbled off the iceberg and landed on the forward starboard well deck as it scraped along the side. This was the third class recreation area and passengers were observed playfully throwing chunks of ice at each other, not realising the seriousness of the situation.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Lady Cosmo Gordan, woke up with a jolt, and it seemed that somebody had drawn a giant finger along the side of the ship.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
        • \u00a0Capt Smith rushed onto the bridge, peered over the starboard bridge wing looking for the iceberg but saw nothing<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n
          • \u00a0Bruce Ismay also woke up with a start & felt sure the ship had struck something. He pulled a suit over his pyjamas and climbed to the bridge. Captain Smith broke the news about the iceberg. Ismay then asked: \u201cDo you think the ship is seriously damaged?\u201d and Smith slowly replied: \u201cI\u2019m afraid she is\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
              \n
            • When Daniel Buckley, Steerage passenger, was woken up, he jumped out of his bunk and splashed into water up to his ankles. He got dressed immediately and went to investigate.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

               <\/p>\n

              \"\"

              Titanic<\/p><\/div>\n

              At midnight, G deck forward was already flooded. After a fast inspection tour of the damaged areas, Thomas Andrews estimated that the ship had an hour and a half or possible two before it sank. The bulkhead between the 6th & 5th <\/sup>compartments only went as high as E deck. If the first 5 compartments were flooded the bow would sink so low, floodwater in the 6th<\/sup> compartment would overflow into the 5th<\/sup> and so on \u2013 there was no way out; the ship was doomed. \u00a0 All this time, there were no emergency bells ringing or sirens blazing \u2013 but all over Titanic<\/em> in one way or another word was spreading among passengers that the situation was serious. For many (especially in 1st<\/sup> & 2nd<\/sup> class) first word came from their stewards.<\/span><\/p>\n

               <\/p>\n

                \n
              • John Hardy, 2nd<\/sup> class steward, roused 20 \u2013 24 cabins. Each time he threw the door wide open and shouted: \u201cEveryone on deck with lifebelts on, at once!\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
              • Mr Benjamin Guggenheim, 1st<\/sup> class passenger, a playboy scion of New York, boarded Titanic<\/em> at Cherbourg with his valet, chauffeur and \u201cmistress\u201d Mrs Aubart. After the collision, Bedroom Steward, Henry Etches helped Mr Guggenheim to fit his lifebelt and sent him up to the Boat Deck. Despite Etches best efforts, Guggenheim soon returned to his room and changed into his finest evening wear, his valet, Mr Giglio did likewise. He was later heard to remark \u201cWe\u2019ve dressed up in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen.\u201d<\/em> One of his final acts was to write the following message: \u201cIf anything should happen to me, tell my wife I\u2019ve done my best in doing my duty.\u201d\u00a0<\/em> They were all lost.<\/span><\/li>\n
              • Major Arthur Peuchen, 1st<\/sup> class, dressed up in warm heavy clothes, picked up a good-luck pin & 3 oranges & left his cabin, leaving behind a box containing 200,000 dollars in bonds & 100,000 dollars in preferred stock.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                \"\"

                Radio Operator Jack Phillips<\/p><\/div>\n

                Just after midnight, Captain Smith went to the wireless room & ordered Phillips to call for assistance, CQD\u2026CQD\u2026. At about the same time that night, Harold Cottam, the wireless operator of the steam ship, Carpathia<\/em>, was tired because he had been hard at work in the wireless \u201cshack\u201d since 7am. As he undressed for bed he fortuitously kept the earphones on his head. He decided to call Titanic<\/em>: MGY (Titanic<\/em>): \u201cI say, old man, do you know there is a batch of messages coming through to you from MCC (Cape Cod). MGY (Titanic<\/em>): (breaking in) \u201cCome at once. We have struck an iceberg. It\u2019s CQD, old man. Position 41\u06e8 46\u2019 N, 50\u06e8 14\u2019 W\u201d. Cottam immediately reported to Captain Rostron and an emergency plan was sprung into action. The Carpathia<\/em>, with all hands on deck, changed direction & headed, full steam to Titanic\u2019s<\/em> assistance, about 58 miles away. \u00a0 The broad corridor on E deck was the way from one end of the ship to another \u2013 the officers called it \u201cPark Lane\u201d and the crew \u201cScotland Road\u201d. Shortly after midnight, it was crowded with people, pushing & shoving; most were steerage passengers slowly making their way aft. Some were carrying boxes, bags and trunks. Some made their way up the stairs to the open well decks forward and aft. There was now a slight tilt in the decks. \u00a0 On top, the boat deck teemed with seamen, stewards, firemen, chefs etc ordered up from below. They began to clear the 16 lifeboats, 8 on each side \u2013 Nos. 1 \u2013 16 and 4 collapsible lifeboats, A, B, C & D. Their combined capacity was 1,178 people. \u00a0 At 12.30am, <\/strong>Captain Smith gave the order to start loading the lifeboats: \u201cWomen & children first\u201d and at signs of panic, he called out: \u201cBe British\u201d. Most 1st<\/sup> class passengers were on the boat-deck by this time. However, women were reluctant to enter the lifeboats \u2013 they felt safer on the big ship than in the tiny lifeboats. The seriousness of the situation had not sunk in for many. Most 3rd<\/sup> class passengers had not even reached above decks. The White Star Line denied at later Inquiries any favouritism to 1st<\/sup> class passengers but the facts indicate the contrary. At 12.40am\u00a03rd<\/sup> class passengers were observed praying in the 3rd<\/sup> class dining saloon below decks. Clearly, a large number of crew had been delegated with restraining 3rd<\/sup> class passengers. \u00a0 Meanwhile, on the boat deck, Wallace Hardley, the ship\u2019s bandleader & his band played ragtime tunes to maintain moral. All of them were lost in the disaster. 1st<\/sup> Officer Murdock took charge of the starboard side.<\/span><\/p>\n

                \"\"

                First Officer William Murdoch<\/p><\/div>\n

                (odd numbered lifeboats) & 2nd<\/sup> Officer <\/span>Lightoller took charge of the port side (even numbered lifeboats) \u00a0 At 12.45 Lightoller lowered port lifeboat No. 4 from the boat deck to the promenade deck (A Deck). The windows however were closed & Lightoller sent someone down to crank them open. He went on loading other lifeboats from the boat deck. After an hour(1.45am) he returned to lifeboat No. 4 & loaded it with the cream of New York & Philadelphia society \u2013 Mrs Widener, Mrs Astor & Mrs Carter. John Jacob Astor helped his pregnant wife into the boat & asked if he could join her. \u201cNo Sir,\u201d replied Lightoller, \u201cno men are allowed in these boats until the women are loaded first.\u201d \u00a0 Meanwhile, Cottam from the rescue ship, Carpathia<\/em>, kept in constant touch with Titanic<\/em> and the last message received at 1.45am reported: \u201cEngine room full up to the boilers \u2026\u201d. This was the last Titanic<\/em> signal Cottam heard. \u00a0 At 12.55am lifeboat No. 6 was lowered on the port side \u2013 containing Denver socialite Margaret \u201cMolly\u201d Brown. Halfway down someone calls: \u201cWe\u2019ve only one seaman in the boat!\u201d Major Arthur Peuchen, vice-commodore of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, agreed to slide down the falls to assist. QM Robert Hichens was in charge, whose behaviour towards the female passengers in the lifeboat & reluctance to go back to pick up survivors was much criticised afterwards. There were only 23 passengers aboard even though its full capacity was 65 passengers. \u00a0 Isidor & Ida Strauss refused to leave the ship. Ida refused to listen to pleas to board the lifeboat: \u201dNo! I\u2019ll not be separated from my husband. As we have lived so will we die, together\u201d. When Mrs Stuart White climbed into lifeboat No. 8, a friend jovially called out: \u201cWhen you get back you\u2019ll need a pass. You can\u2019t get back on tomorrow without a pass!\u201d Some women required some gentle persuasion to enter the lifeboat \u2013 Mrs Charlotte Collyier was dragged screaming from her husband & thrown in. In spite of\u00a0 having a capacity for 65 passengers, lifeboat No. 8 carried only 28 passengers. Lucy-Noel Martha, Countess of Rothes took the tiller all night. Captain Smith gave instructions to those in charge of the lifeboats to row to the nearby steamer (Californian)<\/em>, land its passengers & come back for more.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                \"\"

                Sinking of the Titanic<\/p><\/div>\n

                At about 1.00am, Chief Officer Wilde asked Lightoller to help him find the firearms. Wilde shoved one of the guns into Lightoller hand saying: \u201cYou may need it\u201d. \u00a0 J Bruce Ismay assisted in loading lifeboat No. 5. He dashed to & fro in his carpet slippers, shouting instructions, giving orders & urging men to hurry up: \u201cThere\u2019s no time to lose\u201d, he shouted. 3rd<\/sup> Officer Pitman couldn\u2019t take his behaviour any more and retorted: \u201cI await the commander\u2019s orders\u201d. As lifeboat No. 5 was lowered Dr. Frauenthal jumped in, dislocating two of Mrs Stengel\u2019s ribs & knocking her unconscious. Ismay then continually urged 5th<\/sup> Officer Lowe to lower the lifeboat quicker. Lowe exploded: \u201cYou\u2019ll have me drown the whole lot of them!\u201d Ismay, completely embarrassed, turns and walks away. \u00a0 At 12.45am, QM Thomas Rowe, still on watch at the stern of the ship, saw a lifeboat floating near the starboard side and phoned the bridge to enquire. An incredulous voice enquired as to who he was & then ordered him to fetch some rockets and report to the bridge. Rowe began firing the distress rockets, which shot up, to a height of 800\u2019 before exploding. In between rocket firing, Rowe tried to contact the mystery ship, the Californian,<\/em> with the Morse lamp. On board the Californian<\/em>, 3rd<\/sup> Officer Stone observed flashes of rockets in the sky & reported it to Captain Lord who advised him to<\/span><\/p>\n

                \"\"

                Collapsible Lifeboat<\/p><\/div>\n

                keep signalling the vessel using the Morse lamp. This, he did, unsuccessfully. Murdock launched lifeboat No. 3 with ladies & children & after no more <\/span>women could be found, men passengers were accepted \u2013 men were luckier on the starboard side. Murdock did not appear to enforce the \u201cwomen first\u201d rule as strictly as Lightoller. There were 32 in lifeboat No. 3 in spite of the fact that it had a capacity for 65 passengers. Lifeboat No. 12 was lowered at 12.25am with 40 women & children. Again, its capacity was 65 passengers. As it descended a man jumped into it from B deck. \u00a0 At about 1:10am, 1st<\/sup> Officer Murdock allowed Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon, his wife Lucille & her secretary, into lifeboat No. 1. According to Sir Cosmo when he asked Murdock if they could enter the boat, Murdock replied: \u201cOh, certainly do, I\u2019ll be very pleased.\u201d Two American men were allowed in also. Murdock added 6 stokers to crew it and put lookout, Symons, in charge. The boat left with only 12 \u2013 its capacity was 40. After Titanic sank, leading Fireman Charles Hendrickson asked the people in the lifeboat whether they ought to go back to help the people struggling & dying in the water but Lady Duff-Gordon warned they might be swamped. Then, Fireman Robert Pusey complained to Duff-Gordon that they had lost all their \u201ckit\u201d and that their pay would end when the ship sank, so the wealthy Sir Cosmo offered all the men five pounds on their return. This was a pledge he would honour on board the Carpathia<\/em>. Later Sir Cosmo appeared before a packed British Inquiry to defend himself against the accusation that he had bribed the crew<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                \"\"

                The Band plays on Titanic<\/p><\/div>\n

                to secure his escape from the Titanic<\/em>. Around this time also, down in 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0class, a swarm of people were waiting in the cul-de-sac at the foot of the main steerage staircase on E Deck. Sensing danger, some 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0class passengers reached the boat deck by circumventing barriers between 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0class & 1st<\/sup>\u00a0class or by breaking them down. 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0class steward, John Hart took 2 small groups of 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0class women & children up to the boat deck between 1am & 1.30am. Murdock then ordered him to take charge of lifeboat No. 15, which was launched at 1.30am. The majority of 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0class passengers were then left waiting on E deck with nobody to guide them or help them. John Hart, later at the Inquiry, admitted that 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0class passengers were falsely reassured & kept below decks until 1.15am when most of the boats were gone. 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0class passenger, Daniel Buckley & other 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0class passengers climbed up stairs to a gate into 1st<\/sup>\u00a0class area. A seaman guarding the gate refused to let them go through. When the situation became threatening, the seaman locked the gate and fled. The men then smashed through the gate and eventually reached the boat deck. On the after well deck, some 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0class passengers climbed their way up a crane and crawled along the boom to the 1st<\/sup> class decks and then on up to the Boat Deck. Lifeboat No. 16 was lowered at 1.35am with 50 on board. Its capacity was 65 passengers. Daniel Buckley & several other men jumped in. Most of the men were forced out when the officers threaten to shoot them. Daniel put a woman\u2019s shawl around his bowed head and started crying\u00a0 \u2013\u00a0 the disguise worked\u00a0 \u2013\u00a0 he got away. \u00a0 At 1.30, panic set in among male passengers as lifeboat No. 14 was being lowered \u2013 some threatened to jump into the almost full (60) boat. Lowe fired shots between the boat & the ship as a deterrent \u2013 the men moved back. \u00a0 Murdock also fired shots to deter men rushing lifeboat No. 15. \u00a0 A group of men desperately tried to rush collapsible lifeboat C. Purser Herbert McElroy fired his pistol and the culprits were removed. \u201cIt\u2019s women first\u201d, yelled the Purser. When no more women could be found, the boat was released for lowering and as it was lowered 2 men stepped into it \u2013 William Carter & Joseph Bruce Ismay. There were 42 people on board. \u00a0 Lifeboat No. 11 was overloaded with 70 passengers but was lowered successfully. \u00a0 Lifeboat No. 13 was lowered with 64 passengers including Lawerence Beesley. This lifeboat was nearly swamped by a great volume of water being discharged from the ship\u2019s side by the pumps. When the lifeboat reached the water, they struggled to detach the falls & inadvertently drifted below lifeboat No. 15, which had begun its descent. Fortunately their shouts of alarm were heard on the boat deck & the lowering of lifeboat No. 15 stopped. Lifeboat No. 13 succeeded in cutting the falls and drifted out from underneath. \u00a0 At 2am, only collapsibles A and B remained lashed to the roof of the officer\u2019s quarters, either side of the forward<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                \"\"

                The Sinking Titanic<\/p><\/div>\n

                funnel. At 2.05 Capt Smith released Phillips & Bride telling them: \u201cIt\u2019s everyman for himself\u201d. At 2.10 the ship\u2019s bow suddenly plunged as Lightoller & the crew desperately tried to release collapsible B. The wave caused by the plunge washed Lightoller into the water. The wave also carried the un-launched collapsible B over the deck\u2019s edge and it floated off upside down. Later, Lightoller along with some crew & passengers managed to clamber aboard the bottom of the upturned collapsible B. At about this time, Colonel Archibald Gracie described the following scene as he retreated, before the rising water, to the stern of the ship: \u201cThere arose before us from the decks below, a mass of humanity lines deep, covering the boat deck facing us \u2026 there were women as well as men & they seem to be steerage passengers who had just come up from the decks below\u201d. Needless to say, all the lifeboats were long gone. \u00a0 As the ship\u2019s stern angled up to a perpendicular, people started panicking \u2013 some fell & some jumped overboard. People could hear popping & cracking noises from the ship \u2026the crash of glassware \u2026 the clatter of deck chairs sliding down the tilted decks \u2026 the screaming of people as they lost their grip and fell into the water\u2026 A steady roar thundered across the water, as everything movable on the ship broke loose. The lights flashed on & off and then went out for good. The stays holding the first funnel snapped & the giant funnel toppled forward, striking the water. Scores of swimmers were crushed beneath it. Then there was a huge explosive noise and the stern settled back into the water for a minute or so and then it too began to slide under the water, picking up speed as she went until the sea closed over her stern. It was 2.20am. All that remained were the hopeless cries for help from the people struggling in the freezing water (28\u00b0 F). \u00a0 Some time after the sinking, 5th<\/sup>\u00a0Officer Lowe & 4 volunteer crewmen rowed back to the scene. They picked up 3 survivors but one of them died shortly after. \u00a0 At 4.00am the\u00a0Carpathia<\/em>\u00a0arrived at the scene. At 4.10am passengers from lifeboat 2 began to clamber abroad. At 6.15am, collapsible C with Bruce Ismay aboard came up. About 8am the overturned collapsible lifeboat B arrived with second officer Lightoller in charge. Lightoller himself was the last person up the ladder, the last survivor to board\u00a0Carpathia<\/em> and the only senior officer to survive Titanic. At 5.15, Captain Lord of<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                \"\"

                Carpathia at Pier 54<\/p><\/div>\n

                the\u00a0Californian<\/em>, noticed the\u00a0Carpathia<\/em>\u00a0bearing south southeast. He instructed Evans, his radio operator to investigate & on being informed that the\u00a0Titanic<\/em>\u00a0had sunk during the night, Lord ordered the\u00a0Californian<\/em>\u00a0to proceed immediately to the scene of the disaster. About 8.30am\u00a0Californian<\/em>\u00a0stopped alongside the\u00a0Carpathia.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 Captain Rostron headed back to New York with 705 survivors leaving the\u00a0Californian<\/em> to search for any further survivors. None was found. There were 2 Courts of Inquiries into the disaster, the US Inquiry chaired by Senator William Smith and the British Inquiry chaired by Lord Mersey. They sought to enquire into the nature of the disaster, its causes and the inadequacies of the safety procedures. The Americans called 3 steerage passengers to testify while the British Inquiry called none. The British report describes as \u201cunfounded\u201d the very gross charge against Sir Cosmo Duff Gordan that having got into No. 1 lifeboat, he bribed the crew in it to row away from the drowning people. Lord Mersey, British Inquiry, also dismissed the charge against Mr Ismay\u2019s lack of moral duty on the night \u2013 that he abandoned the\u00a0Titanic<\/em>in the last lifeboat knowing there were women & children still on board. The British Inquiry also took the lead from the Americans in condemning Captain Stanley Lord for<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                \"\"

                R.M.S. Titanic clearing the Fastnet Lighthouse, Co. Cork, 11th April 1912 Oil 28 x 18 available from http:\/\/www.king-studio.com\/<\/p><\/div>\n

                not going to the rescue. The British Report, not surprisingly, whitewashed the British Board of Trade, the body responsible for the legal insufficiency of lifeboats. Report of the Court: \u201cThe court, having carefully enquired into the circumstances of the above mentioned shipping casualty, finds, for the reasons appearing in the Annex hereto, that the lost of the said ship was due to a collision with an iceberg, brought about by the excessive speed at which the ship was being navigated.\u201d \u00a0 Total number of passengers: 1,316 1st<\/sup>\u00a0Class Total: 325 (180M, 145F)\u00a0 \u2013 60.5% survived 2nd\u00a0<\/sup>Class Total: 285 (179M, 106F)\u00a0 \u2013 41.7% survived 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0Class Total: 710\u00a0 (510M, 196F)\u00a0 \u2013 24.5% survived \u00a0 Crew Total: 991 \u2013 23.8% survived \u00a0\u00a0By Michael O\u2019Flaherty<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0References:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cTHE IRISH ABOARD TITANIC\u201d by Senan Molony \u201cTITANIC Triumph and Tragedy\u201d by John B. Eaton \u201cFr Brown\u2019s Titanic Album\u201d by EE O\u2019Donnell \u201cThe story of TITANIC as told by its survivors\u201d by Lawrence Beesley, Archibald Gracie, Commander Lightoller, Harold Bride \u2013 edited by Jack Winocour \u201cTitanic Tragedy\u201d by Vincent MacDonnell \u201cTitanic \u2013 Behind the Legend\u201d by William Blair \u201c101 things you thought you knew about the TITANIC but didn\u2019t!\u201d by Tim Maltin and Eloise Aston \u201cA Night to Remember\u201d by Walter Lord \u201cReport on the loss of the SS TITANIC\u201d \u2013 The Official Government Inquiry<\/span>
                \n<\/span><\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                R.M.S. Titanic She was the largest ship in the world at the time She was proclaimed unsinkable She collided with an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage The element of Greek tragedy If only she heeded the 7 ice warnings, she received on the day of the sinking If only she had slowed down…<\/span><\/p>\n

                Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ships"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seswpcourse.hosted7.connect.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}