BBC - History - British History in depth: Titanic: Sinking the Myths Print this page 'Practically unsinkable' As soon as the waves of the North Atlantic closed over the stern of RMS Titanic on 15 April 1912, the myths began surrounding her design, construction and transatlantic voyage. The Titanic disaster today is a classic tale, a modern folk story, but like all folk stories our understanding of what really happened has been clouded by the way the disaster has been recounted over the years. The claim actually made was that she was 'practically unsinkable'... It was said that the builders and owners of Titanic claimed she was 'unsinkable'. The claim actually made was that she was 'practically unsinkable', close enough, but nevertheless an unfortunate statement and one which would haunt both builder and owner for years. Titanic, the largest vessel in the world when she entered service in 1912, was neither the finest nor the most technically advanced of her day. Size, seldom an indication that something is better, was the only record she held.

The ships that Titanic, and her slightly older sister Olympic, were designed to compete with were the Cunard liners Lusitania and Mauretania, which entered service in 1907. Designed and built as record breakers, both held the coveted 'Blue Riband' for the fastest Atlantic crossing. They were built principally from lessons learnt from advances in warship construction, but most importantly both were powered by steam turbines driving quadruple screws, each fitted with a large balanced rudder, making them faster than the competition and easier to manoeuvre. This was a giant leap forward in marine engineering, comparable to the advances made in 1969 with the introduction of the Concorde supersonic aircraft. Titanic and Olympic should best be described as the 747s of their day. As huge people carriers, travelling at moderate speed, with space for large cargoes, they posed a great commercial threat to the smaller and more expensive-to-operate Cunarders. Top Achilles heel Titanic's rudder design was her Achilles heel. © Building ships this large led to inevitable compromises. Titanic, identical in almost every respect to her sister, adopted tried and trusted methods for her design and construction.

No risks were taken with the choice of engines which were enlarged versions of the propulsion system first used experimentally in Laurentic, another White Star liner, in 1909. The triple screw vessel had proved that two expansion engines feeding exhaust steam into a low pressure turbine were more economical than vessels using expansion engines or turbines alone. ...little thought was given to how a ship, 852 feet in length, might...avoid collision with an iceberg. Titanic's hull and upper works were also enlarged versions of designs refined over several decades. Her stern, with its high graceful counter and long thin rudder, was an exact copy of an 18th-century sailing ship, wrought in steel, a perfect example of the lack of technical development. Compared with the rudder design of the Cunarders, Titanic's was a fraction of the size. No account was made for advances in scale and little thought was given to how a ship, 852 feet in length, might turn in an emergency or avoid collision with an iceberg. This was Titanic's Achilles heel. Top Speed Oceanic's dining saloon.

The room, with its domed ceiling, one of the finest ever created for a ocean liner, was designed by Richard Norman Shaw. © These design differences meant Titanic would never be able to challenge the speed or manoeuvrability of the Cunarders, but this did not matter. White Star had given up all thought of speed records more than a decade before, in 1899, with the introduction of Oceanic, a ship given the title 'Crowning Glory of the 19th Century'. It was justly deserved, for her interiors were the finest ever created by the Belfast shipbuilder of Harland & Wolff. ...Titanic would never be able to challenge the speed or manoeuvrability of the Cunarders... White Star could not afford to lavish the same expense on their new ship Titanic, which was much larger than Oceanic. Titanic, nevertheless, was a fine, well-built vessel, with large public rooms and finely-appointed suites for those travelling in first class. However, there were many other ocean liners built in Britain, France and Germany which were technically superior and had stunning interiors. Speed plays a major part in the continuing story of Titanic.

It is often said she was trying to make a record on her maiden voyage, attempting to arrive ahead of schedule in New York. Not true. Not all of Titanic's boilers had been lit and besides this she was sailing on the longer southern route across the Atlantic in order to avoid the very threat which caused her eventual loss. Even if all boilers had been lit, her maximum speed was 21 knots, a far cry from the 26 knots the Cunarders regularly recorded. Titanic did not attempt a full speed crossing because of the risk of potential engine damage, and her passengers would have been inconvenienced by arriving a day before their hotel or train bookings. Top Allegations of cowardice Joseph Bruce Ismay, chairman and managing director of the White Star Line from 1899 until 1913. © J Bruce Ismay, chairman and managing director of the White Star Line, was a passenger on the ship. At the age of 39 he was also president of the International Mercantile Marine Company, a giant combine and owner-operator of several transatlantic business, at the head of which was White Star.

The myths surrounding Ismay are many but almost all centre on allegations of his cowardice in escaping the sinking ship whilst fellow passengers, notably women and children, were left to fend for themselves. The claims made at the time and repeated today were that he 'saved his own skin' whilst others died. Ismay's fault was that he survived... In reality Ismay helped with loading and lowering several lifeboats and acquitted himself better than many of the crew and passengers. He only entered a lifeboat when it was actually being lowered and no other passengers were in the vicinity. Some witnesses stated he was ordered into the lifeboat but, whatever happened, Lord Mersey said at the British enquiry into the loss of Titanic, 'Had he not jumped in he would simply have added one more life, namely his own, to the number of those lost'. Ismay's fault was that he survived and as a consequence laid himself open to the high and somewhat dubious moral code of the US press. Almost universally condemned in America, when he finally arrived home he was cheered and applauded as he descended the gangway at Liverpool. The British press had treated the whole episode in a far less judgmental way.

In a second, more serious allegation, it was claimed he ordered Captain Edward J Smith, Titanic's commander, to 'make a record crossing' thus indirectly causing the collision with the iceberg. It is unlikely that an experienced shipmaster like Smith, on his last voyage before retirement and the highest paid commander in the mercantile marine, would defer to Ismay on matters of navigation. No firm evidence has ever come to light to suggest that Ismay in any way interfered with the navigation of Titanic and, other than talking with the various heads of departments on the ship, conducted himself like many other passengers. Yet the opposite image of him exists today. All of the negative stereotypes can be tracked back to the American press... But where did all these stories come from? All of the negative stereotypes can be tracked back to the American press and in particular to those newspapers owned by William Randolph Hearst, one of the most powerful and influential men in America. Hearst and Ismay had met years before in New York when Ismay was an agent for his company. The shy and private Ismay disliked press attention and the two men fell out as a consequence of his refusal to cooperate.

Hearst never forgot, and in April 1912 his syndicated press prosecuted a vicious campaign against Ismay, who was defenceless in the eye of the hurricane. Stories were invented and witnesses, wishing to strengthen exorbitant insurance claims for lost baggage against the company, declared he had in fact ordered Smith to make a record crossing. Top Captain Smith Commodore Edward J Smith © The popular press expected men to die like heroes in 1912. After all Captain Smith had done just that, or had he? In a strange quirk of history the man directly responsible for the loss of Titanic is remembered as a hero, whilst the man who tried to save lives is labelled a coward. Smith failed the passengers and crew of Titanic. He failed to heed ice warnings, did not slow his ship when ice was reported directly in his path and allowed lifeboats to leave the sinking ship partially filled, unnecessarily adding at least 500 names to the list of the dead. But what organisation or individual was ultimately to blame? The British government's Board of Trade allowed Titanic to sail with insufficient lifeboat accommodation.

The government simply had not kept abreast of advances in marine engineering and based all life-saving regulations on ships up to 10,000 grt (gross registered tons) which were required to carry 16 lifeboats. Titanic was 46,329 grt. A ship designed to accommodate 3,511 passengers and crew was only required to provide lifeboat accommodation for 962. In fact, White Star provided her with four extra collapsible boats, increasing capacity to 1,178. Smith failed the passengers and crew of Titanic. If Smith had not failed in his duty, all these lifeboats could have been loaded to their stated capacity in time, or even with many more, for the numbers reflected shipyard workers, not women and children. In the flat calm conditions that night, the first boat to leave Titanic's side, with a capacity of 40, contained just 12 people. Titanic, famous for that terrible disaster, today stands as a memorial to mankind's over-confidence in technology and a reminder of how weak we are compared with the forces of nature.

But Titanic should also stand as a reminder of an era when millions of emigrants made the voyage across the Atlantic seeking a new life, in a new world - a memorial to a unique event in history. A Night to Remember by Walter Lord (Penguin Books, 1978) Titanic, 14th-15th April 1912, The Official Story (Public Record Office, 1997) The Loss of the Titanic, 1912 (The Stationery Office, 1999) The Titanic edited by John Wilson Foster (Penguin Books, 1999) The White Star Line: An Illustrated History 1869-1934 by Paul Louden-Brown (Titanic Historical Society, 2001) The Titanic Disaster: As Reported in the British National Press April-July 1912 compiled by Dave Bryceson (W.W.Norton & Company, 1997) Places to visit Titanic Voices Exhibition Maritime Museum, Town Quay, Southampton, Tel 023 80 635904.

A permanent exhibition including the Durrand Folios - the original drawings of the furniture, fixtures and fittings for the interior by designer, Arthur Durrand. There is also an audio visual presentation, put together by the city's community history department, providing a testimony of survivors and Southampton people who remember the tragedy. Top About the author Paul Louden-Brown is vice president of the Titanic Historical Society and author of The White Star Line: An Illustrated History. He was a consultant to James Cameron's blockbuster film Titanic and works for documentary film-makers and diving companies, providing technical and historical information on shipwrecks. Sinking Of The Titanic Influences Wireless Radio } </STYLE> In the decades since her demise, the RMS Titanic has inspired countless books and several notable films while continuing to make headlines, particularly since the 1985 discovery of her resting place off the coast of Newfoundland. Nearly a century has past into history since the luxury steamship met its catastrophic end in the North Atlantic after sideswiping an iceberg and plunging two miles to the ocean floor during its maiden voyage in the early hours of April 15, 1912.

The RMS Titanic was a British registered ocean liner built for the transatlantic passenger and mail service between Southampton, England and New York City. It was built in Belfast, Ireland beginning in 1909 and completed 3 years later. At the time it was the largest vessel afloat. The Titanic left Belfast April 2, 1912 for Southampton, England arriving on April 3rd, 1912 after crossing the English Channel. The Titanic stopped at Cherbourg, France to board additional passengers and again the next day at Queenstown, Ireland for more passengers. The Titanic raised her anchor and began her historic maiden voyage on Wednesday April 10th, 1912 with 1,316 passengers on board. 325 in first-class, 293 in second, and 706 in third-class according to the Titanic Historical Society. At the time of the sinking, the ship's crew consisted of 885 men and women. Captain Edward J. Smith in command.

Sunday April 14, 1912 was the one day in the week when Captain Smith was not required to make a detailed inspection of the ship, but any thoughts of a quiet morning were ruined as early as 9 am when the ship received a two-day-old wireless message from Captain Barr of the S.S Caronia. The message read: "Captain, titanic ï¿½ Westbound steamers report bergs, growlers (Growler is a nautical term for a small iceberg) and field ice at 42 degrees North from 49 degrees to 51 degrees West, April 12. Compliments, Barr." The message was delivered to Captain Smith on the bridge and he then posted this for his officers. The area referred to in the wireless message laid just a few miles north of Titanicï¿½s intended course. Sunday morning on White Star ships was supposed to include a boat drill where all hands, passengers and crew, would assemble in life jackets at their boat stations. Yet on this occasion, Captain Smith neglected to schedule a drill. Perhaps he deemed the Titanic to be so secure that the exercise was unnecessary, or maybe he feared that the shortage of lifeboats would unduly alarm any nervous passengers.

At 1:42 pm, the Titanic received another ice warning, this time from the Baltic reporting passing icebergs and large quantities of field ice perilously close to the Titanic's position. The message was taken instantly to the bridge, but instead of showing it to his officers, Captain Smith took it with him when he went to lunch. On the promenade deck he bumped into J. Bruce Ismay, chairman and managing director of the White Star Line, and handed him the message for information. Ismay promptly put it into his pocket, and apart from showing it to few select passengers, the piece of paper stayed there for the next five-and-a-half hours, and then it was posted on the bridge. Considering that safety was suppose to be paramount, the behavior of both men is baffling, to the point of negligence. At 1:45 pm, a message was received from the steamer Amerika also warning of large icebergs in Titanic's path. However, Titanic's wireless radio operators, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, were too busy to relay what they considered "non-essential" ice messages to the bridge. They were employed by Marconi Wireless Company and paid to relay paid messages to and from the passengers.

Later that evening, another report of numerous large icebergs, this time from the S.S. Mesaba also failed to reach the bridge. The Mesabaï¿½s message was the sixth ice warning received by the Titanic that day. Just before midnight, approximately 400 miles (640 km) south of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland the Titanic struck an iceberg which brushed the ship's starboard side (right side), buckling the hull in several places and popping out rivets below the waterline over a length of 299 feet (90 m). As seawater filled the forward compartments, the watertight doors were shut by the Captain. The ship could barely stay afloat with the foremost four compartments flooded, but the foremost six compartments were filling with water, more than she could handle. Thirty seven minutes after the collision at 12:17 am (ship's time) and after assessing the damage, Captain Smith ordered Phillips and Bride to send the international distress message, CQD, requesting help. In moments Morse Code dits and dahs sounds radiated from the Titanic radio for hundreds of miles across the North Atlantic in a desperate plea for help.

Her 5,000 watt Marconi transmitter sent out her position as 41.44 N, 50.24 W, about 380 miles SSE of Cape Race, Newfoundland where Marconi had a monitoring and sending station. Several ships responded, including the Mount Temple, Frankfurt and Titanic's sister ship, Olympic, but none was close enough to arrive in time. The closest ship to respond was Cunard Line's Carpathia which was 58 miles (93 km) away, and would take an estimated four hours to reach them, too late to rescue all of Titanic's passengers. The only land based location that received the distress call from Titanic was the Marconi wireless station at Cape Race, Newfoundland although it was reported that a "ham radio" operator on the East Coast of the United States also heard the Titanic's call for help. After the collision, the lights of a nearby ship could be seen off the port side from the bridge of the Titanic. The identity of that ship remains a mystery today, but there have been theories suggesting that it was probably a sealer called Samson.

As it was not responding to wireless attempts to contact her by radio, other means were employed, including signaling the ship with a Morse lamp and later with distress rockets. The ship never responded. Sinking Of The Titanic Influences Wireless Radio The deadliest peacetime maritime disaster in history Titanic port side 1912. Titanic dishes on the bottom. Captain Edward J. Smith Sister ship to Titanic, White Star Liner RMS Olympic The vessel Virginian heard what is believed to be Titanic's last call for help at 12:27 am when her signals were blurred and ended abruptly. Nothing more was heard from Titanic and she sank at 2:20 am (ship time). After steaming at 17.5 knots for just under four hours, RMS Carpathia was the first ship to arrive in the area at 4:10 am and began rescuing survivors. By 8:30 pm that day she picked up the last lifeboat with survivors and left the area at 8:50 pm bound for New York.

Three days later on April 18, 1912 the Carpathia, arriving at night, docked at Pier 54 in New York with the survivors and was met by thousands of people. The disaster became the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster in history. The high casualty rate when the ship sank was due in part to the fact that, although complying with the regulations of the time, the ship carried lifeboats for only 1,178 people. A disproportionate number of men died due to the women and children first protocol that was followed. The majority of deaths were caused by hypothermia in the 28 ï¿½F (-2 ï¿½C) water where death could be expected in less than 15 minutes. Notes: One of the first standard radio distress calls, "CQD." "CQ", to be sent from a ship in distress occurred in 1903. Marconi Wireless Co. created the signal to stop transmission and pay attention; adding the "D" meant distress. In 1906 the International Radio Telegraphic Convention in Berlin created the signal "SOS" as an alternative means of summoning assistance.

The three letters were chosen solely for their simplicity in Morse Code. Three dots, three dashes and three dots were instantly recognizable, and could be transmitted by someone who had never used a wireless apparatus. In 1908 "SOS" officially superseded "CQD" as the regulation distress call, but Marconi operators rarely used the new signal. Only after Harold Bride radioed his now famous SOS from the sinking Titanic did the new signal become standard. The SOS signal was, however, rarely used by British wireless operators, who preferred the older CQD code. After the Titanic's disaster, ships were required to man the wireless twenty-four hours a day. More emphasis was placed on navigation, so that crucial information such as ice warnings would not go unreported to the bridge as apparently happen on the Titanic. Sunday morning on White Star ships, including the Titanic, was supposed to include a boat drill where all hands, passengers and crew, would assemble in life jackets at their boat stations. Yet on this particular Sunday, Captain Smith neglected to schedule a drill. Perhaps he deemed the Titanic to be so secure that the exercise was unnecessary, or maybe he feared that the shortage of lifeboats would unduly alarm any nervous passengers.

The investigations of the accident found that many maritime safety rules were simply out of date, and new laws were recommended. Numerous safety improvements for ocean-going vessels were implemented, including improved hull and bulkhead design, access throughout the ship for egress of passengers, lifeboat requirements, improved life-vest design, the holding of safety drills, better passenger notification, radio communications laws, etc. The investigators also learned that Titanic had sufficient lifeboat space for all first-class passengers, but not for the lower classes. In fact, most third class passengers had no idea where the lifeboats were, much less any way of getting up to the higher decks where the lifeboats were stowed. U.S. immigration regulations required complete isolation of third class passengers and the route to the boat deck, through the higher classes of accommodation, was somewhat tortuous as a result. The 100th anniversary of the sinking of Titanic is planned to be commemorated around the world in 2012. The conclusion of the British Inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic was ï¿½ due to collision with an iceberg, brought about by the excessive speed at which the ship was being navigatedï¿½.

At the time of the collision it is thought that Titanic was at her normal cruising speed of about 21 knots (39 km/h), which was less than her top speed of around 23 knots (43 km/h). At the time it was common (but not universal) practice to maintain normal speed in areas where icebergs were expected. It was thought that any iceberg large enough to damage the ship would be seen in sufficient time to be avoided, Titanic's rediscovery in 1985 launched a debate over ownership of the wreck and the valuable items inside. On June 7, 1994 RMS Titanic Inc., a subsidiary of Premier Exhibitions Inc., was awarded ownership and salvaging rights by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Since 1987, RMS Titanic Inc. and her successors have conducted seven expeditions and salvaged over 5,500 historic objects. The biggest single recovered object was a 17-ton section of the hull, recovered in 1998. Many of these items are part of travelling museum exhibitions. Where did the name "RMS Titanic" come from and what does it mean? "RMS" means "Royal Mail Ship".

(Some say "steamer.") This title shows that the Titanic had a charter from the British government to carry British (i.e., the royal) Mail. Occasionally the prefix HMS (His Majestyï¿½s Ship) is seen in print, but that usage is incorrect since H.M.S. is reserved for British war ships. The names "Olympic", "Titanic", and "Gigantic" come from Greek mythology. The ancient Greeks believed that the universe created the gods, not the other way around. The earliest generation of gods created by mother earth was the Titans. They were attacked and defeated by their children, and the new ruling circle of gods made their home on Mount Olympus. During this war, the race of Giants came to the defense of the Titans, but was killed off in the course of battle. The temperature that night had dropped to near freezing and the ocean was calm. The moon was not visible and the sky was clear. Captain Smith, in response to iceberg warnings received via wireless over the preceding few days, had drawn up a new course which took the ship slightly further southward.

Only one-ninth of an iceberg is visible above the surface of the water and sometimes after a berg has capsized, the water in the upper area can make its new face dark, or blue, which makes early identification at night extremely difficult, especially without binoculars. Witnesses described the iceberg struck by the Titanic as being of a similar shape to the Rock of Gibraltar. Halifax is where the maiden voyage of Titanic really ended, with the most lasting legacy from the sinking located there. Located on the eastern coast of Canada, Halifax has one of the most moving and intimate connections with the Titanic disaster, playing a key role during the tragedy's aftermath and becoming the final resting place of many of her unclaimed victim. According to the Nova Scotia Maritime Heritage website three Halifax ships were involved in the grim task of recovering victims - many of whom were laid to rest in three of our city's cemeteries. Rows of black granite headstones, each inscribed with the same date, April 15, 1912, are a stark reminder of the disaster. Titanic artifacts at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic are a touching reminder of the ship's lost luxury, her violent end and enormity of the disaster.

These artifacts were all pulled from the water within weeks of the sinking by ships from Halifax searching for Titanic victims. After all the survivors had boarded the Carpathia, the ship steamed towards the harbors of New York. By this time, the press had gotten word of the Titanic tragedy, and calls started to stream into the White Star offices. As the time neared for the Carpathia to reach port, over 10,000 people crowded the docks. Swarms of reporters wanting to buy the rights to survivorï¿½s stories desperately searched for any leads into the Titanic. The Mackay-Bennet, a cable laying ship was left with the morbid task of collecting bodies. After almost five days at sea, many of the bodies had been terribly deteriorated. Armed with tons of ice, over a 100 coffins, 40 embalmers, and a canon to conduct burials at sea, the Mackay-Bennet collected a total of 328 bodies, 119 of which were unrecognizable. By 1912 all North Atlantic ships carried wireless equipment. All communications from the station were in Morse code.

Although Guglielmo Marconi's radio invention had been on ships since the turn of the century, its use was far from universal in 1912. Marconi employment rules required telegraphists between 21 and 25 years of age and able to send and receive at least 25 words per minute in Morse Code. In 1912, after the five months training, Jack Phillips could send and receive 39 words per minute, Harold Bride's 26 words per minute. Jack Phillips is believed to have died of hypothermia during the tragedy, his body never recovered. Harold Bride survived, left the sea after WW1 and faded into obscurity. He died in Scotland in 1956. The Titanic's radio callsign was "MGY". When the lifeboats were deployed, there was a women and children first policy that created these staggering survival rates. Of male passengers in second class, 92 percent perished. Less than half of third-class passengers survived.

Tickets for the Titanic capped out at $4,350 (which is more than $95,860 in 2008 dollars) The Titanic history has stated that beyond a shadow of a doubt that when the Titanic did finally collide with the iceberg, the blow was glancing and popped out thousands of rivets that held the plating to the hull. This caused the hull of the Titanic to buckle and take on large amounts of water. This is when the Titanic disaster began. The International Ice Patrol was set up in 1914 in response to the loss of the Titanic. The patrol locates icebergs in the North Atlantic, follows and predicts their drift, and issues warnings to ships in the vicinity. The Ship: Length: 882 feet 9 inches Beam: 92 feet The Sinking of the RMS Titanic (1912) Updated November 10, 2015. What Was the Sinking of the Titanic? The world was shocked when the Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m.

on April 14, 1912 and sunk just a few hours later at 2:20 am on April 15, 1912. The "unsinkable" ship RMS Titanic sank on its maiden voyage, losing at least 1,517 lives (some accounts say even more), making it one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history. After the Titanic sank, safety regulations were increased to make ships safer, including ensuring enough lifeboats to carry all on board and making ships staff their radios 24 hours a day. Building the Unsinkable Titanic The RMS Titanic was the second of three huge, exceptionally luxurious ships built by White Star Line. It took nearly three years to build the Titanic, beginning on March 31, 1909 in Belfast, Northern Ireland . When completed, the Titanic was the largest movable object ever made. It was 882 1/2 feet long, 92 1/2 feet wide, 175 feet high, and displaced 66,000 tons of water.

continue reading below our video The Sinking of the Titanic (That is almost as long as eight Statue of Libertys placed horizontally in a line!) After conducting sea trials on April 2, 1912, the Titanic left later that same day for Southampton, England to enlist her crew and to be loaded with supplies. Titanic's Journey Begins On the morning of April 10, 1912, 914 passengers boarded the Titanic. At noon, the ship left port and headed for Cherbourg, France, where it made a quick stop before heading to Queenstown (now called Cobh) in Ireland . At these stops, a handful of people got off and a few hundred boarded the Titanic. By the time the Titanic left Queenstown at 1:30 p.m. on April 11, 1912 heading for New York, she was carrying over 2,200 people, both passengers and crew. Warnings of Ice The first two days across the Atlantic, April 12-13, 1912, went smoothly. The crew worked hard and the passengers enjoyed their luxurious surroundings.

Sunday, April 14, 1912 also started out relatively uneventful, but later became deadly. Throughout the day on April 14, the Titanic received a number of wireless messages from other ships warning about icebergs along their path. However, for various reasons, not all of these warnings made it to the bridge. Captain Edward J. Smith , unaware of how serious the warnings had become, retired to his room for the night at 9:20 p.m. At that time, the lookouts had been told to be a bit more diligent in their observations, but the Titanic was still steaming full speed ahead. Hitting the Iceberg The evening was cold and clear, but the moon was not bright. That, coupled with the fact that the lookouts did not have access to binoculars, meant that the lookouts spotted the iceberg only when it was directly in front of the Titanic. At 11:40 p.m., the lookouts rang the bell to issue a warning and used a phone to call the bridge. First Officer Murdoch ordered "hard a-starboard" (sharp left turn). He also ordered the engine room to put the engines in reverse.

The Titanic did bank left, but it wasn't quite enough. Thirty-seven seconds after the lookouts warned the bridge, the Titanic's starboard (right) side scraped along the iceberg below the water line. Many passengers had already gone to sleep and thus were unaware that there had been a serious accident. Even passengers that were still awake felt little as the Titanic hit the iceberg. Captain Smith, however, knew that something was very wrong and went back to the bridge. After taking a survey of the ship, Captain Smith realized that the ship was taking on a lot of water. Although the ship was built to continue floating if three of its 16 bulkheads had filled with water, six were already filling fast. Upon the realization that the Titanic was sinking, Captain Smith ordered the lifeboats to be uncovered (12:05 a.m.) and for the wireless operators on board to begin sending distress calls (12:10 a.m.). The Titanic Sinks At first, many of the passengers did not comprehend the severity of the situation. It was a cold night and the Titanic still seemed like a safe place, so many people were not ready to get into the lifeboats when the first one launched at 12:45 a.m.

As it became increasingly obvious that the Titanic was sinking, the rush to get on a lifeboat became desperate. Women and children were to board the lifeboats first; however, early on, some men also were allowed to get into the lifeboats. To the horror of everyone on board, there were not enough lifeboats to save everyone. During the design process it had been decided to place only 16 standard lifeboats and four collapsible lifeboats on the Titanic because any more would have cluttered the deck. If the 20 lifeboats that were on the Titanic had been properly filled, which they were not, 1,178 could have been saved (i.e. just over half of those on board). Once the last lifeboat was lowered at 2:05 a.m. on April 15, 1912, those remaining on board the Titanic reacted in different ways. Some grabbed any object that might float (like deck chairs), threw the object overboard, and then jumped in after it. Others stayed on board because they were stuck within the ship or had determined to die with dignity. The water was freezing, so anyone stuck in the water for more than a couple of minutes, froze to death.

At 2:18 a.m. on April 15, 1915, the Titanic snapped in half and then fully sank two minutes later. Rescue Although several ships received the Titanic's distress calls and changed their course to go help, it was the Carpathia that was the first to arrive, seen by survivors in the lifeboats around 3:30 a.m. The first survivor stepped aboard the Carpathia at 4:10 a.m. and for the next four hours, the rest of the survivors boarded the Carpathia. Once all the survivors were on board, the Carpathia headed to New York, arriving in the evening of April 18, 1912. In all, a total of 705 people were rescued while 1,517 perished. Titanic Quotations They Said It. Some Memorable Lines. The author does not vouch for the authenticity of some of these quotations. Of some it may be said. "Se non é vero, é ben trovato." I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that.

Captain Edward Smith, referring to Adriatic I never saw a wreck and never have been wrecked, nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster. Captain Edward Smith in 1907. The captain can, by simply moving an electric switch, instantly close the doors throughout, practically making the vessel unsinkable. Irish News and Belfast Morning News, June 1st, 1911, on the incomplete Titanic. God himself could not sink this ship! Unknown Titanic crewmember to embarking passenger, Mrs Sylvia Caldwell. This is a marvellous ship and I feel very disappointed I am not to make the first voyage. David Blair, who was originally going to be Second Officer on Titanic. Certainly there was no sailor who ever sailed salt water but who smiled - and still smiles - at the idea of the"unsinkable ship". Charles Lightoller, in Titanic and Other Ships . Everyone had known full well, and for many years, the ever-present possibility of just such a disaster. Charles Lightoller, in Titanic and Other Ships . Send SOS; It's the new call and it may be your last chance to send it! Harold Bride to John Phillips.

TU OM John Phillips to Harold Cottam, in reply to the news that Carpathia was coming to the rescue. (Thank you, Old Man). If you will get to hell out of that, I shall be able to do something!. Fifth Officer Lowe to J.Bruce Ismay. It was not very parliamentary. J.Bruce Ismay, at the US enquiry, on Lowe's choice of language. Shut up! Shut up! I am busy. I am working Cape Race! John Phillips, in reply to Cyril Evans' final ice warning. It might have been. Captain Stanley Lord, asked at the British enquiry if the rockets seen from Californian could have been a distress signal. You never mistake a distress rocket. Captain Stanley Lord, at the US enquiry. I admit there was a certain amount of "slackness" aboard the Californian the night in question. Captain Stanley Lord, in a letter to his Member of Parliament, Oct 17th, 1912. Anybody knows what rockets at sea mean. Lawrence Beesley, in The Loss of the SS Titanic. It would be much nicer. You would never miss a message then.

Captain Stanley Lord, asked by Senator Bourne if it would be better to have two radio operators. I do not think it is right to receive money for anything like that. Cyril Evans, asked by Senator Smith if he had sold his story to anybody. That silly man, who wouldn't use his wireless! Captain Arthur Rostron, referring to Captain Lord. You can't kick a man when he's down, my dear. Charles Lightoller to Sylvia Lightoller, when persuading her to meet Captain Lord and shake his hand. All Saved From Titanic After Collision. Headline in The Evening Sun (New York), April 15th, 1912. Ice, I suppose, sir. Fifth Officer Lowe, asked by Senator Smith what an iceberg is composed of. (The question was not really silly. Boxhall had earlier testified that icebergs had been known to have rocks embedded in them). This very provincial display of authority. Joseph Conrad, the very English Pole, on the Americans daring to investigate the loss of a British ship. I think all the women ought to have a gold medal on their breasts, God bless them. Seaman George Hogg, at the US enquiry. Make what you like of that!

I am a civil servant, sir, and custom guides us a good bit. Captain Maurice Clarke explaining to Lord Mersey why he had subjected Titanic to only a very limited lifeboat drill. Overconfidence seems to have dulled the faculties usually so alert. Senator Smith, on Captain E.J. Smith. He was only doing that which other skilled men would have done in the same position. Lord Mersey, pointing out that Captain Smith's cruising at high speed at night was the usual practice. There is no object in providing power for a good speed unless it is intended to use it. The Shipbuilder, commenting after the disaster, on the practice of travelling fast at night. Had he not jumped in, he would have merely added one more life, namely his own, to the number of those lost. Lord Mersey, excusing J. Bruce Ismay's instinct for self preservation In London it was very necessary to keep one's hand on the whitewash brush. Charles Lightoller, in Titanic and Other Ships . NO SEASICKNESS. ALL WELL. NOTIFY ALL INTERESTED. POKER BUSINESS GOOD. AL. One of the vitally important messages relayed by Phillips and Bride to Cape Race from the liner Amerika.

Some other Hand than mine was on that helm during the night. Captain Arthur Rostron, reflecting on his safe passage among the icebergs to the lifeboats. Did the Titanic go down by the head or the bow? Senator William Alden Smith, having his usual trouble with nautical terms. It is not given to everyone to be a hero. Nautical Magazine, on J.Bruce Ismay. All he said was that he had had a jolly good breakfast, and that he never thought I would make it. Mrs W.Carter, in divorce proceedings against her husband. She claimed that his greeting to her on her arrival at Carpathia was evidence of his lack of affection for her. I wish I had put on my corset before I left the Titanic - my back is killing me. Survivor Nora Keane to Edwina Troutt, on board Carpathia. We believe that the boat is unsinkable. Philip Franklin, Vice-President of White Star Line, 8-00 a.m., April 15th, 1912. We shall be obliged if you will remit to us the sum of 5s. 4d., which is owing to us as per enclosed statement.

C.W. & F.N.Black, musicians' agents, in a letter dated April 30th, 1912. It was sent to the relatives of Titanic violinist, Jock Hume. State secrets. Captain Stanley Lord, refusing to give Boston reporters his exact position during the night of April 14th. It was as though we went over about a thousand marbles. Mrs J.S.White, describing the impact with the iceberg. If this is discipline, what would have been disorder? Senator Smith, on the chaotic loading of the lifeboats. The armchair complaint is a very common disease, and generally accepted as one of the necessary evils from which the seafarer is condemned to suffer. Charles Lightoller, in Titanic and Other Ships. I have never had an oar in my hand before, but I think I can row. Unidentified Titanic crewman, quoted by passenger, Mrs J.S.White, who had a low opinion of the crew's boating skills, not without reason. Here is a calamity which might well make the proudest man humble and the wildest joker serious. It makes us vainglorious, insolent, mendacious.

George Bernard Shaw, deploring the British tendency to turn the bungling Captain Smith and his crew into heroes. So did the cat. George Bernard Shaw, who saw nothing heroic about Captain Smith going down with his ship. Wonderful thing, wireless, isn't it? Captain Arthur Rostron, to Second Officer James Bisset, having told him the latest news on the known positions of icebergs. This was at around 10-00 p.m., April 14th, 1912. There was too much brag and not enough seaworthy construction. Sir James Bisset, on Olympic and Titanic. It seemed more like an old fishing boat had sunk. Captain Stanley Lord, commenting on the surprising lack of debris at the scene of the sinking. Grand men, charming women, beautiful babies, all becoming horrible in the midst of the glittering splendor of a $10,000,000 casket! Reverend Dr Charles Parkhurst, Presbyterian preacher in Manhattan, who saw the luxury of Titanic as a symbol of all that was wrong in the USA of 1912. It was a huge ocean joy ride and it ended where joy rides generally stop.

Reverend James O'May, Methodist preacher in Chicago, preaching against the lifestyles of Titanic's pleasure loving passengers, Sunday, April 21st, 1912. Titanic, name and thing, will stand as a monument and warning to human presumption. The Bishop of Winchester, preaching in Southampton, 1912. Titanic: Captain Edward John Smith's legacy - BBC News BBC News Titanic: Captain Edward John Smith's legacy By Emma Kasprzak BBC News 15 April 2012 Read more about sharing. Close share panel He is viewed as the stereotype of how a brave captain should act, working to the last to save lives before going down with his ship, yet he is also blamed by many for causing one of the worst maritime disasters of all time. So why does the public continue to be fascinated by the captain of the Titanic, Captain Edward John Smith? Born in the landlocked Potteries, in Stoke-on-Trent, the son of a pottery presser and grocer rose to become 'the millionaire's captain', the number one choice for the aristocrats of the day, many of whom chose to sail with him because of his reputation for safety and affability.

Rising through the Edwardian social classes could be seen as an achievement in itself but Smith went on to captain some of the biggest ships of the day, including Titanic's sister ship the Olympic. In his home town an exhibition is currently taking place looking at the links between Stoke-on-Trent and the liner. Captain Edward John Smith Born in Hanley, in the Potteries 27 January 1850 Attended Etruria British School After school Smith worked for about three years at the Etruria Forge where he operated a steam hammer In 1867 he went to Liverpool to go to sea and follow in the footsteps of his half-brother Joseph Hancock, a captain on a sailing ship At the age of 25 he passed his master's certificate of competency meaning he could command a vessel In 1887 he married Sarah Eleanor Pennington, a farmer's daughter In 1898 only child Helen Melville Smith is born Died 15 April 1912. Witnesses reported he dived into the sea as the bridge of the ship went under.

The exhibition at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery includes a number of items that belonged to Smith and rare video footage of him on board the Olympic. Visitors are invited to read through the evidence about how the ship met its end before voting for who they think was responsible. The votes will be announced later this year. Curator Cathy Shingler said: "So far the captain is a third ahead so he is still getting the blame. "People are writing on the voting forms 'The ship's captain is responsible for his ship'. "They think his actions were terrible and Stoke should be ashamed of him." But she added they could not let the anniversary of the sinking pass without acknowledging the captain's links to the area. Historian Ray Johnson, who is organising a weekend of exploration and entertainment on the anniversary of the sinking, said the captain was attracting "international interest". "Whether you think he's to blame or not, you can't ignore it," he said. Titanic websites allow people with an interest in the ill-fated liner to read about the ship. Many have sections and articles devoted to Smith and items linked to the captain frequently sell for thousands of pounds at auction .

Forceful sailor Image caption Smith went to Liverpool following in the footsteps of his half-brother One of the books about him, Titanic Captain: The Life of Edward John Smith, was written by Gary Cooper. Mr Cooper said his own interest in Smith came about not through any interest in the Titanic, but through an interest in the history of his home town of Stoke-on-Trent. Among the many myths surrounding the captain, perhaps the most famous and ominous is that he ignored ice warnings. Mr Cooper said: "Smith certainly did not ignore ice warnings per se, and he made sure the ones that reached the bridge were all posted in the chart room, though he did have to retrieve one that he had earlier handed to his boss J. Bruce Ismay. "However, ice warnings were just that, simply warnings that ice was seen at X co-ordinates at a certain time which Smith may have registered rather than reacted to.

"Though Smith was undoubtedly a forceful sailor who pushed his ships hard in conditions that may have daunted other captains, it is a fact of history that providing the weather was calm and clear - as it was that night - it was not unusual for any captain to sail ships into ice regions at speed and several captains from other shipping companies testified to this at the disaster inquiries." Evidence for another myth, that the captain shot himself, was "spurious", said Mr Cooper. One story that was popular with the press at the time was that the maiden voyage of the Titanic was to be Smith's last before retirement. Enigma factor From humble beginnings Edward John Smith was born in Well Street, in Hanley, in 1850. There is some debate over which house he lived in because the houses in the street have been renumbered several times over the years and some houses were demolished to make way for a block of flats. What is not in question is that he lived on Well Street and many believe the family resided at number 51. Neil Donner bought the house 10 years ago as a rental property. He said part of the reason he bought it was because of the possible link to Captain Smith.

He said: "I wasn't interested (in the Titanic) more than anyone else but I was born in Stoke so it means a little bit more to me." But he has decided to put the house, which is currently unoccupied, on the market. "It seems like a good year to do it with the anniversary so I'm hoping there will be some interest," he said. The building itself is a modest, two bedroom terraced house on a quiet residential street. It stands on a corner with views over green hills in the distance. It is easy to imagine the young Edward Smith standing looking out at the same hills and perhaps wondering what was over them before he went away to sea. Mr Cooper said: "This seems to have been wishful thinking on the part of the press, keen to gild the lily of the Titanic disaster with another irony. "In fact on 10 April, five days before the sinking, White Star had scotched rumours of Smith's retirement by stating that he would continue as Titanic's commander until another bigger ship came online." Mr Cooper said the enduring fascination people have with Smith could be down to several reasons.

"There is the reflected glamour of the voyage and its sad ending which obviously play a part, as it is unlikely that we today would have heard of him otherwise; the enigma factor perhaps comes into it too as Smith was the ship's commander but remains a largely unheard voice in the story and we are for the most part left to puzzle over his motives and thinking," he said. He added: "The main reason for the fascination with him, though, I think, is that he lives up to a stereotype, perhaps one that he himself helped to create, as to how ships' captains should behave when disaster strikes, namely that they should stay with their vessel and either be the last man off, or go down with it." Smith's actions were not far from the thoughts of many observers when the Costa Concordia cruise ship ran aground on 13 January off the western coast of Italy with more than 4,200 passengers and crew. Its captain, Francesco Schettino, now faces possible charges of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning a ship in which 32 people were either killed or are missing. Mr Cooper said: "It might be said that in many ways he taught us what not to do, which is something.

Yet I also think he left a yardstick not only for sea captains to live up to but indeed any person in a position of authority. "Smith made mistakes, it is true, but to the end he did not shirk his responsibilities or try to wheedle out of them and paid the ultimate price as a result. How many of our leaders today would be prepared to do the same?"

Question: Name the Captain of the Titanic when she sunk in 1912
Answer: Edward Smith