5 Things You May Not Know About Titanic’s Rescue Ship - History in the Headlines 5 Things You May Not Know About Titanic’s Rescue Ship April 10, 2012 By Steven Cohen Arthur Rostron, captain of Carpathia, receives a trophy from Titanic survivor Molly Brown in May 1912. Share this: 5 Things You May Not Know About Titanic’s Rescue Ship Author 5 Things You May Not Know About Titanic’s Rescue Ship URL Google As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the most famous of all maritime catastrophes—the sinking of the White Star liner Titanic early in the morning of April 15, 1912—the heroic and perilous rescue effort that took place in response remains something of a footnote. Titanic, after all, was the largest and perhaps most opulent ocean liner of its day, while Cunard’s Carpathia was a relatively modest ship launched 10 years earlier that was coasting toward eternal obscurity when disaster struck. Explore five things you may not know about the only vessel to rescue any Titanic survivors from the icy waters of the North Atlantic. 1. The Titanic disaster launched Carpathia’s captain on a trajectory to a distinguished career.

Captain Arthur Henry Rostron—who was sufficiently anonymous at the time for many newspapers to misspell his name as “Rostrom”—spent virtually his entire life at sea after turning 17. Born near Liverpool in 1869, Rostron embarked on his maritime exploits just after completing high school, joining the ranks on a naval school ship. After serving on a variety of vessels including barques and iron clipper ships, Rostron joined the Cunard Line in 1895, soon serving as fourth officer on RMS Umbria. He then served on a number of Cunard ships and worked his way up to first officer before becoming captain of the Brescia. Leaving Cunard in 1904 for service in the Royal Navy, he returned in 1905 and became captain of the then 3-year-old Carpathia. Rostron achieved universal praise and celebrity as a result of his legendary efforts to rescue survivors of Titanic’s sinking, testifying in the British Board of Trade inquiry, traveling to the United States to appear before the Senate and receiving the Congressional Gold Medal from President William Taft.

Rostron went on to command some of Cunard’s most illustrious ships, including Mauritania and Lusitania, and in 1928 he was made commodore of the Cunard fleet. He was named a commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919, and in 1926 became Sir Arthur as a knight commander of the Order of the British Empire. 2. The most prestigious captain in the history of the Cunard Line was a firm believer in sea serpents. Captain Rostron wasn’t shy about his affinity for cryptozoology, the study of creatures whose existence has not been proven. (Think of Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster, among many others.) In fact, while serving as chief officer on Campania in 1907, Rostron claimed to have sighted a sea serpent, which he later wrote about in detail in his memoir “Home from the Sea.” On the bridge while steaming off the Irish coast, Rostron warned his junior officer to steer clear of an object in the water but, he recounted, “gradually drew nearer so that we were able to make out what the unusual thing was.

It was a sea monster!” Lamenting his lack of a camera, Rostron began to sketch what he saw. “I was unable to get a clear view of the monster’s features, but we were close enough to realize its head rose eight or nine feet out of the water, while the trunk of the neck was fully twelve inches thick,” he wrote. Rostron never backtracked on his account, but it certainly did not appear to impede his career advancement in any way. Today’s airline pilots reporting on UFOs might not be so fortunate. 3. Carpathia’s rescue preparations were a masterpiece of multitasking. From the moment Captain Rostron was informed of the distress messages received from Titanic, every order he issued was intended to get to the stricken ship as quickly as possible, all the while preparing his own ship to receive the survivors and give them the care they needed. Top speed for Carpathia was about 14.5 knots, but Rostron ordered extra stokers to create the additional steam that would accelerate the ship to more than 17 knots. Rostron even ordered a reduction in the ship’s heating system so that more steam could be diverted to the engines.

This extra speed was not without a significant degree of peril, however, as Carpathia endured its own hazards, dodging icebergs along the entire 58-mile route. Much later Rostron noted that the safety of his crew and passengers, and the survival of any Titanic survivors they might reach, “depended on the sudden turn of the wheel.” As Carpathia steamed through this obstacle course, Rostron assembled all of his officers and issued a myriad of orders. He had his ship’s lifeboats lowered in case they were needed to assist in the recovery of survivors. He assigned the three doctors under his command to specific stations in order to administer medical care. He oversaw the conversion of public areas on the ship, as well as the officers’ cabins, into spaces where survivors would be provided with blankets and hot drinks while they recovered from their ordeal. Finally, he saw to it that chair clings and other apparatuses were constructed in the gangway to hoist aboard children and the injured. These efforts were almost immediately acknowledged by those rescued.

Even as Carpathia was returning to New York with the 705 Titanic passengers who had been plucked from the sea, the survivors formed a committee, which included the “unsinkable” Molly Brown, to collect funds to distribute to the crew. Later each crew member would receive a commemorative medal from a grateful group of survivors. 4. Titanic was not the first ship to issue an SOS message when it signaled its distress to Carpathia and other vessels. By 1912 many ships carried wireless equipment, but it was intended to serve mostly as a convenience to passengers who wanted to send communications to shore rather than as a navigational or safety device. All ocean-going vessels would be required to have wireless capability not long after the Titanic disaster, just as they would famously be required to carry enough lifeboat capacity for every “soul” on board. In April 1912, however, the optional wireless operators on board ocean liners were not even members of the crew; instead, they were employees of Marconi’s Wireless Telegraph Company, whose founder, Guglielmo Marconi, the great long-distance radio pioneer, would attend the U.S.

Senate inquiry to hear the testimony of Harold Bride, one of Titanic’s wireless operators. (Some of Bride’s distress dispatches to other ships were intercepted by a young Russian immigrant named David Sarnoff on the roof of New York City’s Wanamaker’s department store. Sarnoff, destined to become one of America’s seminal personalities in the history of broadcasting, eventually became president of the Radio Corporation of America, the enterprise that founded the National Broadcasting Company.) Contrary to popular myth, Titanic was not the first ship to send an SOS call; they were in use perhaps since 1908 and certainly by 1909. In the early part of the emergency, the troubled liner’s radio operators used the more conventional CQD message, which combined CQ, representing a general call to all stations, with the D for distress. (The message is often erroneously thought to stand for “Come Quick Danger.”). As precious time ticked away, the operators switched over to the relatively new SOS call, which does not stand for “Save Our Ship” but instead is simply three letters that are easily transmitted and received and cannot be misinterpreted: three dots, three dashes and three dots.

Titanic sent the distress signal to multiple ships shortly after midnight on April 15, 1912; Carpathia arrived on the scene four hours later. 5. Carpathia successfully dodged icebergs in its rescue efforts but ultimately could not evade German torpedoes. Twelve years into its transatlantic career, and only two years after its heroic rescue of the only survivors of the Titanic disaster, Carpathia was requisitioned by the British government for use as a troopship during World War I. On July 17, 1918, Carpathia was part of a convoy headed for Boston when it was attacked by a German submarine 120 miles west of Fastnet. All of the ship’s 57 passengers escaped in lifeboats and all but five of its 223 in crew survived, with the only casualties perishing on impact of the three torpedoes that ultimately sent Carpathia to the bottom.

For the next 82 years Carpathia remained undisturbed in a watery grave, not unlike Titanic, until its remains were discovered by a team led by author Clive Cussler in 540 feet of water some 220 miles off the east coast of Ireland. The Carpathia is largely intact, upright where it sank 94 years ago in the service of its country. Tags Surviving the sinking | Titanic 1912 Surviving the sinking The sky became brighter and brighter as all the survivors, my family and I wait to see if any help will arrive. But by sunrise, I saw this object coming closer to us. It was a ship! The people on the ship were throwing ladders hanging from the ship’s side and the crew members carried us to the top of the ship giving us blankets and hot chocolate. The ship that rescued us was called the Carpathia. She was really small compared to the Titanic but it didn’t matter. Once we reached New York there was a huge crowd waiting at the dock and I think they were waiting for the Titanic to arrive. Everytime I think of the Titanic and that tragic night I remember all the tears I saw and the yelling.

That is my story on the “Ship of Dreams” R.M.S Titanic. Log in or sign up and select Add to favorites to follow updates to this story Titanic rescue ships | The Chronicle Herald Rescuecarp1 (1 of 16) The SS Carpathia with two Titanic lifeboats on its bow. The Carpathia was the only ship close enough to the Titanic at the time of its sinking to recover any survivors. In total, the SS Carpathia rescued 705 passengers and crew of the Titanic, taking them directly to New York, the original destination of Titanic. Used as a troop transport vessel during the First World War, in July 1918, the SS Carpathia was torpedoed by a German submarine and was sunk off the coast of Ireland. In 2000, it was announced that the wreckage of the SS Carpathia had been discovered. (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) The SS Carpathia with two Titanic lifeboats on its bow. The Carpathia was the only ship close enough to the Titanic at the time of its sinking to recover any survivors.

In total, the SS Carpathia rescued 705 passengers and crew of the Titanic, taking them directly to New York, the original destination of Titanic. Used as a troop transport vessel during the First World War, in July 1918, the SS Carpathia was torpedoed by a German submarine and was sunk off the coast of Ireland. In 2000, it was announced that the wreckage of the SS Carpathia had been discovered. (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) Rescuecarp2 (2 of 16) Survivors of the Titanic approach the Carpathia in this April 15, 1912 photo. (The New York Times) Survivors of the Titanic approach the Carpathia in this April 15, 1912 photo. (The New York Times) Rescuecarp3 (3 of 16) This photo of Titanic survivors aboard the SS Carpathia was originally published in Halifax’s Evening Mail newspaper on April 26, 1912. The original cutline read: Photograph by Miss Bernice Palmer. A passenger aboard the Carpathia.

– 'The woman on the right,' says Miss Palmer, 'Is a survivor of the Titanic, telling the story of her terrible experience to Carpathia passengers. All the way from the ice field to New York scenes like the above were frequent on our ship.' (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) This photo of Titanic survivors aboard the SS Carpathia was originally published in Halifax’s Evening Mail newspaper on April 26, 1912. The original cutline read: Photograph by Miss Bernice Palmer. A passenger aboard the Carpathia. – 'The woman on the right,' says Miss Palmer, 'Is a survivor of the Titanic, telling the story of her terrible experience to Carpathia passengers. All the way from the ice field to New York scenes like the above were frequent on our ship.' (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) Rescuecarp4 (4 of 16) A scene from aboard the SS Carpathia in the aftermath of the Titanic sinking. This photo shows some of the 705 rescued Titanic crew and passengers as they are transported to New York in April 1912. (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) A scene from aboard the SS Carpathia in the aftermath of the Titanic sinking.

This photo shows some of the 705 rescued Titanic crew and passengers as they are transported to New York in April 1912. (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) Rescuecarp5 (5 of 16) Mrs. J.J. 'Molly' Brown presents a trophy cup award on May 29, 1912, to Capt. Arthur Henry Rostron, captain of the SS Carpathia, for his service in the rescue of Titanic. (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) Mrs. J.J. 'Molly' Brown presents a trophy cup award on May 29, 1912, to Capt. Arthur Henry Rostron, captain of the SS Carpathia, for his service in the rescue of Titanic. (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) Rescuecarp6 (6 of 16) The officers of the SS Carpathia after the May 1912 award ceremony in which Capt. Arthur Henry Rostron was honoured for the SS Carpathia's efforts in the rescue of the RMS Titanic. (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) The officers of the SS Carpathia after the May 1912 award ceremony in which Capt.

Arthur Henry Rostron was honoured for the SS Carpathia's efforts in the rescue of the RMS Titanic. (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) MacKay1 (7 of 16) The CS MacKay-Bennett was contracted by the White Star Line in the aftermath of the Titanic’s sinking to recover the bodies of the dead. Labelled by Halifax newspapers as the 'Death Ship', the MacKay-Bennett recovered 306 bodies from the icy waters of the Atlantic. The MacKay-Bennett, at 270 feet long and 40 feet wide, had been built in 1884 to maintain the 6,500 nautical miles of communication cables laid in the ocean between Europe and North America. The MacKay-Bennett was broken up in 1965. (NOVA SCOTIA ARCHIVES) The CS MacKay-Bennett was contracted by the White Star Line in the aftermath of the Titanic’s sinking to recover the bodies of the dead. Labelled by Halifax newspapers as the 'Death Ship', the MacKay-Bennett recovered 306 bodies from the icy waters of the Atlantic.

The MacKay-Bennett, at 270 feet long and 40 feet wide, had been built in 1884 to maintain the 6,500 nautical miles of communication cables laid in the ocean between Europe and North America. The MacKay-Bennett was broken up in 1965. (NOVA SCOTIA ARCHIVES) mackay2 (8 of 16) The MacKay-Bennett officers (pictured) and crew managed to recover 306 bodies from the Titanic site, 116 were buried at sea. The ship arrived in Halifax on April 29, 1912, with 190 bodies aboard. (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) The MacKay-Bennett officers (pictured) and crew managed to recover 306 bodies from the Titanic site, 116 were buried at sea. The ship arrived in Halifax on April 29, 1912, with 190 bodies aboard. (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) mackay3 (9 of 16) The body of John Jacob Astor IV (Body No.

124), was recovered by the MacKay-Bennett. This photo shows Astor's funeral in New York. Astor’s body had been given to the care of a Mr. N. Biddle and forwarded to New York on May 1, 1912. J.J. Astor was the richest person aboard Titanic. At the time of the sinking, his young wife, 19-year-old Madeleine Force, was pregnant, she gave birth to a son, John Jacob Astor VI, Aug. 14, 1912, exactly four months after the sinking of Titanic. (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) The body of John Jacob Astor IV (Body No. 124), was recovered by the MacKay-Bennett. This photo shows Astor's funeral in New York. Astor’s body had been given to the care of a Mr. N. Biddle and forwarded to New York on May 1, 1912. J.J. Astor was the richest person aboard Titanic. At the time of the sinking, his young wife, 19-year-old Madeleine Force, was pregnant, she gave birth to a son, John Jacob Astor VI, Aug.

14, 1912, exactly four months after the sinking of Titanic. (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) minia1 (10 of 16) The CS Minia was built in 1866 in Glasgow, Scotland. Used to lay telegraph cables in China and Panama, she was hired by the White Star Line to relieve the MacKay-Bennett. The Minia recovered 17 bodies, returning all to Halifax. She was broken up in 1922. (NOVA SCOTIA ARCHIVES) The CS Minia was built in 1866 in Glasgow, Scotland. Used to lay telegraph cables in China and Panama, she was hired by the White Star Line to relieve the MacKay-Bennett. The Minia recovered 17 bodies, returning all to Halifax. She was broken up in 1922. (NOVA SCOTIA ARCHIVES) minia2 (11 of 16) A body of a Titanic victim is picked up at sea by an unidentified ship's whaler from the Minia. The most prominent figure recovered by the Minia was Charles Hays, president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway.

Hays, who was an American, but lived in Montreal, was buried at Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal. Of the 35 first-class passengers recovered after the sinking, only two were buried in Halifax. (NOVA SCOTIA ARCHIVES) A body of a Titanic victim is picked up at sea by an unidentified ship's whaler from the Minia. The most prominent figure recovered by the Minia was Charles Hays, president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Hays, who was an American, but lived in Montreal, was buried at Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal. Of the 35 first-class passengers recovered after the sinking, only two were buried in Halifax. (NOVA SCOTIA ARCHIVES) minia3 (12 of 16) The body of a Titanic victim aboard the Minia is being readied for a makeshift coffin. The body is in the process of being embalmed (the equipment is near the body; tubes are held by the embalmer). Like the MacKay-Bennett, a professional undertaker and minister accompanied the crew on their morbid mission. Rev. H.W. Cunningham of St. George’s Church was the assigned minister for the Minia.

(NOVA SCOTIA ARCHIVES) The body of a Titanic victim aboard the Minia is being readied for a makeshift coffin. The body is in the process of being embalmed (the equipment is near the body; tubes are held by the embalmer). Like the MacKay-Bennett, a professional undertaker and minister accompanied the crew on their morbid mission. Rev. H.W. Cunningham of St. George’s Church was the assigned minister for the Minia. (NOVA SCOTIA ARCHIVES) minia4 (13 of 16) The Minia arrived at Halifax on May 6, 1912, docking at the pier near the present jetty 4 in HMCS Dockyard. Hearses and additional coffins awaited the Minia and its cargo, ready to transfer Titanic victims to the makeshift morgue at the Mayflower Curling Rink. (NOVA SCOTIA ARCHIVES) The Minia arrived at Halifax on May 6, 1912, docking at the pier near the present jetty 4 in HMCS Dockyard.

Hearses and additional coffins awaited the Minia and its cargo, ready to transfer Titanic victims to the makeshift morgue at the Mayflower Curling Rink. (NOVA SCOTIA ARCHIVES) montmagny (14 of 16) CGS Montmagny was built by the Canadian government as a lighthouse supply and buoy tender. Her crew managed to recover four bodies, three of whom were brought to Halifax and buried here, the fourth was buried at sea. In September 1914, on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Montmagny sank after a collision with the collier Lingan, killing 14 people aboard, including 11 children. (NOVA SCOTIA ARCHIVES) CGS Montmagny was built by the Canadian government as a lighthouse supply and buoy tender. Her crew managed to recover four bodies, three of whom were brought to Halifax and buried here, the fourth was buried at sea. In September 1914, on the north shore of the Gulf of St.

Lawrence, the Montmagny sank after a collision with the collier Lingan, killing 14 people aboard, including 11 children. (NOVA SCOTIA ARCHIVES) Rescue (15 of 16) Crowds gather around the bulletin board of the New York American, in New York City, where the names of people rescued from the Titanic are on display. (THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVE) Crowds gather around the bulletin board of the New York American, in New York City, where the names of people rescued from the Titanic are on display. (THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVE) Rescue2 (16 of 16) A huge crowd gathers in front of the White Star Line office on New York City's Broadway, waiting for the latest news about the Titanic. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS via THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVE) A huge crowd gathers in front of the White Star Line office on New York City's Broadway, waiting for the latest news about the Titanic.

(THE ASSOCIATED PRESS via THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVE) In the wake of the sinking of the Titanic, four Canadian ships helped in the rescue efforts: the Carpathia, the Minia, the Montmagny and the MacKay-Bennett. The Minia and MacKay-Bennett were sent from Halifax, while the Montmagny dispatched from Sydney. Carpathia was sailing from New York City to Europe, when it received wireless messages about the disaster. Titanic Survivors - Rescued from the Tragedy Titanic Survivors - Rescued from the Tragedy Titanic Survivors The Titanic sank around 2:20 in the morning of April 15, 1912. The saddest of Titanic facts is that as a result of the sinking 1517 lives were lost with just 706 being rescued. The survivors were picked up by the ship Carpathia beginning at just after 4:00 in the morning, less than two hours after the sinking. The California arrived about two hours later but all survivors had been picked already by the Carpathia.

The Carpathia set sail for New York arriving there on Thursday, April 18 while the California stayed on a little longer in case there were more survivors, but finding none eventually went on her way. Titanic Survivors Of the 329 passengers in first class, 199 survived or just over 60%. Of the 285 passengers in second class 119 survived or just under 42%. Of the 710 passengers in third class only 174 survived or 24.5%. Of the 899 crew 214 survived which is 23.8%. As is evident survival rates were much higher among the first and second class than among the third class and the crew. Of the men on board only 20% survived whereas 75% of the women did. Titanic Passengers - those who lost their life Most of the Titanic passengers who died, did so from the cold. The water temperature was at around freezing point or just below. In such water temperatures a person can die in as little as 15 minutes to at most an hour or so.

Others died from falling objects especially when the stern rose high in the air, the forward funnel broke off and fell in the water, and eventually when the ship broke in two and the stern fell with great power on the water. Many undoubtedly drowned. Memorials After the accident boats went out to recover bodies. All in all a total of 333 bodies were recovered. About half were buried in Halifax, Canada, while other bodies that were identified were shipped to their families in Europe and North America. Floating artifacts that were recovered are displayed in the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Several memorials have been erected in both sides of the Atlantic. One of these is in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the Belfast City Hall. Read Also Titanic: Never Before Seen Rescue Photos Photos - ABC News ABC News Titanic: Never Before Seen Rescue Photos + − Never Before Seen Titanic Images This extremely rare collection of photographs comes from the descendants of Titanic survivors John and Nelle Pillsbury Snyder. Philip Weiss Auctions was handling the collection's sale planned for Oct. 21, 2011. It's estimated to go for $50,000 to $75,000.

This photo shows the Snyders, taken April 18, 1912, the day they disembarked from the ship Carpathia after surviving the sinking of the Titanic. Courtesy Philip Weiss Auctions Never Before Seen Titanic Images This extremely rare collection of photographs comes from the descendants of Titanic survivors John and Nelle Pillsbury Snyder. Philip Weiss Auctions was handling the collection's sale planned for Oct. 21, 2011. It's estimated to go for $50,000 to $75,000. This photo shows the Snyders, taken April 18, 1912, the day they disembarked from the ship Carpathia after surviving the sinking of the Titanic. Courtesy Philip Weiss Auctions Never Before Seen Titanic Images This letter written by John Snyder on R.M.S. Titanic stationary was addressed to a proprietor of a London tobacco shop. "While I sit here at the writing desk peacefully and complacently smoking 'one of your best cigars' I just want to thank you," the letter says. It's dated April 10, 1912. The Titanic struck an iceberg on the evening of April 14, 1912.

Courtesy Philip Weiss Auctions Never Before Seen Titanic Images In this original photo, a few survivors from the Titanic can be seen in lifeboats out in the open ocean, rowing towards the rescue ship, the Carpathia. After the Titanic sent out its distress call, the Carpathia, which was also sailing for New York, steamed ahead to pick up survivors. Of the 2,228 people on board the Titanic, only 705 passengers survived. Courtesy Philip Weiss Auctions Never Before Seen Titanic Images This original photo shows another lifeboat with its sail up full of Titanic survivors as it makes its way to the rescue ship, the Carpathia. The Titanic sank at 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912. The Carpathia arrived at 4:00 a.m. that same morning. Courtesy Philip Weiss Auctions Never Before Seen Titanic Images This original 3-by-5 1/2-inch photo was taken on the desk of the Carpathia, and shows an ice field looping in the distance over the ocean. The water's temperature was around 28 degrees Fahrenheit on the night of April 14, 1912.

Courtesy Philip Weiss Auctions Never Before Seen Titanic Images This original 3-by-5 1/2-inch photo was taken on the desk of the Carpathia, and shows icebergs in the distance off to the far right-hand side of the frame. Courtesy Philip Weiss Auctions Never Before Seen Titanic Images This original 3-by-5 1/2-inch photo was taken on the desk of the Carpathia, and shows chunks of ice dotting a flat open ocean. Courtesy Philip Weiss Auctions Never Before Seen Titanic Images This original photo shows what appeared to be the S.S. Californian heading towards the Carpathia. In a series of images, the Californian appears progressively larger. After the Carpathia had picked up survivors, the Californian arrived at 8:30 a.m. on April 15, 1912 and searched through the wreckage. Courtesy Philip Weiss Auctions Never Before Seen Titanic Images This original photo taken from the deck of the Carpathia shows a close image of S.S. Californian, a single stack, four mast ship.

Courtesy Philip Weiss Auctions Never Before Seen Titanic Images John Snyder wrote this letter, dated April 24, 1912, to his father Frank. It gave a harrowing first-hand account of being on the sinking Titanic. "We were both asleep when the boat hit."... "We were almost the very first people placed in the Lifeboat ... Finally the bow went under -- the finest boat in the world was doomed." Courtesy Philip Weiss Auctions Never Before Seen Titanic Images This typed letter, dated April 18, 1912, is from John Snyder's father, Frank, to his brother, Fred, detailing the aftermath of the historic sinking of the Titanic. "As you can imagine we have been under a pretty severe strain for the past three or four days on account of the wrecking of the Titanic on which boat John and Nelle sailed," the letter says in its opening sentence. Courtesy Philip Weiss Auctions Titanic Exhibit A commemorative photograph of "The S.S. Titanic," a designation its owners at the White Star Line did not use during its short life. Launched on May 31, 1911, it was lost on its maiden voyage less than a year later.

Its lifeboats, complying with regulations at the time, had space for 1,178 passengers. Only 705 of the 2,223 people on board were saved. null Titanic Exhibit Captain E.J. Smith (second from right in front row with white beard) and the officers of the Titanic. They pushed the new ship to set a speed record for a transatlantic crossing on its maiden voyage, after which Smith intended to retire. He and most of his senior officers died when the ship hit an iceberg in the dark. The seniormost officer to survive was Second Officer Charles Lightoller. Courtesy National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI) and the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum Titanic Exhibit One of Titanic's second class cabins. Courtesy National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI) and the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum Titanic Exhibit A second-class cabin on the Titanic. Adult men in first class had a better chance of surviving the sinking than children in steerage. Courtesy National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI) and the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum Titanic A first-class passenger list includes Mrs. D.S.

Peel of Atlanta, who was reported save on board the Cunard liner Carpathia, the only ship to come to the rescue after the Titanic's distress call. This list, which included some of the most prominent names in society in 1912, fetched $48,000 at auction in 2007. Christie's Images Ltd 2007 Titanic Exhibit The Titanic docked in Belfast, February 1912. It underwent sea trials before setting sail from England to New York in April. Courtesy National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI) and the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum Titanic Exhibit A Marconi wireless telegram from the RMS Olympic, Titanic's sister ship, reports the Carpathia's rush to the site where the Titanic went down. "Found boats and wreckage only," it says in part. "About 675 souls saved crew and passengers." Courtesy National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI) and the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum Whatever Happened to Carpathia, The Ship that Saved Titanic's Survivors? | Owlcation Whatever Happened to Carpathia, The Ship that Saved Titanic's Survivors?

Whatever Happened to Carpathia, The Ship that Saved Titanic's Survivors? Updated on December 27, 2016 Joined: 4 years agoFollowers: 127Articles: 51 5 Advertisement The Stage Carpathia was thrust into history as the ship that rescued the survivors the RMS Titanic the after that legendary ship sank on the morning of April 15, 1912. The tiny vessel entered New York as the world waited anxiously for news. After that day, she all but disappeared from the spotlight, cast aside as the tragedy unfolded into an International Maritime Disaster. She never again reclaimed the spotlight and to this day remains a forgotten cast member in the epic tragedy. Carpathia's Crew | Source | Source Early Years Royal Mail Steamer Carpathia was launched in 1902 by the Sawn Hunter & Wigham Richardson Company. A tiny vessel, she was 541 feet long and 64 feet wide with a service speed of 15 knots. Her early days saw transatlantic service, transporting immigrants from Hungry and other countries to the United States and Canada.

In 1905, Carpathia was refitted as a cruise ship and included 1st and 2nd Class passengers accommodations. Between 1909 and 1911 she saw service in Mediterranean Trade. In January 1912, Carpathia was placed under the command of Captain Arthur H. Rostron, who regularly made transatlantic crossings, bringing immigrants to America and the wealthy to the Mediterranean for pleasure cruises. On April 11, 1912, the ship embarked on a cruise voyage with approximately 700 people on board. Advertisement SS Californian arrives at the scene. SS Californian At 8:00AM Carpathia was joined briefly by the SS Californian, a ship that would descend into the depths of controversy as it was only five miles from Titanic during the sinking and had failed to respond to the disaster until the following day. But that's another story. The Titanic Disaster Captain Rostron was awaken in his cabin by his wireless operator and told him about the Titanic's S.O.S. and C.Q.D. calls. Rostron immediately ordered the ship to assist the sinking liner, over sixty miles away.

As the ship charged full steam through the ice field. Rostron issued a series of orders to prep the ship for rescue operations. Lifeboats swung out. Passengers are to remain separate from survivors. Blankets, soup and drinks prepared. Extra rooms, officer's quarters and common rooms prepared to receive survivors. Hospitals prepared in dining rooms. Cut all heat, hot water and steam to passenger cabins to increase vessel's top speed. Additional lookouts posted to look for bergs and survivors. His efforts increased the vessel's top speed from 14.5 knots to 17 knots, shaving an entire hour off the journey. The Carpathia passed six icebergs on the way to the Titanic. At 4:00AM the Carpathia arrived at the site of the sinking and began picking up survivors, a task that lasted 4 hours. At 8:15AM Carpathia had finished rescuing the survivors and now dangerously overcapacity, set sail back to New York when she was greeted by thousands of people at the Pier on April 18, 1912.

After disembarking the 705 survivors, Carpathia's exit from the world stage occurred when she lowered Titanic's lifeboats into the White Star Berth, all that remained of the World's Largest Liner. Advertisement Fate Carpathia never again saw prestige. Two years after the sinking of the Titanic, World War I broke out across Europe. Carpathia was seized by the Canadian government and pressed into service as a troopship where she transported Canadian and American troops to Europe throughout the war. On July 15, 1918, Carpathia departed Liverpool as part of a convoy, it would be her last voyage. On the morning of July 17, 1918, she was struck by a torpedo in the Celtic Sea from German U-Boat U-55. The ship began to sink slowly. Captain William Prothero gave the order to abandon ship. All passengers and crew boarded its lifeboats as the ship went down. U-55 serviced and fired a final torpedo into Carpathia, sending it to the bottom. U-55 was about to machine gun the survivors when the HMS Snowdrop fired back at the U-Boat forcing it away.

Discovery In 2000, the wreck was discovered in 500 feet of water, sitting upright on the ocean floor. It's current owner is Premier Exhibitions, the same company that owns salvor-in-possession rights of the Titanic. The wreck of the RMS Carpathia. Advertisement Titanic pictures from 1912: Poignant photos from the aftermath | Daily Mail Online comments Astonishing unseen photographs of the aftermath of the Titanic disaster have emerged after 99 years. The black and white pictures show an iceberg at the site of the tragedy - and may even be the one that sunk the luxury liner. Another image shows two lifeboats packed full of survivors rowing for safety following the 1912 disaster in which 1,517 people died. Survivors from the Titanic are pictured here rowing towards rescue ship the Carpathia in what appear to be relatively calm seas Danger ahead: Taken from a rescue vessel, this photograph shows an iceberg in the distance - perhaps even the one that sank the luxury liner The archive of letters and photographs are owned by the family of survivors John and Nelle Snyder, who were returning from their honeymoon when the tragedy struck.

The pair are pictured here in the clothes they escaped in The remarkable archive includes a survivor's letter containing a moving first hand account of the sinking, which tells how the rows of portholes 'disappeared one by one'. It was written by first class passenger John Snyder who was returning to America on the doomed liner with his new bride Nelle from their honeymoon. He described how they were woken following the 'bump' and that he owed his life to his wife who made him see what was going on even though he wanted to go back to bed. He explained how they were almost the first people in the life boat because others thought it safer to stay on the 'big boat'. The archive of photos and letters have remained in the Snyder family all this time but have now emerged for sale at auction. The incredible photos were taken from the deck of the Carpathia, the first ship that arrived at the disaster scene and picked up survivors on the morning of April 15, 1912. Another rescue ship - the SS Californian - can been seen in the background after she finally arrived at the scene having at first ignored the Titanic's distress rockets.

There is also a picture of the Snyders shortly after they reached land and they are still wearing the clothes they were rescued in. A press report at the time suggested that before the Titanic sank someone on deck shouted 'put in the brides and grooms first' and that was why the Snyders were saved. But in his letter to his father dated April 24 Mr Snyder makes no mention of it, but his account reveals the confusion. Rescue: The SS California is pictured at the scene, having initially ignored the Titanic's distress rockets THE 'UNSINKABLE' SHIP WHICH SANK IN 3 HOURS Dubbed the 'unsinkable' ship, the Titanic famously struck an iceberg and sank in under three hours on April 15, 1912. Of the 2,224 on board, 1,517 passengers and crew perished. It lay unseen on the ocean floor for decades, until 1985, when an American-French expedition identified its final resting place 329 miles south-east of Newfoundland.

The wreck, which was split into two sections 2,000ft apart, has now been the focus of research by scientists and historians for 25 years. He wrote: 'I can only tell you that I have a mighty fine wife and she is the one you must thank - besides our Lord - for my being able to write this letter. 'If it hadn't been for Nelle I am sure that I never would be here now. She is the one that urged me to get up when I wanted to go back to bed. 'We were both asleep when the boat hit. I don't know whether the bump woke me up or I woke when Nelle spoke to me. 'At any rate she made me get up and go out to the companionway to see what was going on - I went out three times before deciding to get up and get dressed. 'When we reached the top deck only a few people were about and we all were told to go down and put on some life belts - we did it, thinking it was only a precaution. 'When we got back on the top deck again we saw they were getting the life boats ready - as soon as they were ready they told the people to get into them.

'Nearly every body stepped back from in front of us and as a result we were almost the very first people placed in the life boat. Doomed: The 'unsinkable' Titanic setting sail from Southampton in 1912 'Only a very few people were on deck at that time and they thought it much safer to stay on the big boat than to try the life boat. 'When we had moved some distance away from the Titanic we realised - by looking at the bow seeing the different rows of port holes getting less and less from three rows - then two rows and finally the bow went under - that the finest boat in the world was doomed - we hit between 11.40 and 11.50 and the Titanic sunk at 2.22 in the morning.' The items are being sold by Philip Weiss auctions in New York and are expected to fetch over £50,000. Mr Weiss said: 'The initial items came from John and Nelle Snyder who were saved and over the years the family has added to the archive. 'There are some remarkable letters and photographs that have always been with the family and never been to market before.

'There is a photograph showing the couple still wearing the clothes they had on when they were saved. Watery grave: The bow of the Titanic at rest on the bottom of the North Atlantic, about 400 miles south east of Newfoundland 'There are photos of survivors rowing to safety and there are several photographs of the Californian which arrived to help. 'The pictures appear to have been taken from the Carpathia, which picked up the couple. 'One picture includes an iceberg - it could even be the one that sunk the Titanic. 'There is also letter written by Mr Snyder just four days before the sinking and in it he thanks a tobacconist for his cigars that he is smoking. 'I don't think he ever sent it because it was still with him. 'Another letter that has never been seen describes the sinking and it tells how both were asleep when the ship struck the iceberg. 'There is also a letter from Mr Snyder's father that describes the worry that the family had and how news filtered back to them.' Mr Snyder was aged 24 at the time of the sinking and his wife Nelle was 23 and they had boarded the Titanic at Southampton.

Mr Snyder died in 1959 aged 71 from a heart attack on a golf course. He and Nelle lived in Minneapolis where he ran a automotive firm. Nelle died in 1983 age 94 and the couple had three children. The auction takes place on October 21. RARE DECK PLANS TO GO UNDER THE HAMMER Isadore Straus: The elderly couple drowned side by side in the disaster after Ida refused a place on a lifeboat to remain with her husband A rare Titanic deck plan owned by an elderly couple in first class who died when the doomed liner sank is set to sell at auction £50,000 Ida and Isidore Straus drowned side by side after Mrs Straus refused a place on a lifeboat to remain with her husband - a scene iconically depicted in the 1997 Titanic film. The deck plans were only handed out to the 324 first class passengers when they arrived on the ship in Southampton on April 10, 1912. It is believed only three of them from the ship exist today, with two in private collections and this one now on the open market.

Witness accounts stated the plan's owners sat on deckchairs and held hands until they were washed into the sea as the Titanic sank. In the Hollywood blockbuster, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, artistic licence was used to show the devoted couple cuddling up together on their bed. In the emotive scene, Mr Straus gives his wife a kiss on the cheek while their stateroom floods. The plan was in the possession of the Straus' maid Ellen Bird who survived the disaster in which 1,495 people were lost. She kept hold of the 41x29in document for the rest of her life and it has now been put up for auction by the current private owner. Despite its age and fragile condition the delicate piece of tissue paper has remained in one piece over the last 99 years. It has been given a pre-sale estimate of between £40,000 to £50,000. Andrew Aldridge, of auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son of Devizes, Wilts, which is selling the plan said: 'This represents the zenith of collectables pertaining to Titanic.

'Isadore Straus was one of the wealthiest people on the ship and original material relating to his and his party's time on board Titanic is practically non-existant. Enlarge Different class: The pictures on the left of decks A and B show the opulence in which some stayed compared with those in the lower classes on decks C and D There is still pencilled notations made by Miss Bird who marked with a cross her suit of C97 which was next door to the suite occupied by John Farthing -Mr Straus' man servant who died in the disaster. Miss Bird's room was directly opposite the Straus' lavish stateroom numbered C55-57 which had its own bedroom and separate sitting room. The plan also includes several printed photos of some of the onboard facilities as well as a list of them and directions and instructions for the passengers. Mr Straus, 63, was a wealthy businessman who owned the Macey's department store in New York. He and his family were returning to America on Titanic following a holiday in Europe. Their 15-year-old granddaughter Beatrice holidayed with them but stayed on in Germany.

After the 45,000 ton liner struck an iceberg at 11.40pm on April 14, in the north Atlantic many first class passengers were helped into lifeboats. At first Mrs Straus, 63, joined Mrs Bird in lifeboat eight before getting out to be with her husband, reportedly saying: 'We have lived together for many years. Where you go, I go.' Her body was never recovered unlike that of her husband. His last listed effects included black silk socks, gold watch, silver flask and £40 in notes. Miss Bird, who was from Old Buckingham, Norfolk, died in Rhose Island in 1949 aged 68. The auction takes place in Devizes on Saturday, October 29. The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 Printer Friendly Version >>> On April 10, 1912, the Titanic, largest ship afloat, left Southampton, England on her maiden voyage to New York City. The White Star Line had spared no expense in assuring her luxury.

A legend even before she sailed, her passengers were a mixture of the world's wealthiest basking in the elegance of first class accommodations and immigrants packed into steerage. The Washington Post announces the disaster She was touted as the safest ship ever built, so safe that she carried only 20 lifeboats - enough to provide accommodation for only half her 2,200 passengers and crew. This discrepancy rested on the belief that since the ship's construction made her "unsinkable," her lifeboats were necessary only to rescue survivors of other sinking ships. Additionally, lifeboats took up valuable deck space. Four days into her journey, at 11:40 P.M. on the night of April 14, she struck an iceberg. Her fireman compared the sound of the impact to "the tearing of calico, nothing more." However, the collision was fatal and the icy water soon poured through the ship. It became obvious that many would not find safety in a lifeboat. Each passenger was issued a life jacket but life expectancy would be short when exposed to water four degrees below freezing. As the forward portion of the ship sank deeper, passengers scrambled to the stern. John Thayer witnessed the sinking from a lifeboat.

"We could see groups of the almost fifteen hundred people still aboard, clinging in clusters or bunches, like swarming bees; only to fall in masses, pairs or singly, as the great after part of the ship, two hundred and fifty feet of it, rose into the sky, till it reached a sixty-five or seventy degree angle." The great ship slowly slid beneath the waters two hours and forty minutes after the collision The next morning, the liner Carpathia rescued 705 survivors. One thousand five hundred twenty-two passengers and crew were lost. Subsequent inquiries attributed the high loss of life to an insufficient number of lifeboats and inadequate training in their use. End of a Splendid Journey Elizabeth Shutes, aged 40, was governess to nineteen-year-old Margaret Graham who was traveling with her parents. As Shutes and her charge sit in their First Class cabin they feel a shudder travel through the ship. At first comforted by her belief in the safety of the ship, Elizabeth's composure is soon shattered by the realization of the imminent tragedy: ADVERTISMENT "Suddenly a queer quivering ran under me, apparently the whole length of the ship.

Startled by the very strangeness of the shivering motion, I sprang to the floor. With too perfect a trust in that mighty vessel I again lay down. Some one knocked at my door, and the voice of a friend said: 'Come quickly to my cabin; an iceberg has just passed our window; I know we have just struck one.' No confusion, no noise of any kind, one could believe no danger imminent. Our stewardess came and said she could learn nothing. Looking out into the companionway I saw heads appearing asking questions from half-closed doors. All sepulchrally still, no excitement. I sat down again. My friend was by this time dressed; still her daughter and I talked on, Margaret pretending to eat a sandwich. Her hand shook so that the bread kept parting company from the chicken. Then I saw she was frightened, and for the first time I was too, but why get dressed, as no one had given the slightest hint of any possible danger? An officer's cap passed the door. I asked: 'Is there an accident or danger of any kind? 'None, so far as I know', was his courteous answer, spoken quietly and most kindly.

This same officer then entered a cabin a little distance down the companionway and, by this time distrustful of everything, I listened intently, and distinctly heard, 'We can keep the water out for a while.' Then, and not until then, did I realize the horror of an accident at sea. Now it was too late to dress; no time for a waist, but a coat and skirt were soon on; slippers were quicker than shoes; the stewardess put on our life-preservers, and we were just ready when Mr Roebling came to tell us he would take us to our friend's mother, who was waiting above ... Two lifeboats approach the Carpathia April 15, 1912 No laughing throng, but on either side [of the staircases] stand quietly, bravely, the stewards, all equipped with the white, ghostly life-preservers. Always the thing one tries not to see even crossing a ferry. Now only pale faces, each form strapped about with those white bars. So gruesome a scene. We passed on. The awful good-byes. The quiet look of hope in the brave men's eyes as the wives were put into the lifeboats. Nothing escaped one at this fearful moment.

We left from the sun deck, seventy-five feet above the water. Mr Case and Mr Roebling, brave American men, saw us to the lifeboat, made no effort to save themselves, but stepped back on deck. Later they went to an honoured grave. Our lifeboat, with thirty-six in it, began lowering to the sea. This was done amid the greatest confusion. Rough seamen all giving different orders. No officer aboard. As only one side of the ropes worked, the lifeboat at one time was in such a position that it seemed we must capsize in mid-air. At last the ropes worked together, and we drew nearer and nearer the black, oily water. The first touch of our lifeboat on that black sea came to me as a last good-bye to life, and so we put off - a tiny boat on a great sea - rowed away from what had been a safe home for five days. The first wish on the part of all was to stay near the Titanic. We all felt so much safer near the ship. Surely such a vessel could not sink. I thought the danger must be exaggerated, and we could all be taken aboard again. But surely the outline of that great, good ship was growing less.

The bow of the boat was getting black. Light after light was disappearing, and now those rough seamen put to their oars and we were told to hunt under seats, any place, anywhere, for a lantern, a light of any kind. Every place was empty. There was no water - no stimulant of any kind. Not a biscuit - nothing to keep us alive had we drifted long... Sitting by me in the lifeboat were a mother and daughter. The mother had left a husband on the Titanic, and the daughter a father Survivors on the deck of the Carpathia and husband, and while we were near the other boats those two stricken women would call out a name and ask, 'Are you there?' 'No,'would come back the awful answer, but these brave women never lost courage, forgot their own sorrow, telling me to sit close to them to keep warm... The life-preservers helped to keep us warm, but the night was bitter cold, and it grew colder and colder, and just before dawn, the coldest, darkest hour of all, no help seemed possible... ...The stars slowly disappeared, and in their place came the faint pink glow of another day.

Then I heard, 'A light, a ship.' I could not, would not, look while there was a bit of doubt, but kept my eyes away. All night long I had heard, 'A light!' Each time it proved to be one of our other lifeboats, someone lighting a piece of paper, anything they could find to burn, and now I could not believe. Someone found a newspaper; it was lighted and held up. Then I looked and saw a ship. A ship bright with lights; strong and steady she waited, and we were to be saved. A straw hat was offered it would burn longer. That same ship that had come to save us might run us down. But no; she is still. The two, the ship and the dawn, came together, a living painting." References: Elizabeth Shutes' account first appeared in: Gracie, Archibold, The Truth About the Titanic (1913), reprinted in: Foster, John Wilson (editor), The Titanic Reader (1999); Lord, Walter, A Night to Remember (1955); Davie, Michael, Titanic: The Death and Life of a Legend (1986).

How To Cite This Article: "The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912," EyeWitness to History (2000). Margaret Graham's father, William, founded the Dixie Cup Company. He was not on board the ship. Elizabeth Shutes died in Utica, New York in 1949.

Question: Which ship rescued the majority of the survivors of the Titanic sinking in 1912?
Answer: CARPATHIA