Source:Cobh Heritage Centre, Cobh Ireland/Wikimedia Commons
Helen Candee awoke early on Sunday and went out on the deck to view the sunrise. She was not disappointed. This was to be the final day of the maiden voyage for tomorrow the ship would dock in New York. Little did anyone know that it would be the last sunrise Titanic would ever see.
At 10:30 am, a religious service was held in the First-Class dining room with a nice meal that followed for both First and Second class. On the bridge, ice warnings from other ships had been received but since such sightings were common, they were not of serious concern. No one had thought it serious enough to plot them. At noon the ship’s officers got together on the wing bridge to calculate Titanic’s position.
White Star liner Baltic reported at 1:42 pm of large quantities of ice providing coordinates. The message was delivered to Captain Smith who also showed the message to J. Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star Line. The SS Amerika spotted an iceberg at 1:45 and provided its coordinates. By afternoon, the temperature was falling fast and by 7:30 pm was 33F (1 C). Captain Smith ordered a course change to south and west around 5:50 pm possibly due to ice warnings.
Robert John Welch (1859-1936), official photographer for Harland & Wolff
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Meanwhile passengers enjoyed their last night on Titanic. Many survivors believe this was the best night of the trip. The food was exemplary and everyone was dressed in their finest clothes. There was joyful celebration of their last night together on Titanic. On the bridge, Second Officer Charles Lightoller was going over a report from the California that reported three large icebergs that came in at 7:30 pm. Noting the drop in temperature to near freezing, he ordered the crew to watch the fresh water. Captain Smith returned to the bridge after dinner around 8:55 pm and conferred with Lightoller about the weather and icebergs. He then retired for the night advising Lightoller to awaken him “if becomes at all doubtful’. Lightoller at 9:30 pm advised the lookouts to watch for icebergs.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Down in the Marconi telegraph office, Jack Phillips was busy handling heavy passenger traffic when a message for Mesaba came in warning about heavy pack ice and icebergs at 9:40 pm. The message never made it to the bridge, so they were unaware of it. First Officer William Murdoch relieved Lightoller at 10 pm. New lookouts took over as well, Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee, who were advised to watch for icebergs. It was a moonless night with unusually calm seas, so they had to be especially alert for ice fields and icebergs. Unfortunately, the binoculars they should have had had been misplaced. By this time, the temperature had dropped to 31 F.
The captain of the SS Californian, Stanley Lord, decides to stop his ship for the night due to a large ice field in the way. The telegraph operator, Cyril Evans, sent out warnings to all ships in the area but Jack Phillips on Titanic sent back a blunt response: shut up. He was busy sending messages through Cape Race. Evans shut off his equipment and went to bed leaving the Californian with no wireless communications till morning. On Titanic, most were either asleep or heading to their cabins at 11 pm. Only a few were lingering over drinks, a card game, or reading. By 11:30 pm, around the time Cyril Evans went to bed, Titanic had settled in for the night.
Then just before 11:40 pm, the lookouts spotted an iceberg 500 feet away. Frederic Fleet rang the bell three times and calls the bridge telling Murdoch ‘Iceberg, right ahead.’ Titanic was going 21 knots (or slightly less) at the time. Murdoch ordered hard a starboard,” orders the engines stopped then full astern, and seals the watertight doors. Due to its size, Titanic had a larger turning radius, and this made it look like it would hit the iceberg dead on. Then it slowly veered to port making it appear the ship would pass the iceberg on the starboard side. Some speculate that it may have been a rare blue berg meaning it flipped over and was much larger underwater. The iceberg impacted on the starboard ship resulting in large and small punctures as it scraped the ship. Captain Smith came to the bridge to determine what happened learning they had struck an icebox. At first the damage reports seemed okay then it turned ominous with reports of water in the mailroom and other areas of the ship. Thomas Andrews assesses the damage himself and reports to Captain Smith that the ship is doomed. He tells Smith that the forward five compartments had been compromised and water is coming in. With water pulling the ship down at the bow, there was no way to prevent sinking. Titanic could stay afloat with one or two taking water but not all five at the same time.
Author unknown. Published after sinking in 1912
Public Domain/Wikipedia Commons
For Captain Edward J. Smith, who had an illustrious career and set to retire after this voyage, this was a major shock. Unlike what has been dramatized, he had to be prodded by his officers to order lifeboats be lowered, muster the crew, and evacuate the passengers. Worse, despite having more than the required lifeboats per British Board of Trade regulations, it was still woefully short since the regulations were based on tonnage and not capacity. Of the 2,227 passengers and crew, only 1,178 would fit into them providing that they were filled completely to capacity. Wireless operators Jack Phillips and Harold Bride were ordered by Smith to send a distress call at 12:15 am. They first used the older one, CQD, and later switched to the newer one SOS. While many ships received the distress message, most were too far away to help. The SS Carpathia, about 58 miles away, received the distress call at 12:20 am. Harold Cottam quickly responded back to confirm the distress call and got the reply:
“Come at once. We have struck a berg. It’s a CQD, old man.”
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Cottam awakened Captain Arthur Rostron to inform him of the news. Rostron immediately gave out numerous orders to prepare the ship to take on survivors. And Carpathia quickly moved at high speed through the dangerous ice field in the hopes of getting there fast; they would arrive in three hours. However back on Titanic Andrews had told Smith that Titanic that the ship would sink in about 1 ½ hours to 2 hours making getting there before the ship sank impossible. Aboard Titanic, there was no central way to notify passengers, so stewards and others knocked on doors to rouse and inform them they had to put on life jackets and go topside. Many doubted they were in serious trouble and many of the staff did not know how dire the situation was. Up on deck, the crew had not any training–nor any drills–on how to operate the lifeboats. They required manual operation to be lowered into the water, and some were not sure if the davits were strong enough. And no one had told them that the lifeboats could carry 65 people, which is why some lifeboats that left could have taken on a lot more. Lightoller was strict in implementing the “women and children first “rule but seemed to interpret it meant no men could go aboard lifeboats (except for crew to steer it). However, on the other side of the ship, that rule was not carried out and many men boarded lifeboats there.
To try and get other ships in the area to respond, Titanic fired rockets. The crew on the Californian saw them but did not know its source nor did they investigate or awaken the wireless operator. They did think there was a ship that was ten miles away that appeared to be moving away, so it obviously was not in distress. Titanic tried using its Morse lamp as well but to no avail. Some believe it was a mirage while others wonder if it was an illegal Norwegian sealer, but that has never been confirmed. By 12:55 am lifeboats 5 and 6 were being lowered. Molly Brown was aboard Lifeboat 6 along with lookout Frederic Fleet and Quartermaster Robert Hitchens. Hitchens had been at the helm when Titanic hit the iceberg, and his testimony would prove valuable at the inquiries. However, his refusal to look for survivors would bring harsh criticism later.
Lifeboats 1 and 3 would be lowered around 1:00 am. Lifeboat 1, Emergency Cutter 1 has only 12 people (and can carry 40 people) while Lifeboat 3 has 39. Aboard Lifeboat 1 is Sir Cosmo Edmund-Duff Gordon and his wife, Lucy Duff-Gordon. She was a well-known British fashion designer known for innovative designs. Sir Cosmo handed out £5 notes to each of the crew aboard the lifeboat. Some argued later it was to keep others off the lifeboat. He strenuously denied the allegation and pointed out it was to help them replace lost clothing and gear. At 1:10 am Lifeboat 8 was lowered containing only 28 people that had aboard Noel, the Countess of Rothes. Both Isidor and Ida Straus were offered seats on the lifeboat but declined. Isidor, who had helped found Macy’s department store, believed only women and children should go first but Id did not want to leave her husband. She said famously: “Where you go, I go.” They would both perish when Titanic sank.
Lifeboat 9 launched at 1:20 am only had 30 people on it and was loaded by Purser Hugh McElroy and First Officer William Murdoch. It had 30 people on it with 17 crew members, possibly stewards and cooks according to one survivor. Another account puts it between 35-40 with 12 ladies, 6-7 men passengers, and 18 male crew members. The mistress to Benjamin Guggenheim, Léontine Aubart, was on this lifeboat. He and his valet choose to dress properly and go down with the ship as gentleman. Lifeboat 10 is launched at 1:47 am had 57 people when it was launched but some transfers to other lifeboats brought it down to 50. Nine-week-old Milvina Deam was on this lifeboat. She along with her mother and brother would survive while her father died on Titanic. She became known later to many in the Titanic community living a long life dying at the age of 97 in 2009.
Source: U.S. Library of Commerce/Wikimedia Commons
Public Domain
Olympic received Titanic’s distress call but there was confusion because of many mixed signals and messages bouncing around; they did not know the severity of the disaster. They thought at one point Titanic was sailing towards them but got a quick message back they were putting women off in the lifeboats. They would learn of Titanic’s sinking later from Carpathia. Meanwhile on Titanic panic was setting in as it was obvious Titanic was sinking. Near Lifeboat 14 Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall was forced to discharge his gun to calm things down, He would take command of Lifeboat 14 later transferring people to other boats so they could look for survivors. Lifeboats 13 and 15 are lowered but 15 starts drifting underneath the other lowering lifeboat. Quick action in 13 by crew averts disaster.
Sometime between 1:35 -1:40 am Lifeboat 16 and Collapsible C is lowered. White Star chairman J. Bruce Ismay is aboard C. Criticism that he boarded before women and children would haunt him after the sinking. He claimed that neither were around when he boarded C, so he boarded. Emergency Cutter 2 is lowered and not long afterwards Lifeboats 11 and 4. A pregnant Madeline Astor is aboard Lifeboat 4. John Jacob Astor did ask if he could join her, but Lightoller denied the request. By 2 am only the collapsible boats remain but Titanic was slowly rising in the stern with its propellers visible. Collapsible D was the only one successfully launched and would carry 20 in it. A is washed off the deck and fills partly with water while B falls and is swept off before it is righted. Before this Captain Smith has released the crew saying it is now “every man for himself.” Wireless operator Phillips sends the final distress signal at 2:17 am. He would get to Collapsible B but would die later from exposure and his body would never be recovered.
By 2 am only the collapsible boats remain. Titanic had sunk low enough that the stern propellers were visible. Collapsible lifeboat D is launched from the roof of the officer’s quarters and would have 20 people in it. Collapsible A is washed off the deck and partly filled with water. Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in lifeboat 14 finds only 12 of the 20 that got into it are alive. Collapsible B falls and is swept off before it can be righted. The now overturned lifeboats are used by 30 people including Lightoller and wireless operator Bride. At this point, Captain Smith releases the crew saying, “it’s every man for himself.” Smith was last seen on the bridge and his body was never recovered. Wireless operator Phillips sends the final distress signal at 2:17 am. He made it to collapsible lifeboat B but died from exposure. His body would not be recovered.
Meanwhile the ship was plunged into darkness as the power went off. People frantically ran to the stern. Some would jump into the water while others hoped that by some miracle they would be spared. It is around 2:18 am when Titanic, suffering tremendous strain midsection would break in two between the third and fourth funnels. The bow sank into the water and for a time the stern seemed to float on its own but slowly sank. Those remaining on the stern would just swim away since there was no suction. Then it too slowly began to rise becoming vertical and sink beneath the waves. By 2:20 am, Titanic was gone. J. Bruce Ismay turned away before this; he did not want to see Titanic sink. The cries of those in the water was a sound no one in the boats would ever forget. And would haunt many for the rest of their lives.
Image: public domain
Carpathia would arrive in the area firing rockets to get attention at around 3:30 am. Lifeboat 2 was the first to reach the rescue ship. It would take several hours to pick up all the survivors. Ismay would send a message to the White Star Line office informing Titanic sank. He then would isolate himself in a cabin for the remainder of the voyage to New York. The Californian arrived on scene at around 8 am. Carpathia asked her to look for any bodies, but they would find none and depart. Meanwhile aboard Carpathia, they held a service for the four bodies they had recovered. They would see one more as they steamed around the area but did not pick it up. Before 9 am, Carpathia sounded its whistle and began steaming towards New York
Meanwhile the Carpathia’s purser compiled a list of the Titanic survivors, which Rostron ordered Cottam to transmit the list to Cape Race but due to the limited range of their transmitter, this could not be achieved. They could get signals from Cape Race but not send them back. Cottam was besieged with messages wanting information and Titanic survivors wanting to send messages as well. Harold Bride, the surviving Titanic wireless operator, assisted him so he could get sleep. Rostron allowed no communications with the press. Eventually they were able to use Olympic, which had a more powerful transmitter, to transmit the names of those who were aboard Carpathia.
Bain News Service, U.S. Library of Congress, digital id#ggbain 10352
In New York, bedlam had reigned. Due to mixed up messages, there were many false reports about Titanic. Some reports indicated all was well and people picked up by Olympic. People gathered outside the White Star Line offices in New York for information. Initially White Star was hopeful and believed Titanic was safe. But the New York Times realized communication from Titanic had stopped after 2:20 am and ran the story she had sunk. The message from Ismay from Carpathia ended all doubt; people wept. Titanic, the pride of the White Star Line, had sunk taking with her over 1,500 plus lives and only 705 survivors. Now they awaited the arrival of Carpathia.
Sources
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Behe, G. (2012). On board RMS Titanic: Memories of the Maiden Voyage. The History Press.
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Ballard, Robert D., Lost Liners: From the Titanic to the Andrea Doria the Ocean Floor Reveals Its Greatest Lost Ships(Hyperion, 1998).
Brewster, H. (2013). Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic’s First-Class Passengers and Their World. National Geographic Books.
Cameron, Stephen. Titanic: Belfast’s Own. Colourpoint, 2011.
Eaton John P. & Haas Charles, TITANIC TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, SECOND EDITION, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York, 1995 First American Edition
Fitch, Tad, J. Kent Layton, and Bill Wormstedt. On a Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of the RMS Titanic. Reprint. Amberley Publishing, 2015.
Lord, Walter
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc.)
THE NIGHT LIVES ON, Willian Morrow and Company, New York, New York, 1986 (First Edition)
Lynch, Don & Marshall Ken, TITANIC AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY, Madison Press Books, Toronto, Ontario Canada, 1992
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