Category Archives: Titanic

Titanic

Titanic Chronology: Titanic Adds Crew (6 April 1912)

The only picture of the Marconi radio room onboard the Titanic. Harold Bride is seated at his station. Photo was taken by Father Francis Browne, SJ, while aboard Titanic.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

Titanic fills the remaining vacancies in ship’s crew. Coal and cargo also begin loading today

688 crew members would be aboard Titanic when it sailed. The wireless operators, Harold Bride and Jack Phillips, were actually employees of Marconi. For ship purposes, they were made part of the Victualling Department as they provided a service rather an essential operation. The ship’s orchestra were not employees of White Star but contracted from the Liverpool firm of C.W. & F.N. Black. This firm provided musicians for most British liners. They were treated as second class passengers.

Due to a miners’ strike that ended on 6 April, there was a shortage of coal. To make up for the shortage, coal from other White Star ships were transferred to Titanic so she could sail on 10 April. Passengers on those ships would be transferred as well to Titanic.  The ship would carry 5, 892 tons, which was more than sufficient for the voyage.

 

Sources:

Books

Behe, George TITANIC: SAFETY, SPEED AND SACRIFICE, Transportation Trails, Polo, IL 1997

Eaton John P. & Haas Charles, TITANIC TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, SECOND EDITION, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York, 1995 First American Edition

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)

Lord, Walter, 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

Internet

Britannica.com
Encyclopedia Titanica
History.com

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Titanic

Titanic Chronology: Titanic Arrives Southampton (3 April 1912)

After departing Belfast at 20:00 (8 pm), Titanic arrives in Southampton just after midnight. She would be towed to Berth 44. She traveled 577 nautical miles (664 miles) and her recorded maximum speed is 23 1/3 knots. That is approximately 26 miles per hour.

Titanic advertising from New York Times, 10 April 1912.
Public Domain (Wikimedia)

Sources:

Books

Behe, George TITANIC: SAFETY, SPEED AND SACRIFICE, Transportation Trails, Polo, IL 1997

Eaton John P. & Haas Charles, TITANIC TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, SECOND EDITION, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York, 1995 First American Edition

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)

Lord, Walter, 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

Internet

Britannica.com
Encyclopedia Titanica
History.com

,,,

Titanic

Titanic Chronology: Titanic Sea Trials (2 April 1912)

Titanic leaving Belfast with two guiding tugs, 2 April 1912
Robert John Welch (1859-1936), official photographer for Harland & Wolff
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

Due to delays in fitting out, repairs to Olympic and bad weather, Titanic began her sea trials on 2 April 1912. The trials began at 0600 (6 am). There were stokers, greasers and fireman along with crew members aboard. Thomas Andrews and Edward Wilding were aboard representing Harland & Wolff. Harold Sanderson represented IMM. Both Bruce Ismay and Lord Pirrie were ill and could not attend. Francis Carruthers from the Board of Trade was also present to see that the ship was fit to carry passengers. Marconi wireless operators Jack Phillips and Harold Bride were also aboard.

The sea trials took 12 hours and tested the ship’s ability to travel at different speeds, turning ability, and ability to stop quickly. Titanic was tested both in the Irish Sea and in Belfast Lough. About 80 miles were covered during the trials. The ship would return to Belfast around 1900 (7 p.). The surveyor from the Board of Trade signed papers that the ship was seaworthy for the next 12 months.

Titanic would depart an hour later to head to Southampton to take on additional crew, passengers, and supplies.

Sources:

Books

Behe, George TITANIC: SAFETY, SPEED AND SACRIFICE, Transportation Trails, Polo, IL 1997

Eaton John P. & Haas Charles, TITANIC TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, SECOND EDITION, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York, 1995 First American Edition

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)

Lord, Walter, 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

 

Internet

Britannica.com
Encyclopedia Titanica
History.com

 

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Titanic

Remembering History: Hitler Jailed For Failed Coup (April 1, 1923)

The aftermath of World War I left Germany in a national crisis. Its new government, the Weimar Republic, had to deal with the staggering terms of the Versailles Treaty imposed on it by the victorious allies. The economy was in shambles, hyperinflation made buying even the ordinary items expensive, and discontent was in the air. This is where many different groups vied to convince Germans it had the solution to the country’s woes. One of these was a new party called the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) led by Adolf Hitler. It would become known as the acronym Nazi Party.

On the evening of 8 November 1922, Hitler and the Nazi Party attempted to seize power in the Beer Hall Putsch in Munich. Storming a meeting of 3,000 people where the state commissioner was speaking, Hitler proclaimed the revolution was underway to the surprised attendees and speakers. The next day Hitler with Hermann Goring, General Ludendorff and about 3,000 supporters marched to the center of Munich. At first, they pushed aside the small number of police sent to stop them. However, the police firmed up and ordered the march to stop. And then the shooting began which ended with Nazi’s lying dead on the street and many (like Hitler) forced to flee. Most of the chief perpetrators like Hitler would be arrested and brought to trial.

Defendants in the Munich Beer Hall Putsch, 1 April 1924
Photographer: Heinrich Hoffmann (1885–1957)
Source: German Federal Archives via Wikimedia Commons

The attempted coup was a failure, but it brought a lot of attention on Hitler and the party. The trial was covered by German and international newspapers. It gave Hitler and his party a chance to express their views on many things as to why the tried the coup.  It was a case where the defendant was winning in the court of public relations even while losing it by being convicted of a crime. Hitler was sentenced to five years but only served nine months in Landsberg am Lech before being released. During that time, he wrote the first volume of Mein Kampf, the bible of the National Socialist movement. Designed to appeal to dissatisfied elements in Germany, its influence spread beyond Germany’s borders and its virulent anti-Semitic, anti-democratic, and anti-Catholic (to name a few) still finds approval today in some places where hatred of Jews and democracy exists.

Sources

Book

Snyder, Louis Dr, Encyclopedia of the Third Reich, Marlowe & Company, New York 1976.

Internet

History.com

Titanic

Titanic Chronology: Titanic Fitted Out (31 March 1912)

RMS Titanic under construction. Photo taken between February-March 1912
Original source: Robert John Welch (1859-1936), official photographer for Harland & Wolff
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

Titanic is nearly completely filled out with just a few things left before her upcoming sea trials. The ship is nearly identical to Olympic, but some changes were made so it was exteriorly different. It had a steel screen with sliding windows on the forward half of the A Deck promenade. This was done at the personal request of Bruce Ismay to provide additional shelter for First Class passengers. B Deck saw changes as well. The promenade space was converted into additional First Class cabins, which included two parkour suites with their own promenade spaces. The À la Carte restaurant was made bigger and the Café Parisien was added as well (it was not on the Olympic). The additional fitting out delayed Titanic and was delayed further by additional work needed on Olympic from a 1911 collision.


Titanic

Titanic Lifeboats Tested

Collapsible lifeboat D photographed by passenger on Carpathia on the morning of 15 April 1912.
Public Domain(Wikipedia)

On March 25, 1912 all sixteen of the wooden lifeboats were tested. They were each loaded with 65 men and lowered by davits into the water in front of Francis Carruthers, Board of Trade Engineer & Ship Surveyor at Belfast. Titanic had 20 lifeboats in total: 14 wooden lifeboats and 2 wooden cutters that were to be used as emergency boats in case of people in the water. 4 collapsible Engelhardt lifeboats were also aboard as well (they carried up to 47 people each). 1,178 people could be accommodated on the lifeboats, as per Board of Trade regulations at the time (which Titanic exceeded). The total capacity of the ship was 3,547 passengers and crew.

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Titanic

Monday Titanic News

A sure sign spring is here is when lambs appear.
Spring Lamb In The Sunshine
Photo: Tanya Hall/publicdomainpictures.net

Welcome to Spring everyone! For those of you down under, Happy Autumn. Here are some news stories you may find of interest.

The story of the Sunderland man who survived the Titanic disaster thanks to a game of cards (Sunderland Echo, 21 Mar 2021)

One of the very many stories to be told in its aftermath, is that of a glass worker from Sunderland who was one of the lucky survivors. Had Charles Whilems gone to bed earlier on that fateful night he would never have been heard of again

Fact Check-J.P. Morgan did not sink the Titanic to push forward plans for the U.S. Federal Reserve (Reuters, 17 Mar 2021)

A widely-shared meme has taken several facts about the Titanic out of context to  make unsubstantiated claims that imply the ship’s sinking was a deliberate act. This is not true – experts widely agree the sinking of the Titanic was an accident. The meme was posted?to Facebook?on March 1 and has been shared more than 600 times. It consists of two images: one of the ship and a  second of American financier John Pierpont (J.P.) Morgan. These sit alongside a wall of text that suggests Morgan had motive to sink the Titanic?because it was hosting three powerful people who opposed his idea for a centralised banking system, ie: the U.S.?Federal Reserve.

NASA Astronaut and Physician, Dr. Scott Parazynski to Join Titanic Survey Expedition (KHQ.com, 16 Mar 2021 (via PR Newswire)

“Challenging environments are incredible catalysts for innovation,” shares Dr. Scott Parazynski. “Being part of the inaugural expeditionary team for the Titanic Survey Expedition with my friend and colleague, Stockton Rush, is an amazing opportunity. I am looking forward to working with the OceanGate Expeditions team to demonstrate the cutting edge submersible technology that has the power to change the way humans explore our deep oceans, understand our planet, and investigate other planets. Our home planet is extraordinary, and my bucket list will get an additional check mark as part of this ground-breaking OceanGate expedition,” says Parazynski.

Why Was Utah’s Only Titanic Passenger Not Among The Survivors?(Salt Lake Magazine, 15 Mar 2021)

Pulling a treasured artifact from her purse, Liz holds the postcard up against an enlarged copy displayed prominently on one wall. Dated April 1, 1912, the card bears an illustration of London’s Piccadilly Circus on one side and Irene’s gracefully sloping scrawl on the back with her ill-fated words, “Finish London soon—am going to sail on one of the biggest ships afloat: the Titanic, an American Liner.” This was the last dispatch from 30-year-old Irene, the only Utahn aboard the RMS Titanic. She drowned with more than 1,500 passengers hours after the liner struck an iceberg in the early hours of April 15, 1912 sinking to the ocean floor in the frigid north Atlantic on its way from Southampton to New York.


Titanic

Daily Mail: New Book On Titanic Focuses on Survivor Accounts

Collapsible lifeboat D photographed by passenger on Carpathia on the morning of 15 April 1912.
Public Domain(Wikipedia)

The Daily Mail has an article about a new book by author James Bancroft. This new book, titled ‘Iceberg Ahead,’ contains various survivor accounts to make the tragedy more personal. Some of the accounts are related in the news story. I think what makes this interesting is that it tries to get a good cross section of survivors who each have an interesting story to tell.

Source:

Tales of terror from the Titanic: From picture framer awoken by ship hitting iceberg to perfume salesmen hearing ‘pitiful cries’ as his lifeboat sailed away… the horrific 1912 tragedy from the eyes of 10 survivors (Daily Mail, 4 Mar 2021)


Titanic

Titanic News: Black Passenger on Titanic,Titanic in Iowa, and Titan submarine

 

Joseph Laroche (seated right), with his family; wife, Juliette (centre), elder daughter, Simonne (left) and younger daughter, Louise (centre, seated).1911
Source:Wikipedia

Titanic’s only black passenger: Noble Maritime Collection hosts virtual seminar on the ‘untold stories’ (silive.com, 25 Feb 2021

The wreck killed more than 1,500 people, and the last survivor who was aboard the Titanic passed away in 2009. While there were many victims taken by the Titanic sinking, history has unveiled that there was just one black passenger aboard the ship. That man was Joseph Laroche. The Noble Maritime Collection, located on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden in Livingston, will virtually present the story of Laroche through a lecture titled “Untold Stories of the Titanic: The Only Black Passenger,” by Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson Saturday, March 6.

The history of the Titanic connected to southeast Iowa (KTVO, 25 Feb 2021)

Research has found that Iowa has ties to the most famous shipwreck in history. Some of the people who were on the Titanic on that fatal day had connections with Iowa. Many of the passengers were immigrants who were coming to the Midwest for opportunity. Some passengers were directly tied to farming while others were looking for job opportunities.Although Iowa story teller Darcy Maulsby knew of a few Iowa families who were on the Titanic, she was surprised to discover that there were even more involved.

Triton’s Titanic Explorer will reach new depths for luxury bubble-subs (newatlas.com, 24 Feb 2021)

The Triton 13000/2 Titanic Explorer will be the deepest diving acrylic bubble sub ever built, by a long way. It’ll be capable of diving to 4,000 m (13,123 ft), making it the only transparent sphere that can take you and a buddy down to the wreck of the Titanic, some 3,800 m (12,500 ft) under the surface. Triton’s dropped in on Jack and Rose’s love nest once before, mind you, back in 2019. But to do so, it needed to use its monstrous 36000/2 sub, which has a titanium sphere hull capable of taking two people to the bottom of the Marianas trench. Indeed, it was the first manned mission to the Titanic wreck in some 14 years, so rather a special achievement.


Titanic

Titanic News: Idaho Exhibition Opens; MASH Actor has Titanic Connection, and Archives Help with Sunken Ship

 

Titanic Memorial in Cobh (formerly Queenstown), Ireland.
Photo:Travelpod

Discovery Center Of Idaho Opens Titanic Artifact Exhibit
Idaho News 6, 15 Feb 2021

Titanic is one of those stories that’s timeless but also ageless,” said Emily Mahone, Education Director at the Discovery Center. “So we have children here that have already been obsessed with it since first or second grade to those elderly and middle-aged people who have been obsessed with Titanic since it came out in 1997.” You are asked to reserve your admission up to seven days in advance by visiting the Discovery Center of Idaho’s website. Masks are required for your entire visit. Discovery Center: https://www.dcidaho.org/

M*A*S*H’s Jamie Farr Revealed His Mother Almost Bought a Ticket on the ‘Titanic’ Showbiz Cheat Sheet, 14 Feb 2021

Was he going to wait for the cousin or was he going to get back on the ship and go to America? The mother of the cousin pleaded with my grandfather, ‘please you have to take my son to America.’ So my grandfather acquiesced. The ship that my mother, grandmother, and grandfather were supposed to be on was the Titanic. It went from Southampton to Marseille and then Marseille supposedly on to New York,” Farr explained.

Belfast Archive Being Used In Bid To Stem Leaking Shipwreck Off Canadian Coast Hereford Times, 14 Feb 2021

More than 50 years later, an oil leak has been traced back to the wreck (MV Schiedyk). National Museums NI is helping the Canadian coastguard’s operation by supplying plans and images from the building of the 483ft cargo ship in Belfast in 1949. Originally a steamship, it was rebuilt in the 1960s to its oil-fuelled form. These plans will help to build a clear picture of the type of oil used and the location and capacity of its fuel tanks.

Charles H. Lightoller, second officer of the RMS Titanic.
Circa 1920-1930
Public Domain (from Wikimedia)

Mariner, Titanic Survivor, Cowboy, War Hero: The Epic of Charles Lightoller War is Boring, 12 Feb 2021

Those who do endure and come out as hardier men are often forever marred to some degree- but just as a diamond must be cut and a block of ore must be hammered and shaped into a usable tool, so must a man make many sacrifices to reach his destiny. Charles Lightoller was such a man