Night of Near Tragedy (1912)
The weather was becoming more frigid, causing breath to appear as mist as the crew and passengers alike braced themselves for another cold evening as a part of the last couple days on their journey. As the sun descended into the sea and stars took its place, passengers alike made their way within the ship's warm interiors to stay warm and enjoy one another's company. The Titanic’s crew however would be forced to stay awake and on duty for the night as the ship approached the dark abyss.
At 9:00 PM, Captain Smith returned from a party hosted in first class on his behalf in Titanic’s A La Carte Restaurant, and reached the bridge where Second Officer Charles Lightoller was on duty as the ship sailed into the night. Neither man spoke for a time, as each continued to look out into the darkness beyond the glass windows of the bridge towards the unknown. Despite the close call previously with the American Ocean Liner SS City of New York in which the Titanic had nearly drawn in the smaller vassal due to the ships massive propellers, the voyage had gone on without an issue and the ship was making good time.
For Captain Smith, this voyage would be he's last before retirement, after serving roughly a decade from 1880 when he was but a young sailor first entering into a career at sea, to now. Serving in peace time and during war, as well as on board countless ships of the White Star Line (including the sister too Titanic, RMS Olympic) now would be his final send off.
“No wind or heavy seas, sir.” Lightoller said, breaking the silence.
“And only a degree above freezing as well.” The Second Officer continued, glancing briefly at the Captain who listened quietly.
“This sea will keep us from sighting the water breaking off any ice. However, the weather is clear.”
A quiet hum was the only reply, as the captain remained before turning to leave but not before saying; “Maintain speed and heading, Mr. Lightholler. At the first sign of a haze of ice, reduce speed.”
"Yes Sir."
Leaving finally, Lightoller remained on duty as the Captain retreated into the chartroom just behind the bridge. As the ship continued to cut through the Atlantic sea ahead, gradually a chill began to descend across the ships decks as evening began to arrive in full force, blanketing the sky in a sea of black with the only light provided by stars.
Stepping inside the chartroom, 4th Officer Joseph Boxall greeted the captain as the latter entered. “Evening, sir.” Captain Smith replied with a ‘evening,’ of his own before locating a table showcasing the course of the RMS Titanic on a map of the Atlantic Ocean. The route was highlighted with a pencil, leading from Southampton and all the way across to the ships final destination of New York.
Fourth Officer Boxall spoke up, “She is making good time, sir. In a mere two days or less, we will be arriving in the morning of April 16.” "Mhm," the Captain then talked with Officer Boxall for a briefly before heading off to his cabin. Despite seeming ready to head off to bed, the Captain instead was intending to return to the bridge on occasion and check in from time to time.
As Sixth officer Moody arrived at the bridge, a cup of tea in one hand and dressed in a thick jacket for the cold, Lightholler addressed him. “Call up the crows nest, and tell them to keep a sharp lookout for ice, especially small ice and growlers.”
Moody nodded as his reply, before using the telephone behind the helm to deliver the message. At the other end of the line, the lookouts picked up, and Moody relayed; “Be on the lookout for ice, small and growlers!”
Close by to the bridge and chartroom, within the Marconi Wireless room, Senior Wireless Operator Jack Phillips and his partner, junior Wireless Operator Harold Bride, worked all day and into the night delivering messages on behalf of Titanic's passengers to Cape Race, a wireless station located at Cape Race, Newfoundland, Canada.
Irritable and annoyed from having to stay up and constantly work around the clock, Phillips completed yet another message when he picked up one sent by the ship, Mesaba, warning of an ice field. “Ice report. In lat. 42 N. to 41.25 N.long.49 W. to long. 50.30 W.
Saw much heavy pack ice and [a] great number [of] large icebergs, also field ice. Weather good, clear.”
Sighing in contempt, Phillips was tempted to ignore the message but instead sighed before quickly writing it down as a message for the bridge as he turned to his mate, Bride, and awoke him from his sleep. “Ay, got another ice warning. Take it up to the bridge, will ya?” Deeply annoyed at having his rest interrupted, Bride begrudged his partner and got up before snatching the message from Phillips hand. “Bother these ice warnings…” The man then quickly put on a coat before leaving up to the bridge.
As 10:00 PM had already arrived, Lightoller was finally able to leave the watch as First Officer William Murdoch arrived to take his place. Blowing into his hands, Murdoch tried to warm them from the freezing cold air that now enveloped him as he stood at the helm. Just minutes after taking the watch, a shivering and annoyed Bride walked into view as he held out the letter, clearly eager to go back to bed and get under the warm sheets.
“Ice warning, sir.” He quickly left before Murdoch could reply, leaving the man alone to look at the contents of the message. Reading them to himself, Murdoch squinted his eyes as he processed the information in his mind before deciding to act. Next thing he knew, he reached for the engine order telegraph and pulled the lever back then forward as its bells rang. “Slow ahead.”
Down below, Titanic’s chief Engineer, Joseph Bell, heard the sound of the bells ring behind him. Checking the telegraph, Bell quickly turned to a fellow officer before calling out the orders to the engine crew. "Ahead Slow!" Another man carried the order and shouted it out as Bell replied back to the bridge as he moved the lever on the telegraph indicating he received the order.
Behind the bridge, within the navigation room, Captain Smith and 4th Officer Boxall discussed the ship's current course and speed until Murdoch arrived. “Sir, Ice warning.” The Captain, turning to face the first officer, immediately reached for and received the ice warning in his hand. Looking it over, he then looked up at Murdoch. “Did you reduce speed?”“Yes sir. She has slowed, and I immediately came to you.” Nodding, Smith turned to Boxall and addressed the man. “Be on standby.” to which the man replied back, “Yes sir!”
After the two men left to the bridge, Boxall remained briefly before gathering himself before venturing out into the cold and frigid boat deck. At around 10:30 PM, Lightollar arrived at the bridge to check in as he went about his rounds, spotting the Captain and Murduch together in deep discussion. Lightollar spoke up, “Evening again sir.”
“Evening Officer Lightoller.” The Captain had gotten serious, as the second officer noticed, his eyes landing on the Ice warning in the captain’s hands. “Ice ahead sir?” The Captain nodded slowly, “Pack Ice. We can’t see under these conditions, thus we may have to stop for the night.” The Captain then turned to the first Officer Murdoch. “Prepare to ‘all stop,’ on my command,” “Yes sir!” before he turned to Lightoller and finished with; “have the lifeboats at the ready incase of an emergency.” “Yes sir!”
The two men left to fulfill their duties as the Captain walked into the chart room once again, this time plotting Titanic’s new course and actions for the night.
Around the time of 11:07 PM, Phillips had yet another message come in, one which unfortunately rang loud due to the proximity from the ship and the sender (Californian) which was but a few miles away. “MGY MWL. I say, old man. We are stopped and surrounded by ice.” Now beyond furious with having been interrupted in the midst of yet another message, Phillips replied back. “Quit it! I am busy! I am working Cape Race!”
Hearing this, Californian’s operated merely sighed and considered heading off to bed, before simply opting to grab a warm drink before returning to duty.
At 11:30 PM, lookout Frederick Fleet spots a black mass on the horizon, gradually exiting the darkness beyond. “There’s Ice ahead!” he shouts as his fellow lookout, Reginald Lee, watches in astonishment as the iceberg slowly appears. Ringing the bell three times, the sound echoed across the deck as the deck crew, who were already in the early stages in preparing the lifeboats, halted their actions and looked forward towards the bow.
Murdoch, alongside Captain Smith, looks ahead on Titanic’s bridge wing and sees the burg slowly appear. “Hard to starboard!”
As Murdoch quickly turned and ran into the bridge, the Captain followed as the telephone rang behind them which Officer Moody picked up. “Is anyone there!?”
“Yes, what do you see?” replied Moody,
“Iceberg right ahead!”
“Thank you!”
Quartermaster, Robert Hichens, at the wheel immediately begins to turn as quickly as he can. Murdoch then hears Captain Smith issue the next order, “Engines, all STOP!!!” Murdoch quickly moved on ahead and grabbed hold of the levers of the engine telegraph order and brought them to all stop.
Down below, in the deeper parts of the ship where the boilers where steam was created to power the ship, Lead Stoker Frederick Barrett located in Boiler Room N.6 spots the light indicating the all stop illuminate. “Shut the Dampers!”
Loud clunks rang out as the firemen raced to shut the furnaces and stop shoveling coal, an action repeated with the rest of the boiler rooms towards the front and back of the ship.
As he gets off the phone, Fleet notices the bow slowly begin to turn away from the burg, the leviathan now much closer. It wasn’t enough as Titanic’s side reached the burg and scraped alongside. As Ice falls onto the well deck, a vibration was felt throughout the ship as the crew on the boat deck watch in astonishment as the mountain of ice appears to sail past them, nearly coming into contact with the forward lifeboats, before disappearing into the night.
Down below, the forward cargo holds and boiler room six were suddenly breached as water began pouring from the side as the ship's hull plates opened up like a zipper to the sea. In the aftermath, Frederick Barrett would report seeing the damage; “Two feet above the stokehold plate.” As he and the rest of the fire stokers flee either through the use of ladders or the room connecting to Boiler Room 5.
Mere seconds into the impact, the Captain turned and shouted out “Hard to Port!” To which, Hichens quickly began to turn the wheel as Murduch rushed into the wheelhouse and activating Titanic’s watertight doors. At 11:40 PM, the collision was written into Titanic’s log book. Boxall arrived on the bridge as Captain Smith and Officer Murduch quickly discussed the events which transpired.
Moving to the starboard bridge wing, the three looked out towards the stern of the ship and saw the iceberg gradually disappear. Looking down towards the waterline, scrap marks are left in the icebergs' wake, but no other signs of damage are seen.
Boxall quickly leaves to check for damage, as Quartermaster Oliver arrives to which the Captain ordered him to; “Find the carpenter.” Second Officer Lightoller, who had been on the boat deck ordering about the deck crew to prep the lifeboats, returned along with Third Officer Herbert Pitman (the latter who had been awoken by the collision) and the two men spoke briefly. “What’s happened?” Pitman had asked, having been forced to wake up feeling a vibration throughout the ship. Lightoller replied back, serious. “An Iceberg. Prepare to be called up by the Captain.”
Pitman, stunned for a moment, nodded before returning to his Cabin and getting properly dressed whilst Lightoller took a look down the ship's port side then returned to his own cabin. After noticing the ship is not listing to one side, ordered the ship to move ahead and set the telegraphs to slow.
Finally however, the ship begins to list over from her port side to starboard, as the ship previously had a three degrees list due to large amounts of coal on the opposite side of the collision due to a coal bunker fire previously. Alfred Oliver, a seaman who had previously been at the wheel, arrived before receiving a letter from Smith addressed to Chief Engineer Joseph Bell.
It was sometime after the Captain and a couple officers had gone off to inspect the damage caused by the collision. Boxhall, having arrived at the mailroom located above the cargo holds, noticed the clerks desperately attempting to move the mail up and away from rushing water to which the Officer tries to retrieve one such floating bag but fails. Boxhall instead returned to the bridge, as during this time Thomas Andrews, Titanic’s Chief designer, was quick to walk down the grand staircase and pass by passengers who stopped and watched silently, leaving behind his cabin on A-Deck.
Noticing the tense atmosphere, Andrews stops briefly and looks at some passengers before saying; “Even if Titanic were split in three sections, each would still be able to float.” With that, he left as the Captain arrived back on the bridge after his own inspection was done. Issuing yet another order for all hands on deck, Chief Officer Wilde (who had gone to inspect the forward most compartment and learned it wasn’t flooding) had now arrived with Officer Murdoch and Second Officer Lightoller on the bridge.
“Are all Lifeboats prepped and ready?” The Captain said, serious now as Lightoller nodded his head slowly. “Yes sir, all of which are nearly prepped and ready to be swinged out at your command.” The Captain nodded, before turning to address the two other Officers present. “First Officer Murdouch, you will take charge of the lifeboats on the port side. Chief Officer Wilde, you will manage the lifeboats on the starboard side.” “Yes sir!” Both replied before leaving to the boat deck.
“Chief Pursor McElroy,” the named man listened carefully to he’s captains next words, “Muster the passengers up and have them be ready to abandon ship.” “Yes sir!” The man replied before he left to fulfill his duties and gather the passengers onto the upper decks.
Lightoller, the only officer present, then asks. “Should we begin lowering away?” The captain shook his head, before turning to look out the bridge wing once more. “Not until we learn the full extent of the damage.” The Captain paused before looking to Lightoller, “Aide First Officer Murdoch on preparing the lifeboats, Mr. Lightollar.” The Officer saluted before leaving the bridge, and Captain, alone.
Boxhall arrived just as Lightoller left, and quickly told the Captain his findings. “The mail room has begun flooding sir, that likely means the forward Cargo holds have been breached.” Nodding his head, Captain Smith and Boxhall were quickly joined by Pitman who had finally gotten dressed and came out on deck, being directed to the bridge by Lightoller. “Sir?”
Looking to Pitman, Smith’s eyes wearily turned back to Boxhall before he gave out his next orders. “Aide Chief Officer Wilde and First and Second Officer Lightoller in preparing the lifeboats and ushering passengers on deck. Be mindful of what you say to them about what is happening to avoid a panic.” Deciding to leave the bridge, the Captain had just completed a walk down a second flight of stairs when his eyes caught sight of Thomas Andrews. “Mr. Andrews!” The man stopped and turned, spotting the captain approach.
“What’s happened?” The Ships designer asked, already dreading the potential answer. Smith, taking a moment to collect himself, replied back- “We’ve struck a burg on the port side, and are taking on water. So far, in the mail room, thus likely we are taking in water in the cargo holds of the compartments just before Boiler Room 6.”
As first class Stewardess, Annie Robinson, comes out and begins making her way out of her room, she overhears the two men talk between themselves with the phrase; “There’s three gone already.” As Officer Pitman moved to check for damage, he came across some firemen from down below. The men looked exhausted and spent as they met the Officer on the forward welldeck, seeming to have been in a desperate sprint to flee. “What’s happened?”
One of the men spoke, breathless and struggling for air, “6 *breath* boiler room sir! She’s taking *breath* on water!” Shocked, Pitman and the men moved to check the forward cargo hatch, only to see water flooding the cargo holds. Leaving quickly, Pitman rushed back up to the boat deck, revealing the news to his fellow officers upon his arrival.
Within the Marconi Wireless room, Junior Wireless Operator Harold Bride had been awoken by sounds of shouts and men moving around on deck, whilst his partner Jack Phillips was in the midst of working on sending out another message. Just as Bride was going to ask what the commotion was all about, the Captain entered the room. “Be on standby to send out a distress call. I will return to give the order.” The two men froze and watched in astonishment as the Captain left them there dumbfounded by what they heard.
As passengers gathered together in the reception room, they spotted Thomas Andrews as he quickly made his way by and up the grand staircase. Some try to ask questions or get his attention. “Mr Andrews? What’s happening? Mr. Andrews!” But he ignores them, focusing on reaching the boat deck, taking three steps at a time, before reaching the bridge. There, meeting with the Captain, Andrew delivers the news. “Titanic is sinking by the head, four of her watertight compartments have begun to flood.”
The Captain nodded, signaling for Andrews to continue. “The water will nearly reach E-Deck, by which time we risk them nearly spilling over into the next compartments. She will hold but the danger is still there, Captain.” “I see.” The Captain replies, before turning to leave and heads to the Marconi Wireless room once more.
Immediately upon his arrival, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride both await their orders as the Captain opens the door to the room. “Begin sending out a distress call and alert any ships nearby of our situation as quickly as possible.” As like before, Captain Smith turned and left the room as the two men got to work in sending out distress calls to any nearby ships in the area.
As 5th Officer Harold Lowe stepped out onto the deck, he spotted several passengers wearing lifebelts. This instantly caused him to move and help the crew in completing getting the lifeboats ready, as Chief Officer Wilde ordered the windows on the Promenade Deck opened to allow Passengers to climb out and onto the lowering lifeboats. As this is happening, Officer Boxhall is alerted by a crewman and a few stop to look towards the horizon as a light appears. Seeing this, Boxhall quickly moved to the bridge and spoke with the Captain as he watched the lifeboats be prepped and passengers be brought out into the cold air on deck.
“A light on the horizon, sir!” Boxhall said, as the two men looked towards it. “Should I send a distress signal?” “I have done so already,” the Captain replied back. “Our position you used?” “Our position was taken at 8 o'clock.” Releasing the position was much fathered then what the Captain gave, Boxhall quickly left to update the ships current position.
Before Boxhall left, he turned to the Captain once more. “How serious is the danger?” Captain Smith paused briefly, considering his words before replying. “She is on a knife's edge, Mr. Boxhall. She will float, but we mustn't take any chances. Mr Andrews tells me he gives her an hour to an hour and a half if she begins to flood past the fourth compartment before the 6th Boiler Room.” Quickling arriving at the Bridge, the Captain and Officer turned to face Harold Bride as he approached. “SS Californian has heard our distress calls and is attempting to make full steam for us, sir.” The Captain felt the relief wash over, as Officer Boxhall turned and left the Bridge. “Have any other ships responded? Yes sir, RMS Carpathia is making full steam and will be here in four hours.”
“Thank you.” The Captain spoke as Harold left, whilst out on Deck, Officer Pitman met with the chairman of the White Star Line, J. Bruse Ismay. “Why aren’t the lifeboats being filled?” “We haven’t been given the order to.” The two men watched as more and more passengers arrived up on deck, quickly crowding around them. “The evacuation should start immediately.” The Chairman replied, looking back at the Officer. Pitman nodded, “I shall ask the Captain,” before he turned and left to find him.
After confirmation, lifeboats begin to be filled on port side and begin to lower as passengers reluctantly get onboard them. As Boxhall moved to try and signal the ship on the horizon, the Captain and Chief Officer Wilde observed the evacuation in progress. As Murcdoch watched lifeboat 7 leave, he called down to the crew below. “Bring her around to the gangway door to take on more passengers!”
As Lifeboat 4 on the starboard side lowered, the Captain ordered for passengers to be loaded by the promenade deck. Nearby, other lifeboats were prepped and loaded and began to be lowered away. With lifeboat 5, Pittman helps passengers alongside William Murduch, where nearby a panicking Bruce Ismay watches on. Once the lifeboat is filled to near capacity, Pittman and Murduch shake hands before the former takes command of the lifeboat which begins to be lowered.
Just as the lifeboat is lowered, Ismay struggles to breath before grabbing hold of one of the davits. “Lower away! Lower away! Lower away!” Clearly reaching his breaking point, the chairman is interrupted by a frustrated, Officer Lowe promptly pulled him away before putting him in he's place.
Throughout the evening, and into the early morning hours, the crew worked around the clock to try and keep the ship afloat whilst also evacuating passengers from the stricken ship. By around 2:17 am of April the 15, 1912, Collapsible lifeboats A & B were lowered away, about 1059 passengers remained on the ship as she remained low in the water by the bow.
As daybreak came and the sun gradually appeared overhead, the crew and passengers of the stricken ship came across the sight of what seemed like a sea of icebergs, drifting about from all directions near the boats and the ship herself. As Titanic remained afloat, her crew worked down below to keep the water at bay within the ship's sixth watertight compartment.
By around 2:45 a.m. RMS Carpathia had reached the edge of the icefield which Titanic found herself in, and at 4:00 a.m. had reached Titanic herself. Alongside the SS Californian, which had previously stopped the night before due to the large amount of ice which surrounded the ship, the two ships each took on as many passengers as either vessel could take with life boats from the trio continuing to move back and forth between the ships as the crews of either vessel helped the now disembarked passengers from the stricken ship. By the end of the morning hours and leading into 1:00 PM, all of the cold and frightened, yet grateful, passengers were aboard either vessel and the two ships set off towards New York City, arriving on the evening of Thursday 18 April, 1912 under heavy rain caused by a heavy thunderstorm and fog that delayed their journey. During this journey to the States, the two ships would be joined by the sister to the RMS Titanic, the Olympic which was among several vessels that had steamed for Titanic as it let out distress calls throughout the night of April 15. Her arrival in New York caused slightly confusion for many, who believed the ship to be Titanic just a day or so late.
Titanic remained, with her crew, the latter of which worked throughout the day to maintain the ship as she slowly made her way on the remainder of her journey at reduced speed to prevent an influx of water towards Halifax, Nova Scotia with the steamer SS Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm. The USS Chester, having originally escorted SS Californian and Carpathia to new York, arrived to aide Titanic when the ship limped into Halifax where a extensive effort was made to help remove the water and keep her afloat long enough for the return trip to Harland and Wolf shipyards, in Great Britain after a stop over in the United States to finish repairs. Upon her arrival, the ship alongside her crew were held as heroes alongside that of the Californian and Carpathia with many being awarded multiple medals by the Titanic's passengers for their efforts in a successful rescue and saving the ship.
Crew were awarded bronze medals, officers silver, and Captain’s Smith, Rostron (Carpathia) and Stanley Lord (Californian) each were given a silver cup and gold medal by Margaret Molly Brown. Smith and Rostron were later knighted by King George V and became guests of honor by President William Howard Taft at the White House, where the three received a Congressional Gold Medal.
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