TODAY’S WORLD: A Night to Remember

 

Lessons from the loss of the TITANIC

 

 

 

 

 

April 2012 marked the centenary of the Titanic disaster, and during the month considerable interest was kindled in the loss of that great ship. Walter Lord’s fascinating book A Night to Remember detailing the tragedy could hardly have had a more fitting title. Although some years have passed since the last survivor died, memories persist, and interest in the catastrophe still remains at a high level. Artifacts recovered from the sea, as well as exploration of the ship itself now lying 13,000 feet below the surface, have engaged the attention of people around the world. We reflect upon the worst-ever maritime disaster to have occurred.

 

A FEW FACTS

The Titanic was the largest, newest, and finest ocean-going liner in existence in 1912. Built in Belfast by Harland and Wolff, the gleaming Titanic was handed over to the White Star Line early in April 1912. After satisfactorily completing her sea trials, the ship was delivered to Southampton and left that port on Wednesday 10th April on the first leg of her journey to New York. As it was the ship’s maiden voyage with passengers, crowds lined the waterfront at Southampton to watch her depart. Almost immediately an accident was averted. As the Titanic started downstream, the suction from her huge propellers pulled a much smaller American liner (the New York) from her moorings. Just in time the Titanic stopped her engines, and tugs pulled the New York out of the way, thus preventing an embarrassing collision.

 

The first sector of the journey took the Titanic across the Channel to the French port of Cherbourg where additional passengers embarked and mail was taken on board before the ship continued on the Wednesday evening to southern Ireland. The Titanic reached Queenstown harbour (known today as Cork) around noon on Thursday 11th April 1912. At two o’clock on that Thursday afternoon the world’s finest liner set out to cross the Atlantic with 1316 passengers and 891 crew members on board. On the night of Sunday 14th April at 23.40 hours she crashed into that infamous iceberg, as we know only too well. Just two hours and 40 minutes later at 02.20 on the Monday morning the Titanic sank with the loss of more than 1500 lives. Here are seven lessons from the loss of the TITANIC.

 

TITANIC – TRAGEDY

Surely no other word can sum up the incident: it was an indescribable tragedy. This was no rusty old coaster that was not seaworthy but a brand-new ship making its maiden voyage! It was all the more tragic, too, because the awful loss of life could have been prevented.

 

The Titanic had been designed by the Rt. Hon. Alexander Carlisle. After the accident he recalled a conference that had taken place where 4-5 hours was spent discussing decorations on the Titanic, while the matter of lifeboat capacity was dealt with in just 5-10 minutes! Maritime regulations in 1912 were pitifully inadequate. It was not considered necessary to provide a place in a lifeboat for every soul on board. Regulations existing then required the Titanic to make provision for just 962 people. The White Star Line went beyond this figure and had provided 1178 places – but with 2207 souls on board the vessel, it meant that only a little more than 50% could hope for a place in a lifeboat in the event of an accident. Looking back we can see how foolish and reckless it was. After the tragedy things were never the same again.

 

 

 

TITANIC – IDOLATRY

The designers of the Titanic were understandably proud of their masterpiece. Their 45,000 ton ship was just over 882 feet in length and more than 92 feet in breadth. A poster demonstrated its amazing size, for if the Titanic could have been stood upright from bow to stern, it would have been taller than each of the highest buildings and memorial that you could find anywhere.

 

The Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre were similarly impressive as they rose some 1400 feet into the sky. Yet, who can forget the terrifying pictures of figures leaping from the doomed buildings in 2001 in order to escape the raging inferno that had engulfed the floors below? A sketch of the upended Titanic in its final moments shows figures leaping from the stern of the vessel 150 feet above the sea in an attempt to escape. This was the ship that was meant to be unsinkable! One passenger, Mrs. Albert Caldwell had enquired about this as she boarded the Titanic in Southampton. A confident crew member had replied, “Madam, God Himself could not sink this ship.”

 

 

TITANIC – THOUGHTLESSNESS

Half an hour before midnight on that Sunday evening in April 1912, the Titanic was steaming across the Atlantic at the impressive speed of 22.5 knots. Early that morning at 09.00 a warning had been received, and four more were to follow – two in the afternoon, and two in the evening. Icebergs were in the area – and falling temperatures indicated their presence. At 23.00 the Californian reported being trapped in ice, but the vessel’s position was never recorded. First Wireless operator Jack Phillips was very busy at his set at the time sending messages for passengers. He knew the Company would want him to keep the passengers happy, so when the Californian made its broadcast Jack Phillips was a trifle irritated. He was just too busy to listen to that! (This is simply a factual observation and is not intended to apportion blame. To his credit, Jack Phillips later on worked tirelessly at his post as the tragedy unfolded.)

 

 

 

TITANIC – AIMLESSNESS

Old pictures from 1912 show the luxury and high-life that could be enjoyed on the Titanic, perhaps epitomized by the ornate chandeliers. Some very rich passengers were on board too. Mrs. Dickinson Bishop had 11,000 dollars’ worth of jewellery, while Major Arthur Peuchen possessed 200,000 dollars in bonds and 100,000 dollars in preferred stock. When the Titanic had docked in Ireland John Jacob Astor had purchased a fine lace jacket costing 800 dollars. What a fortune is reflected in these figures – for we are thinking of 1912 and not the twenty-first century! The Ryerson family had 16 trunks with them, but Mrs. Charlotte Cardoza (who was travelling First Class) had 14 trunks in which (among other things) could be found 91 pairs of gloves! What was the use of all these possessions when the ship was sinking?

 

 

 

TITANIC – NARROWNESS

Facts and figures reveal a stark truth when we consider who was saved after the sinking of the Titanic. 63% of the First Class passengers survived, but only 42% of those travelling Second Class. Among the Third Class a mere 25% survived, and just 23% of the crew members. It is understandable that priority should have been given to women and children, but it does seem that some had a greater chance of being saved than others. Members of staff in the a la carte restaurant in First Class were not technically crew – but neither were they passengers. Being mainly French and Italian they were disliked by the British and stood little chance of being rescued.

 

 

 

TITANIC – IMPORTANCE

As the Titanic slipped beneath the icy waters, the most important thing for each individual was a place in a lifeboat. One would have thought that all the lifeboats would have been overcrowded with survivors, but strangely this was not the case. Boat Number 2 was only 60% full, while boats Numbers 5 and 6 (which could have carried 65 each) were only occupied by 40 and 28 souls respectively. Boat Number 1 had just 12 on board instead of 40! Greaser Walter Hurst watched Number 1 leave from the railings. He remarked, “If they are sending the boats away, they might just as well put some people in them.” There seemed to be a reluctance to get into a lifeboat. Sadly, too, when the Titanic sank so many of those in the lifeboats did not want to return to the scene to rescue others. It was too much of a risk! Fireman Charles Hendrickson in boat Number 1 said, “It’s up to us to go back and pick up anyone in the water.” His suggestion was met with silence. People preferred to give advice to those in the freezing sea. “Hold on to something. You’ll be rescued,” they were told.

 

 

 

TITANIC – CERTAINTY

How welcome that night were the approaching lights of the Carpathia! Captain Arthur Rostron’s ship was 58 miles away at the time, en route from New York to Europe, when he received the Titanic’s distress call. Sparing no effort, he increased the speed of his humble Cunard liner from its usual 14 knots to 17 knots in order to reach the scene of the disaster as quickly as possible and committed his rescue mission to God in prayer. Eventually some 700 souls reached the safety of  New York through the timely intervention of that much smaller vessel. Its limited facilities did not matter then. One thing only was of the utmost importance – and that was being safely on board the Carpathia. Fred Hartnell, a steward from the Titanic, sent a one-word telegram to his anxious family ashore. They must have been thankful and relieved to read the simple message: “SAVED”.