The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (28 page)

Once inside, the captain spoke at once. ‘Mr Andrews, please get started on your calculations. Commodore, would you — and only you — step into my cabin. You have one minute.’

Holmes and the captain disappeared behind closed doors. Meanwhile, Andrews unrolled plans of the ship’s structure and studied them intently. From time to time, he would jot something down with a pencil or consult his slide rule. He worked furiously, but the resigned expression on his face told me he was merely confirming facts that he already knew.

Several other men were on the bridge, including Chief Officer Wilde, First Officer Murdoch, Fourth Officer Boxhall and Sixth Officer Moody. Murdoch was nervously looking over Andrews’s shoulder, until impatience caused him to walk over to the ship’s wheel. Gripping the wheel, he looked forward, out of the window, and appeared lost in thought. Wilde was to the rear of the bridge, consulting a White Star manual, while the other two officers spoke quietly to each other in the background.

In just over a minute, the captain and Holmes returned to the bridge. Much to my surprise, the captain appeared unaffected by their conversation. Equally to my surprise, there was a look of alarm in Holmes’s eyes.

‘Any progress, Mr Andrews?’

‘I will be finished in a moment, Captain.’

The captain, forced to wait for answers, looked at each of our faces. We were all eager to know what was going on, but none of us dared to ask.

‘I was just telling the commodore that the ship is very seriously damaged. At this moment, we are awaiting word from Mr Andrews on whether she will last the night. But I must tell you, we are in a very grave situation.’

‘Was it the iceberg, sir?’ I asked. ‘We got just a brief glimpse of it...’

‘Yes, Doctor. Mr Murdoch here was on duty when he got a call from Mr Fleet in the crow’s nest that there was an iceberg right ahead. Mr Murdoch responded quickly by hard-a-starboarding and by reversing
the engines. He had intended to steer to port around the iceberg, but it was too close. The huge mass of ice below the water scraped us along the starboard bow. While Mr Murdoch had immediately closed the watertight doors, it did not solve the problem. There is a good deal of water down below and it is coming in fast.’

We all took a moment to consider the captain’s horrifying account of our situation. I thought back to the debate that had taken place between Mr Andrews and Mr Stead, and their discussion of the lack of lifeboats.

‘Sir, the lifeboats...?’ I could not complete my sentence.

‘Well, Doctor, if the worst happens, let us just hope there are other ships nearby.’

We all stood quietly as Andrews completed his work. Before he did, Mr J Bruce Ismay stepped inside, wearing a suit over his pyjamas and a pair of carpet slippers.

‘Any word yet, Captain?’ He stopped short when he saw four visitors. ‘What are these passengers doing here?’

‘They have my permission, Mr Ismay,’ the captain replied.

Ismay nodded, suddenly realizing there were more important questions at hand.

Andrews rose from the table. ‘I have something for you now, Captain, and I fear that it is not good news.’

Captain Smith put his hand on Andrews’s shoulder. ‘Go ahead, Mr Andrews.’

He looked the captain in the eye, then turned back to the other officers. ‘This ship has an hour and a half left. Possibly two. Not much longer.’ Again, silence. It was broken by the captain.

‘Are you certain?’

‘The evidence is here,’ Andrews replied, directing Smith to look at the plans on the table. ‘This ship can float with any two of her sixteen watertight holds flooded. She can even float with all of her first four holds
gone. But she definitely cannot float with all of her first five holds full.’

‘But this ship cannot sink,’ Ismay protested.

‘I am afraid it can, sir,’ Andrews said. ‘We have water in the fore-peak, holds Number 1 and 2, the post room, boiler rooms Number 5 and 6...’ Andrews picked up his pencil and drew a long line from the bow of the ship going back. ‘That iceberg cut a narrow gash in the starboard side of the ship nearly 300 feet long. We never expected that would happen.’

‘But the watertight holds...’ Ismay said.

Andrews again pointed to the diagram. ‘Once the first five compartments are flooded, the bow will sink so low that the water in the fifth compartment will overflow into the sixth. Then the water in the sixth will overflow into the seventh, and so on... The ship will sink. There is no doubt.’

The captain decided that it was time to end the conversation.

‘Mr Wilde, uncover the lifeboats. Mr Murdoch, alert the passengers. Mr Moody, get out the lifeboat assignments. And Mr Boxhall, wake up Mr Lightoller and Mr Pitman. Tell them to report to me immediately. I will go to the wireless to send out a distress call.’

Holmes, Miss Norton, Miss Storm-Fleming and I left the bridge and moved down to the forward end of A Deck. We were drawn there by the cries and cheers of a strangely festive group of first-class passengers. As we pushed our way through the small crowd, I was nearly knocked over by a middle-aged man carrying a football-size block of ice.

‘Sorry, old man,’ he said, grabbing my forearm. ‘Are you hurt?’

He was breathing rapidly and a frosty cloud formed between us each time he exhaled.

‘Not at all.’

‘I was in a hurry. I wanted to get below to show this prize off to some friends.’

He proudly displayed his clear, shining trophy, which glimmered in the electric lights like a giant diamond.

‘Tell me,’ I said, pointing forward. ‘What is all the excitement about?’

‘Why, the sporting match of the year! When we passed the iceberg, big chunks fell down on to the well deck. Some steerage passengers are down there throwing them around, having a fine old time. Looks like great fun. I got one of them to toss this up to me. I suppose those of us in first class will have to be satisfied with being spectators, what?’

As he disappeared around the corner, Miss Storm-Fleming spoke softly, ‘Do you suppose we ought to tell them? They do not know, and there are only a couple of hours... So many could die tonight...’

‘Perhaps we should leave that to the experts,’ I said. ‘I am sure the captain has a plan that will prevent panic and save as many as possible. And there is a lot of shipping in this area. In this age of wireless communication, we will be surrounded with help in no time.’

She nodded, but did not seem to be entirely convinced. We walked forward to join Holmes and Miss Norton at the rail.

Below, the scene was just as our new acquaintance had described it. Men, children and even a few young women were kicking chunks of ice between imaginary goals. There was no precise means of keeping score but that did not dampen their enthusiasm.

The cheers of both athletes and spectators blended with the roar of the funnels, which were still belching up steam from the boilers below. In the distance we could hear the sound of the ship’s band, as it played lively ragtime tunes.

Then, from above, I heard a ‘pop’. Within moments, a bright burst of light spread across the sky. Rockets were being fired from the bridge deck. There was a cheer from the excited crowd. But I noticed that a few passengers standing nearby were suddenly subdued by this display. Frequent travellers, especially, knew the meaning of distress rockets.

Some of the crew were now trying to break up the crowd on A Deck and get the passengers to assemble inside.

‘Will everyone please move back to the first-class lounge,’ shouted a steward. ‘We will begin lowering the lifeboats shortly. The captain has ordered women and children first. I repeat, women and children first.’

There were no outward signs of alarm from the passengers. In fact, a few ignored the warning completely and stayed by the rail.

My companions and I, setting an example, immediately responded to the steward’s orders.

As we moved back through the long corridors, one young woman said to her husband, ‘Well, I am not going out in one of those little boats. I would freeze out there. This ship is as steady as can be.’

Her husband agreed, but was less certain. ‘Yes, it does not make much sense,’ he said. ‘It must be some regulations they have to follow. You know White Star, everything by the book.’

As we neared the lounge, Holmes moved to the right and opened a door. He motioned for the three of us to enter. We found ourselves in the reading and writing room, which was unoccupied. After we were all inside, Holmes closed the door, shutting out much of the noise and commotion. The curtains had been drawn across the large bay window, giving us privacy from the passengers who were walking outside along the promenade deck.

The room must have been recently used, because yellow flames were blazing in the fireplace. We gathered closely in comfortable chairs and leaned forward towards the heat.

‘As you know, our situation is precarious,’ said Holmes. He paused, but no one said a word. ‘In addition to the question of our personal safety, we have the responsibility of completing our mission and delivering the plans to the American authorities.’

Holmes’s hands were pointing forwards, with fingertips touching, as
he stared into the flames. I had often seen him in this pose at our Baker Street flat, mostly when he was deep in thought.

‘Miss Norton,’ he said, ‘you must board a lifeboat as quickly as possible. It is your responsibility to ensure that the plans arrive safely.’

For a moment, it appeared that our young friend was going to raise her voice in objection. But she stopped short when Holmes turned his head to look at her.

‘Yes, Mr Holmes, I will.’

‘And Miss Storm-Fleming, I consider it your duty to accompany Miss Norton. In view of all the efforts that have been made to steal the plans thus far, she might need your help.’

Miss Storm-Fleming left her chair and sat on the floor in front of me, next to the fire. She smiled at him, then turned to the fire and began to warm her hands. ‘My superiors gave me
two
assignments. One was to look after the submarine plans. The other was to make contact with you at the end of the voyage and take you to your American contact. If I let you drown, I will have failed in one of my missions. That would taint my record.’

‘Miss Storm-Fleming, you must get to a lifeboat,’ I said. ‘Holmes and I will proceed shortly, after a rescue ship arrives. This is not certain, but the odds are with us.’

‘Well, Watson,’ said Holmes. ‘If I thought it would do any good, I would tell you to try to get into a lifeboat too. They might allow men to board later on. But I know what the answer would be. So perhaps you would like to accompany me in a search for Moriarty. There are one or two matters of interest that I would like to discuss with him.’

‘Are you not forgetting that we have friends on board? Mr Futrelle and his wife, especially,’ said Miss Norton. ‘Should we not we find them and try to warn them?’

‘And young Tommy and his parents...’ added Miss Storm-Fleming.

‘Yes, of course, you are quite right. We must make an effort to find them while there is still time.’

‘It is a large ship,’ I said.

‘Yes, indeed it is,’ Holmes replied. ‘Perhaps we should split up. Miss Norton, please come with me. We’ll search A Deck.’

I looked at Miss Storm-Fleming and she nodded.

‘We will go up to the boat deck.’

‘Very well,’ said Holmes. ‘We will meet again at 1.15. Go to the boat deck below the forward funnel, on the starboard side, but if matters begin to look difficult, please go to a lifeboat.’

Holmes was the first to rise from his chair. Soon, the rest of us headed slowly towards the door.

We paused before leaving. Inside this room there was warmth, elegance and, dare I say it, friendship. But we all knew full well that the clock was ticking. Before the night was out, this luxury room on the world’s largest ocean liner would be filled with icy water and lying on the ocean floor.

Holmes extended his hand to me, and I grasped it firmly.

Then he opened the door.

T
HE
E
ARLY
H
OURS OF
M
ONDAY
15 A
PRIL
1912

T
he
Titanic
had developed a perceptible tilt. Both Miss Storm-Fleming and I noticed it immediately as we stepped out on to the boat deck. Much to our surprise, there was no panic. People seemed to realize that the ship was in trouble but they had no idea of their immediate peril. In fact, one member of the crew, who was assisting with the loading of a lifeboat, told me that the
Titanic
could not possibly sink in less than eight hours — plenty of time for rescue ships to arrive. Speaking as a veteran, it was his opinion that the ship would not sink at all.

‘I may stay on board while the ship is towed back to Belfast,’ he boasted. ‘I will book myself a first-class cabin and have a grand old time.’

The
Titanic
had sixteen lifeboats under davits, as well as four Englehardt collapsible boats, which were stored elsewhere on the boat deck. Thus far, six of the craft had been launched, none of which had been filled to capacity. The crew was having a difficult time getting people to board the boats. So rather than waiting for greater cooperation from the passengers, they launched them. Officers
reasoned that once the boats were safely in the water, they could come back and rescue swimming survivors.