Voices from the Titanic (2 page)

Southampton Docks were a hive of activity from daybreak on the morning of 10 April. The general crew reported at 6 a.m. and were followed ninety minutes later by Captain Edward John Smith, an experienced seafarer who had been transferred from the
Olympic
. The first passengers started to turn up at 9.30 when the boat train arrived from London Waterloo. Among the 497 third-class passengers who would leave from Southampton were 180 Scandinavians, lured by White Star's aggressive advertising campaign in Norway and Sweden. The vast majority were emigrating to the United States and had booked their passage aboard ‘the first available ship'. That ship was the
Titanic
.

The final boat train arrived at 11.30 a.m., carrying many of the 202 first-class passengers who were sailing from Southampton, and half an hour later – at the stroke of noon – three loud blasts on the
Titanic
's powerful whistles heralded her departure. As she was cast off, eight crew members, who had slipped out for a last-minute pint, dashed along the pier in a desperate attempt to scramble board. Two just managed to reach the gangway before it was raised; the other six were left behind on the dock, cursing their luck.

The first stop was to be Cherbourg in northern France, followed by Queenstown in southern Ireland. From there, it was full steam ahead across the wide open waters of the Atlantic … and a date with destiny.

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster – which brought full-scale inquiries both in Britain and the United States – a number of questions needed answering. Had Captain Smith ignored warnings of ice? Was the
Titanic
making a speed record attempt? Why was the colossal iceberg not seen by the lookouts until the last minute? Why were some lifeboats allowed to leave half empty? Why were so few third-class passengers saved? Did officers of the
Titanic
open fire on third-class passengers to prevent them reaching the lifeboats? What was the identity of the mystery ship seen on the horizon? Could hundreds of lives have been saved had the nearby
Californian
responded more quickly? And, most important of all, how did a supposedly unsinkable ship come to end up at the bottom of the ocean? That some of these questions remain unanswered to this day accounts for the enduring fascination with the
Titanic
a hundred years after the event.

The story of the sinking of the
Titanic
has been told countless times since 1912 by authors and film producers alike, but no account is as graphic or revealing as those of the eye-witnesses, from the people who were actually there on that fateful night. Here, via contemporary newspaper reports and survivors' tales – many of which are from rare sources and have therefore never previously appeared in book form – the Hollywood tinsel is stripped away so that the real story of the
Titanic
can be told, step by step, from her glorious launch in Belfast to the sombre burial services for those who perished at sea. The all-too-brief journey takes in vivid accounts of the departure from Southampton (a dramatic affair in its own right), life on board the luxury liner and the moment of impact, described by one Able Seaman as ‘just a trembling' while a trimmer on duty in the engine room experienced nothing more than ‘a slight shock'. A first-class passenger recalled: ‘It did not seem to me that there was any great impact at all. It was as though we went over a thousand marbles.' But while passengers were led to believe that everything was under control and that there was no cause for alarm, it became apparent to senior officers that the collision was infinitely more serious than anyone had imagined. The
Titanic
was slowly sinking.

As the evacuation process got under way, there are powerful descriptions of tearful farewells, panic, bravery, fear, resignation and, ultimately, the frantic scramble for lifeboats. Those who managed to find a place recount the horrendous conditions in the boats, of witnessing the great ship go under, of seeing human bodies bobbing up and down lifelessly in the sea, and of the enormous relief at being plucked from their nightmare by the rescue ship
Carpathia
. Some of the narratives throw up sizeable contradictions, but given the circumstances this is only to be expected.

Initial newspaper reports confidently stated that all on board the
Titanic
had been saved. But within a day the awful truth emerged that over 1,500 lives had been lost. The gathering of information was not helped by a virtual news blackout imposed by the
Carpathia
, but, when that ship docked at New York on the evening of 18 April, the world's press were on hand to describe the arrival and to snap up survivors' stories for exclusives. Many of the most poignant scenes took place at the quayside as friends and relatives hoped and prayed that their loved ones would be on board the
Carpathia
. For although a list of survivors had been issued in advance, many of the names were vague and incorrect. This was the moment of reckoning. For some, it would produce a sense of joyous relief; for others, inconsolable heartache.

The days and weeks that followed brought official inquiries, accusations and denials, reunions and burials. Newspapermen were on hand to record them all, complete with occasional inconsistencies, a spot or two of sensationalism, and their own peculiarly nationalistic slant on affairs. The American press were quick to blame the British for the disaster, citing survivor Bruce Ismay as the villain of the piece and emphasizing the heroism of all the American millionaires. The British press reacted by largely defending Ismay and another target, Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon, while printing allegations of cowardly behaviour by assorted Italians, Germans and Chinamen, basically anyone foreign. Some of these accounts, therefore, have to be taken with a hefty pinch of salt but they nevertheless provide an interesting insight into the prevailing feelings of the day. This, then, is the tale of history's most infamous maritime disaster as it was relayed in all its horror to the world in 1912.

Compiling this book would have been impossible without the help of the staff of the British Newspaper Library at Colindale. I would also like to thank the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, Nottinghamshire Library Services, and, as always, Nick Robinson and Krystyna Green at Constable & Robinson.

Most of the newspapers and magazines from which extracts have been taken for this book have long since ceased publication but nevertheless I have made every effort to contact any copyright holders. I sincerely apologize for any omissions.

Geoff Tibballs
, May 2001

Each year the tide of progress rolls steadily on, relentlessly and unceasingly. There is no retardation, no sign of an end. Arts and crafts have reached heights that were undreamt of by the last generation. Science brings forth fresh marvels with each rising of the sun. Thinking men light on new ideas, and in a twinkling these ideas are accomplished facts. Nature has been forced to yield her secrets. Pioneers full of determination march from triumph to triumph. Great feats compel the world's admiration, and then sink into line, and are accepted as ordinary events, while others spring up to take their place. There has been no era like the present one in all history.

Another step on the road of evolution was accomplished today when the
Titanic
, the sister ship of the
Olympic
, which has just completed her steam trials, was launched at the Queen's Island. The triumphs of science and engineering have been many, and Belfast can well support its claim to be regarded as one of the leading pioneers, especially in the matter of shipbuilding. When the construction of the
Olympic
was contemplated doubts were expressed that such a monster undertaking could be carried out,
but Messrs Harland & Wolff proved last October that the project was quite feasible, and that they were capable of building such a huge vessel. The
Olympic
and the
Titanic
are not merely ships: they are floating towns, with all the improvements and conveniences that are associated with cities. Both ships are, indeed, marvels of engineering.

The
Titanic
is of the same dimensions as the
Olympic
. The two boats represent the last word in shipbuilding. Messrs Harland & Wolff, by their construction, brought back to Belfast the blue riband of shipbuilding, which was taken from the city when the giant Cunarders, the
Lusitania
and the
Mauretania
, were turned out from yards on the other side of the Channel. The last big vessel built for the White Star Line was the
Adriatic
, which was launched in 1906, but she is easily eclipsed by the
Olympic
and the
Titanic
. Never before have such huge vessels floated on the ocean. A few years ago and anyone who suggested vessels of their size would have been laughed to scorn.

Messrs Ismay, Imrie and Co. have always endeavoured to lead the van with the White Star liners, and the two new giants worthily uphold their reputation as shipowners. The firm was not content to take the second place while other firms forged ahead. They have shown that they are determined to meet enterprise with enterprise. It now remains for some other large firm of shipowners to try to go one better. Messrs Harland & Wolff ably carried out the desire and orders of Messrs Ismay, Imrie and Co. and to them will always belong the honour and credit of being the constructors of the greatest vessels on the face of the globe – the
Olympic
and the
Titanic
. It takes a good amount of imagination to realize the marvel that has been accomplished with these two liners. Not only in size, but in equipment do they stand alone. They mark the beginning of an era.

It is safe to predict that the
Olympic
and the
Titanic
will enhance the great reputation already enjoyed by the line; they are without a peer on the ocean. Though so large, they are beautiful. Everything on board has been well – in some cases brilliantly
– conceived and admirably carried out, and passengers will find comfort, luxury, recreation, and health in the palatial apartments, the splendid promenades, the gymnasium, the squash racquet court, the Turkish baths, the swimming pond, palm court verandah etc. Moreover, the state rooms, in their situation, spaciousness and appointments, will be perfect havens of retreat, where many pleasant hours are spent, and where the time given to slumber and rest will be free from noise or other disturbance. Comfort, elegance, security – these are the qualities that appeal to passengers, and in the
Olympic
and the
Titanic
they abound. The horse has been described as the noblest work of the Creator. A ship may be said to be one of the finest of man's creations. Today ships are amongst the greatest civilizing agencies of the age and the White Star liners
Olympic
and
Titanic
– eloquent testimonies to the progress of mankind – will rank high in the achievements of the twentieth century.

The
Titanic
entered the waters of the Lagan as quietly and gracefully as did her sister
Olympic
. The wave she displaced was infinitesimally small, she was pulled up short and sharp, and almost before one could realize that a new leviathan had been launched the spectators were already turning their steps homeward. In this respect those who took the trouble to go to the Queen's Island have ground for serious complaint against Lord Pirrie. So exact is he in his arrangements, and so admirably and completely are his plans carried out, that these big launches threaten to become quite uninteresting. A couple of gun-fires, the turn of a lever, and another floating palace is ready for the final equipment. You don't get that thrill of expectancy born of a doubt whether the vessel will move or not. You are just told to be there at a certain time, and if you are not you have only yourself to blame. Incidentally you have missed the sight of a lifetime. You have missed a thrilling demonstration and how brain and labour, working harmoniously
together, can turn out, without fuss or excitement, a wonder of the world.

The
Titanic
looked very big as she lay on the stocks this morning; somehow she caught the eye more completely than did her sister ship. The vessel appeared the embodiment of strength, though at the same time her graceful lines made it difficult to believe that between her closely riveted plates was accommodation for the inhabitants of a respectably-sized town. High up in the air her stem lowered, the men on her deck looking mere specks on the skyline.

There was a big crowd in the yard, and the special stands erected showed a sea of faces, all waiting expectantly for the great event of the day. Within the railed-off enclosure round the ship all was well-ordered confusion. Foremen got their orders from principals, and transmitted them to the men waiting to execute them. Lord Pirrie was the dominant figure. In yachting attire he was here, there, and everywhere, giving orders and inquiring into the minutest detail.

From a quarter to twelve onwards the comparative silence became disturbed by the incessant rapping of hammers, as the final shores were being knocked away. Then again came silence. Rockets went up with two loud reports, and everyone was on the tiptoe of expectancy, for this was the first signal to stand clear, and men were seen scurrying from beneath the great mass of steel. Their work had been completed. The
Titanic
was only held in check by the hydraulic lever.

Then came the final denouement, suddenly, almost unexpectedly, for it wanted three minutes to the advertized time of the launch. Two more loud reports were heard, and almost before the spectators had time to realize that the
Titanic
was about to leave the stocks, the launch was an accomplished fact. Lord Pirrie gave the signal, the releasing valve was opened, and while the crowd still wondered the
Titanic
slid slowly, but gracefully, down to the river as straight as a die between the giant gantries which seemed almost to touch her sides. So far so good. The next question
which sprang to mind was, would she be checked safely? This was quickly answered, for the drags and anchors worked with mathematical precision, and the great liner was pulled up within her own length, and rested peacefully on the water until she was taken charge of by tugs and escorted to her berth. The actual time of launch was sixty-three seconds.