Voyage on the Great Titanic

by Ellen Emerson White

  In the meantime, most of the passengers and crew were unaware of the seriousness of the situation. Many passengers noticed a slight “bump” or “jarring” or “scraping,” and some were even awakened from a sound sleep. But since they assumed the Titanic was unsinkable, almost no one was terribly concerned.

  Around midnight, Captain Smith gave orders to uncover the lifeboats and load the women and children first. There were over 2,200 people aboard, and at full occupancy the lifeboats could carry only 1,178. Captain Smith and his fellow crew members tried very hard to keep this information from the passengers, to prevent panic. In order to keep up morale, the band, led by Wallace Hartley, began to play. With total disregard for their own safety, they continued to play on the Boat Deck until the very end.

  Wireless operators Phillips and Bride were busy sending out “CQD” and “SOS” distress signals. Many ships responded, although most of them were too far away to be able to help. The Carpathia, about 58 miles away, immediately began rushing to the rescue, but it would take her several hours to arrive. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the disaster concerns a nearby ship, the Californian. She may have been as close as 4 or 5 miles away, although this exact distance has never been established. Her radio operator had gone to bed, so she never got the distress calls — nor did she respond to the distress rockets the Titanic began shooting into the sky.

  Throughout the night, the Titanic’s passengers and crew members were — with very few exceptions — remarkably brave in the face of danger. Men routinely stepped back and gave up their lives in order to save women and children. In some cases, wives stayed behind with their husbands in a courageous example of the “till death do us part” marriage promise. There are many wild legends of officers firing guns to keep frantic passengers at bay, and men dressing as women in order to sneak onto boats — but there is really no way of knowing exactly what occurred. White Star Managing Director Bruce Ismay took a place in one of the last available boats, and was condemned as a coward for the rest of his life.

  Once the last lifeboats were gone, there were still about 1,500 people aboard the Titanic—almost all of whom were now doomed. The bow was completely underwater, and the ship was sinking rapidly. Captain Smith told his crew that they had performed nobly, and that it was “every man for himself.” He was never seen again. During all of this, the band kept playing. Their selfless devotion to duty is one of the most inspiring stories to come out of the tragedy.

  At about 2:15 A.M., the ship snapped in two and the bow slipped under water. Slowly, the stern of the ship began to rise up into the air. The front funnel broke off and slammed into the water, crushing a number of people who were trying to swim away. The stern stood up in the air until it was almost exactly perpendicular, and then it, too, disappeared beneath the water’s surface.

  It was 2:20 A.M. and the Titanic was gone forever.

  Even though many of the lifeboats had room for more people, only one made a point of going back to pick up survivors. That boat found only four people left alive, one of whom died later.

  At about 4:30 A.M., the Carpathia steamed up, after a risky journey through dangerous fields of ice. Her commander, Captain Rostron, demonstrated astonishing seamanship and grace under pressure. The survivors were brought on board, and the Carpathia set sail for New York City. Just over 700 people survived, while more than 1,500 perished.

  The night the Titanic sank was one of darkness and courage, nobility and despair. For the most part, the very best of humanity was on display — with the very worst of results. It is a night that will never be forgotten.

  The Titanic’s planned voyage included a return trip from New York on April 20, 1912, as indicated in this advertisement by the White Star Line, the shipping company that owned the Titanic.

  Southampton, England, the port of origin for the Titanic, was a working-class town much like London’s East End. The children seen here may have worked in the shipyards or on the ships, or had parents who did so. Though much has been said of the Titanic’s wealthy passengers, many working-class families from England, Ireland, and other European countries also boarded the Titanic in hopes of finding a better life in America.

  The Titanic was unveiled at Southampton port. At 882.5 feet from bow to stern and decorated with the finest furnishings of the period, she was the largest and grandest ship of her day. Even in a city where people were accustomed to seeing large ships, the Titanic’s maiden voyage was an exciting event, and families lined the dock to see her set sail.

  One of the early indicators that this would be an ill-fated voyage was the Titanic’s near collision with another ship, the New York, just moments after leaving the dock at Southampton. The tug boat is leading the New York out of the Titanic’s path.

  Captain Edward John Smith was the commander of the Titanic. This was supposed to be his final voyage before he retired from a 38-year career as a ship’s captain with a perfect sailing record. Ironically, it was his final voyage, because the captain went down with his ship.

  Second-class passengers take a stroll on the promenade deck. The first-class promenade was a separate area behind these passengers, more toward the Titanic’s bow. The third-class promenade was at the stern. Passengers in each class were kept separated, as was customary at the time.

  The Grand Staircase, graced by a glass dome overhead, marked the entrance to the first-class passenger areas.

  Meals at sea were an event, and in first class, passengers had several dining options — from a casual café that younger passengers enjoyed to this more formal dining room.

  A typical luncheon menu included several courses. This was the last luncheon served in first class before disaster struck.

  A first-class bedroom typically included a bed, sofa, wardrobe, vanity, and washbasin, though some first-class passengers did share a washroom. There were also staterooms, which included a separate sitting area. Few children traveled in first class, but those who did shared suites with their parents. In third-class bedrooms, children slept in bunk beds.

  The first-class reading and writing room on A Deck offered passengers a place to read, play cards, or write letters. Children met their friends here or played games outside on the deck.

  One of the most famous areas of the ship was the gymnasium, which was complete with one of the first stationary bicycles. Another favorite spot was the Titanic’s swimming pool, where, for 25 cents, passengers could purchase a ticket to swim.

  The Titanic’s mail room workers (pictured here) and other crew members had the least luxurious quarters. Theirs were located on the lowest decks, which partially accounts for the high death rate among the crew.

  Telegrams were sent from and received by the Titanic’s wireless room (shown here). Ships’ wireless rooms are often called Marconi rooms, named for Guglielmo Marconi, the man who manufactured telegraph equipment.

  At 1:45 P.M. on April 14, 1912, a German ship, the Amerika, sent a telegram to the Titanic warning of ice in its path. Many other ships sent ice warnings, too. Because ice was common in the area, the warnings were not considered serious.

  This dramatic painting shows lifeboats being lowered into the water. Unfortunately, many passengers were not aware of the grave danger, so several lifeboats were only half-full.

  When they reached the site of the Titanic’s accident, passengers on other ships in the area took photographs of the iceberg they thought caused the disaster. A smear of red paint runs along the base of this iceberg, leading observers to believe that it had been struck recently.

  There are no photographs of the Titanic as it sank. Many artists have rendered paintings based on eyewitness testimony.

  One of the Titanic’s four collapsible lifeboats was photographed by a passenger on the Carpathia, the first ship to arrive at the scene.

  Still dressed in their formal evening clothes, rescued Titanic passengers recover on the Carpathia’s deck.

  This is one of the few photographs taken of surviving third-class passen
gers.

  Early reports indicated that the Titanic had been damaged but would arrive in New York as planned. This newspaper headline reveals the devastating truth.

  This diagram shows the original plan to include 32 lifeboats on the Titanic. However, according to British Board of Trade regulations in 1911, only 16 lifeboats were necessary. The shipping company voluntarily added 4 more collapsible boats, bringing the total to 20. Inquiries into the accident later revealed that it would have taken 63 lifeboats to save all of the Titanic’s passengers.

  Both American and British authorities conducted investigations of the Titanic disaster. Key issues were the number of lifeboats, the reliability of the telegraph equipment, and the location of other ships that were sailing nearby, as shown on this map. In the end, it was determined that no one person or thing was to blame; rather, it was a series of unfortunate occurrences that led to the most well-known maritime tragedy of all time.

  This map charts the Titanic’s ill-fated course.

  Timeline

  1898: A writer named Morgan Robertson publishes a story called Futility. It is a prophetic tale about a ship, named the Titan, that hits an iceberg and sinks on its very first voyage. The ship does not have enough lifeboats, and many of its passengers die.

  1907: The International mercantile marine company, known as IMM, is being run by J. Bruce Ismay, who controls the White Star Line of ships. He and William J. Pirrie, head of a construction company called Harland and Wolff, decide to build two new ships, the Titanic and the Olympic.

  1909: Construction begins on the Titanic at a Harland and Wolff site located in Belfast, Ireland.

  May 31, 1911: The Titanic is launched for the first time.

  January 1912: Sixteen lifeboats are installed on the Titanic. She has the capacity to handle many more, but the law in Britain does not require them. The Titanic is also provided with four collapsible lifeboats.

  March 31, 1912: The Titanic is fully outfitted and ready to commence her maiden voyage as the largest and most luxurious ship ever built.

  April 2, 1912: Tests (known as sea trials) are conducted on the Titanic. They are completed in about half a day. That evening, the ship departs for Southampton, England.

  April 3, 1912: Cargo and supplies are loaded onto the ship in Southampton, and the first crew members are hired.

  April 6, 1912: The rest of the crew is hired, many of them local residents of Southampton.

  April 10, 1912:

  7:30 AM: Captain Edward J. Smith, who will command the ship, boards the Titanic.

  8:00 AM: Two lifeboats are tested in a short drill.

  9:30 – 11:00 AM: Second- and third-class (also known as steerage) passengers begin to board the ship.

  11:30 AM: Boarding begins for first-class passengers.

  Noon: The Titanic sets out on its maiden voyage, but is delayed by a near collision with a much smaller ship, the New York.

  6:30 PM: The Titanic arrives at her first stop, Cherbourg, France, and almost 300 more passengers are ferried to the ship. She is an hour late.

  8:10 PM: The Titanic heads for its next stop — Queenstown, Ireland.

  April 11, 1912: The Titanic has traveled 386 uneventful miles in near-perfect weather.

  April 13, 1912: The superb weather continues, and the Titanic completes another 519 miles.

  10:30 PM: Another ship, the Rappahannock, sends a warning of severe ice.

  April 14, 1912:

  9:00 AM: An ice warning is received from the Caronia.

  11:40 AM: Another ice warning comes from the Noordam.

  1:42 PM: Yet another ice warning is sent by the Baltic.

  1:45 PM: Still another ice warning arrives, from the Amerika.

  7:30 PM: Three iceberg warnings are sent by the Californian.

  9:20 PM: Captain Smith goes to bed, ordering Second Officer Lightoller to wake him if there are any problems.

  9:40 PM: Another ice warning comes in, this time from the Mesaba.

  10:00 PM: First Officer William Murdoch relieves Lightoller on the bridge.

  10:55 PM: The Californian, only a few miles away, tries to send another ice warning, but the overworked Titanic telegraph operator tells them to “Shut up!”

  11:30 PM: The telegraph operator on the Californian signs off for the night.

  11:40 PM: Titanic lookouts Fleet and Lee spot a large iceberg in the calm ocean and call down to the bridge. Officer Moody tells them, “Thank you.” Officer Murdoch, who is currently in charge, is unable to steer out of the way, and the starboard side of the ship is torn open in the resulting crash.

  11:50 PM: The first five compartments of the ship are filling with water, as is Boiler Room 6. (A stubborn coal fire that raged in the Boiler Room may have weakened its strength.)

  April 15, 1912:

  Midnight: Captain Smith and Thomas Andrews, the builder of the ship, go on a quick tour to inspect the damage. Andrews estimates that the Titanic will sink within two hours. Captain Smith has distress calls sent to nearby ships with the message that the Titanic is going down and is in desperate need of help. Responses begin to come in from everyone except the nearby Californian. Initially, Operators Phillips and Bride use the traditional “CQD” signal. Later, they switch to the new “SOS.”

  12:05 AM: Captain Smith orders that the lifeboats be readied and that all passengers put on their life belts. If fully loaded, the lifeboats can carry only 1178 people. There are approximately 2200 people on board the Titanic.

  12:15 AM: The Titanic’s band begins to play “lively” music to help prevent a panic.

  12:25 AM: The lifeboats begin to be loaded with women and children.

  12:45 AM: The first lifeboat — Lifeboat 7 — is lowered away, holding only 28 passengers. It has room for 65. Simultaneously, the first distress rocket is fired, as the Titanic’s officers try to get the attention of a ship (thought to be the Californian) that they can see in the distance.

  12:55 AM: Lifeboat 7 leaves, with Lifeboat 5 soon to follow. The boats are still not fully loaded.

  1:00 AM: Lifeboat 3 leaves.

  1:10 AM: Lifeboat 1 leaves. It has only twelve passengers aboard. It can hold forty.

  1:15 AM: The Titanic is visibly sinking.

  1:20 AM: Lifeboat 9 leaves, more fully loaded than any boat so far, but still not filled to capacity.

  1:25 AM: Lifeboat 12 leaves.

  1:30 AM: Lifeboat 14 leaves.

  1:35 AM: Lifeboat 13 leaves.

  1:40 AM: Collapsible Boat C leaves, with J. Bruce Ismay boarding at the last minute. He is later heavily criticized for this.

  1:45 AM: The Titanic sends out its final message to the Carpathia. Lifeboat 2 leaves.

  1:55 AM: Lifeboat 4 leaves.

  2:05 AM: Almost all of the lifeboats have gone. Collapsible Boat D is being loaded with women and children.

  2:17 AM: Captain Smith releases the crew from their duties and tells them to try to save themselves, since nothing more can be done. Collapsibles A and B are washed overboard by the rushing water. Later on, survivors will cling to them.

  2:20 AM: The Titanic sinks. Approximately 1500 people — passengers and crew — die in the disaster.

  3:30 AM: Lifeboats spot rockets being fired by the Carpathia, which is speeding to the rescue.

  4:10 AM: The Carpathia picks up passengers from the first lifeboat it encounters, Lifeboat 2.

  8:30 AM: After several hours of rescue work, the final lifeboat, Lifeboat 12, is picked up. At the same time — hours too late to help — the Californian appears.

  8:50 AM: The Carpathia sets out for New York City with an estimated 705 survivors aboard.

  April 18, 1912: The Carpathia arrives in New York.

  April 19 – April 25, 1912: Under the committee leadership of Senator William Smith, the United States Senate conducts hearings to investigate the sinking.

  May 2 – July 3, 1912: A similar inquiry, run by British authorities, takes place in England, attempting without much success to assess blame for
the disaster.

  April 1913: The International Ice Patrol is formed in the hopes of preventing another tragedy like the Titanic. It is administered by the United States Coast Guard.

  November 1955: A Night to Remember, by Walter Lord, is published. More than fifty years later, it is still considered the best book ever written about the Titanic.

  September 1, 1985: American scientist Dr. Robert Ballard and his crew, along with French scientist Jean-Louis Michel, discover the wreck, lying more than two miles below the ocean’s surface.

  July 1986: Dr. Ballard explores the wreck and takes underwater photographs of it. Out of respect, he makes no attempt to retrieve anything, and hopes that no other expedition ever does so.

  There have been a number of dives since Dr. Ballard’s discovery. Crews have recovered everything from dishes to clothing to furniture.

  About the Author

  In the course of her research, Ellen Emerson White found many accounts of the Titanic’s voyage from the first- and third-class points of view. Because the classes never mingled, she thought it would be interesting to explore the privileged experience of the wealthy through the eyes of a working-class girl who, by a stroke of luck, finds herself traveling in first class.

  Ms. White has written several critically acclaimed novels for young adults, among them The President’s Daughter, Life Without Friends, and Long Live the Queen, which was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. For Scholastic Press she has written The Road Home, also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. She lives in New York.