by Alan Veale
And the truth is… What?
If you want to know what really happened on the night of 14/15 April 1912, you are not alone. In recent years we have learned a lot more as a result of scientific investigations into material retrieved from the seabed. There is little doubt that a collision with an iceberg was the determining factor that sent Titanic to the bottom of the Atlantic. But as to why such a thing should happen, the rest is largely speculation.
In the pages of The Titanic Document I have incorporated a theory of my own, and I have no doubt many will be sceptical. That’s fine with me, as my principal interest was to present a plausible scenario for an entertaining fiction. But aside from my interest as an author, I believe one of the reasons the disaster still holds such a fascination today is the enigma of doubt surrounding that one little word: Why?
It was that question that stuck in my mind after reading Robin Gardiner’s book Titanic—The Ship That Never Sank? (see Bibliography). While his theory that the near identical sister ships were deliberately swapped is largely debunked today, there was so much evidence presented in his book to indicate that something was going on, that I kept looking for an alternative solution.
The big thing that stood out for me was the behaviour of Stanley Lord, Captain of the Californian. According to Robin Gardiner, Lord deliberately steered his ship to a prearranged plan. He stopped for the night (wisely) on the edge of an icefield. We have to presume he was as close to his desired position as possible. But then he did two strange things: firstly, he ordered his engineer to keep a full head of steam to ensure that the engines would be available on his command; and secondly, instead of going to his bunk, he stayed fully dressed, stretching out his six-foot frame on a chart room sofa at least six inches shorter than he was. Both actions indicate that he was expecting something to happen during the night, for which both he and his ship (owned by the White Star Line) had to be ready. Curiously, his radio operator was not on duty, so Lord was not anticipating any news from that quarter. So why the state of readiness? Perhaps the answer lies in the reported statements given to the British Inquiry by members of his crew. They observed rocket signals from another vessel and told their captain. His immediate response was to ask about their colour. On being told they were not coloured (white), he showed no interest. So, what significance was the colour of the rockets? To me, the actions of both captains (Lord on the Californian and Smith on the Titanic) suggest they were following specific orders.
Some details we do know: Titanic was an hour late leaving Southampton because another ship moored nearby (SS New York) nearly collided with her from the same suction effect that caused the Hawke incident months earlier. Once all passengers were picked up (at Cherbourg and at Queenstown in Ireland), Captain Smith took the faster of two established routes across the Atlantic, directly contravening White Star’s own standing orders for that time of year. (No problem though, as the Chairman was on board.) He took the northern route, which was more direct and would save time, but was also known to be riskier because of icebergs. Time was clearly an issue, but as the Olympic class of ships were never intended to compete with Cunard for speed (opulence was what gave them the edge over their competitor), one has to wonder why Captain Smith was in such a hurry?
That brings me to the question asked by Ed in Chapter 10: why was Titanic going so fast when there was a danger of hitting an iceberg in limited visibility? My answer would be: because they needed to rendezvous with another vessel that did not (or could not) communicate by radio, and could only use rocket signals.
For me, that solution ties in with Gardiner’s documented evidence, and presents a scenario (a mid-ocean rendezvous in the middle of the night attracting few witnesses) that begs a further question: Why?
That is where my own speculation needed expansion, but then Gardiner and others provide further clues with many witnesses reporting sightings of a ‘mystery ship’ close by. The lights of a ship are variously described, and in some cases accompanied with clearer descriptions of a smaller vessel, including lifeboats in the water before Titanic had launched any. The British Inquiry concluded that all these sightings were of the Californian, thus making her captain (Stanley Lord) a scapegoat for not going to the aid of Titanic. If Robin Gardiner and I are correct, then the reason Lord stayed put was because he never saw the signal he was expecting, regardless of how near or far he was from the sinking.
Then the Inquiry itself provides another clue: Ismay’s ‘slip of the tongue’ being questioned about the speed of his doomed creation. What possible reason did he have for the use of the word “derelict”? When questioned by Sir Rufus Isaacs over the contents of a telegram he had discussed with two female passengers, he said: I cannot recollect what I said. I think I read part of the message to them about the ice and the derelict - not the derelict, but the steamer that was broken down; short of coal she was. So, he had intended to refer to a steamer that had run out of coal, but something in his brain made him use a term for something very different. Again, that question: Why?
One answer would be that there was a derelict ship in the region, but one that nobody has ever reported. In other words, one that Ismay knew about—but no-one else. The term was not one that passengers would use, and if any surviving crew member was aware of such a vessel in the vicinity, bear in mind that every last one of them were separated from reporters upon arrival in New York, and kept under strict supervision until their return to the UK. What was it that the White Star Line was afraid their employees might reveal, as opposed to the surviving passengers?
The suggestion that a derelict ship was to be met at a specific rendezvous point is my own, together with the idea that the intention was to stage a “rescue”. If that had been the case, and the operation had been successful, then the resulting publicity for the White Star Line would indeed have assured a major boost. J. P. Morgan might have seen his investment in the shipping industry well-rewarded, and the name of Titanic would have been noted in the history books for more agreeable reasons.
But of course, now we’ll never know—unless someone really does find that document.
Alan Veale, September 2020
Acknowledgements
After The Murder Tree I was actively encouraged to include Billie Vane in another story. He’s not everyone’s idea of a hero, and one reader felt he could be “vulnerable”. What better way to create tension than to put your hero in a vulnerable situation? So, my librarian has a second outing by request. Not having followed such a career myself, I felt obliged to seek out another librarian to help me flesh out aspects of Billie’s history, and I am grateful to Robin Crawshaw for assisting in that respect.
Still on the subject of libraries, The Mitchell in Glasgow is only rivalled in my eyes by The Central in my birth city of Manchester (yes, there are elements of me in Billie). It seemed only fair to include that other beautiful building in this story, and I am indebted to Darren Rawcliffe from Manchester City Council for his assistance in showing me round, and including those parts the public don’t get to visit.
The Irish connection to Titanic’s story is huge, and anyone who really wishes to gain a thorough understanding of the human background to that great ship should do as I did and go to Belfast. I was especially helped in my historical research by Aidan McMichael of the Belfast Titanic Society, and I had the privilege of meeting him in the original Harland & Wolff boardroom. If you have any interest in Titanic, that is the place to go.
Another Irishman is my editor, Alan Whelan. He ploughed through all my verbosity and guided the manuscript into its present shape, for which every reader will be eternally grateful.
While writing is normally a solitary occupation, the end result was only reached after input and constructive critique from members of my writing group, in particular from Ed Christiano and Mike Ward.
As The Titanic Document has much of its action based in Manchester, it provided me with an opportunity to include some personal input from family members: my daughter Mollie
once had an apartment in Salford Quays, and that location became Emma’s for several scenes; my son Matt also worked at the former All Star Lanes, off Deansgate, and consented to make a personal appearance to assist Billie and Chrissie in their hour of need.
Lastly, and by no means least, my wife Elaine still thinks I spend too much time on my laptop. I have to placate her by doing my share of the housework and pretending there will be no more books to write after this one. Please don’t spoil the illusion!
Alan Veale, September 2020
Bibliography
You like books? So do I. My interest in Titanic began from around the age of 13, originally from watching the 1958 movie A Night To Remember and, once I knew it was a true story, I wanted to read more. Many years later, certain books in particular were referred to while writing The Titanic Document.
My number one source came during a spell writing reviews for a provincial newspaper in 1986, when a copy of Titanic—Triumph and Tragedy landed on my desk. This comprehensive volume, full of facts, figures and illustrations, was written by John P. Eaton and Charles A. Haas, and was published by Patrick Stephens Limited in the same year.
Peace in Northern Ireland was a huge topic of the mid 80’s, when Martin Dillon wrote his book The Dirty War to describe what it was really like to live through The Troubles. Published in 1999 by Routledge, I drew heavily on his detailed account to try and reflect the situation described in Part One of The Titanic Document.
Going forward into the 21st Century, a title caught my eye during a visit to a local library, and I was immediately curious. Robin Gardiner’s Titanic—The Ship That Never Sank? presented a controversial theory that it was the sister ship Olympic at the bottom of the Atlantic, and the near identical ships had been swapped to enable White Star to make a valid insurance claim. It seemed an outrageous idea, but I found his argument persuasive at the time. The book had been published in 1998 by Ian Allan, and while many Titanic enthusiasts believe this theory is now discredited, you’ll still see plenty of videos on YouTube supporting the idea!
Who Sank the Titanic? was written by Robert J. Strange and published by Pen & Sword Maritime in 2012. Strange presents a strong case in claiming that politicians were largely to blame for the tragedy, and I have carried forward several of his arguments within the pages of Emma’s T Doc. It was Strange who alerted me to The Marconi Scandal, for example.
You’ll find a journal-like approach to the 1912 disaster in Jonathan Mayo’s Titanic—Minute by Minute. The book’s title says it all, and I borrowed his description of Ismay meeting the lady with the pig, that being my only scene set on board Titanic. This one was published by Short Books in 2016.
There is a wealth of material available online, including the excellent Encyclopaedia Titanica. I couldn’t possibly list every webpage I’ve looked at for either information or inspiration. There’s also plenty to find on YouTube—including the clip Ed shows to Billie in Chapter 10 of The Titanic Document. The simulation exercise described there can be viewed within a short film made by Blink Films in 2010: Titanic—The True Story.
To all those who contributed in any way to my own effort, my respect and huge appreciation.
Alan Veale, September 2020
Also by the Author:
THE MURDER TREE
It can be murder digging up your family tree, especially when your ancestor is trying to kill you...
Chrissie Fersen desperately wants to know how she is connected to the death of a servant woman in Glasgow in 1862. Enlisting the aid of local librarian Billie Vane, she is determined to clear the name of the woman originally convicted of the crime. But her chief suspect appears to be alive and well – and it looks like he still has murder on his mind...
The Murder Tree introduces an unlikely pair of heroes: the American daughter of a wealthy businessman and a Manchester-born librarian working in Glasgow. Each has their share of domestic strife to deal with, while sharing a thirst to find out the truth about a 150-year-old murder. But deaths are still taking place today as far afield as New York, and trying to dig through the roots of this unique family tree becomes more hazardous than either Chrissie or Billie could imagine.
The Murder Tree is based on the true story of Jessie McLachlan, convicted of murder in 1862, but who famously accused an old man of the crime after being found guilty at her trial.
About the Author
Alan Veale describes himself as “a creative writer”. He qualifies this by explaining that his interests are diverse. “I’d rather be a jack of all trades than a master of none” he says. Since leaving school he has written comic sketches to entertain his peers, then theatre scripts, newspaper reviews and articles, and lately (from 2010) published two novels and a memoir (his mother’s). “Oh, and a travelogue!” (Describing his visit to Australia just as the coronavirus pandemic struck worldwide) “Well, it created a lot of fuss – the pandemic, not the travelogue.”
Alan writes with an emphasis on the business of entertaining. “I love to read something that provides escapism, while still rooted in the real world, so I try to do the same in my own writing. Even thrillers need occasional humour to break down the tension. The fun I have writing in that genre is by bringing the unexpected, and keeping the reader on edge. It’s a challenge to keep that up for long, but I do enjoy a challenge!”
Then there’s his less serious side.
In 2018 Alan joined forces with long-time friend and thespian Peter Franksson to write comedy sketches for a new theatre group, JAPE Productions. The result is The Red Rose Tattoo – an ongoing career as both writer and performer, producing podcasts as well as live performances radio-style.
Further details of his work (and the opportunity to be on Alan’s mailing list) can be found at www.alanveale.com.