Questions – Titanic.

J. Bruce Ismay

J. Bruce Ismay was an English businessman who served as chairman and managing director of the White Star Line of steamshipsIsmay occasionally accompanied his ships on their maiden voyages, and the Titanic was one of them.

During the voyage, Ismay talked with chief engineer Joseph Bell about a possible test of speed if time permitted. When the ship hit an iceberg 400 miles south of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and started sinking on the night of 14 April 1912, Ismay was rescued in Collapsible Lifeboat C. He testified that as the ship was in her final moments, he turned away, unable to watch his creation sink beneath the waters of the North Atlantic.

After being picked up by the Carpathia, Ismay was led to the cabin belonging to the ship's doctor, which he reportedly did not leave for the entire journey. He ate nothing solid, received only a single visitor, and was kept under the influence of opiates.

After the disaster, Ismay was savaged by both the American and the British press for deserting the ship while women and children were still on board. Some papers called him the "Coward of the Titanic" or "J. Brute Ismay" and suggested that the White Star flag be changed to a white liver.

Can anyone find the correct answers to following:

1. Did  Mr. Bruce Ismay while having breakfast with Captain E.J.Smith suggested to  him that the remaining two boilers should be fired and speed increased in order to reach New York twelve hours early to make head lines in the New York Times?
 
The Titanic did make headlines.  Not only in the New York Times but all over the world.

2. Did the Captain tell Mr. Ismay, that the ship was making good speed and an increase of the same was not necessary?

3. As Mr.Ismay did not get a proper response from the Captain, did he go down to the Engine Room and advise the Chief Engineer to fire remaining boilers and increase the speed? 

4. If he did so, then the Chief Engineer did something against the ship’s command!

Ice warning: The presence of ice in the vicinity had been received by the ship by this time.  JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT

5. Was there a delay from the Lookouts in the Crows Nest informing the bridge of the presence of Iceberg in the vicinity?  In this case right ahead?

6. Was there a delay in OOW taking action? He called the First Officer. Why did he not  alert  the Master?

William Murdoch

First Officer William Murdoch appeared on the bridge sighted the ice, and ordered the ship to be steered around the obstacle and the engines to be put in reverse. The Vessel was cruising at full speed at approximately 21 kts.  It would have definitely taken a few minutes before stopping and reversing itself.  

The Master was called and came in after the ship struck the iceberg. Naturally, the Master who may have been sleeping needs few minutes depending on the circumstances of the case. In this case, I guess at least five to six minutes to come on the bridge.

7. Why didn’t First Officer Murdoch alter course to Port? He would have had the entire Atlantic ocean to himself.  The reduced speed would have given him time to call the Master. The Master would have had an opportunity to  assess the situation and take appropriate action.

Captain's Photo Gallery

Pilot boarding the vessel at Acajutla

Captain's Photo Gallery

On The Bridge

With my daughter Stephanie

With my wife Subitha

Captain's Diary: Family On Board “Pacific X-Press”

I am in command of m.v.”Pacific X-Press” from May 2012.  My wife Subitha, and daughter, Stephanie  joined the ship  on June 11,2012, at the port of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico. They sailed with me for one week. During this time the ship called two ports: Acajutla in El Salvador and Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala.

My daughter’s birthday is on 10th of June. We celebrated the same  at sea on the 13th of June. 

 All Officer’s and the Ratings other than the Watch Keepers attended the party. I am sure for Stephanie this will be a memorable birthday celebration. It all started with following traditions: cutting the birthday cake.  Only thing is our Chief Cook has forgotten to remove it on time from the cold room, and we all had to patiently wait until it thawed and we were able to cut it.

All the Officer’s and Ratings on board are from Sri Lanka.

It took a while for the party to gather momentum. Well, then it was usual drinking, singing and dancing. .. And,  with all the fun they were having, all Officers and Ratings attended the party were alert all the time, bearing in mind that all of us are on board a ship and the ship was at sea. 

Chief Engineer, who likes to dance, opened the floor.  He is a great dancer, too. Well, it was stag-dancing all the way, and I am sure they all missed some female company! 

There is a drum-set made on board by a former Bosun: Roshan Mendis, a Sri Lanka. And, also there was one guitar. The Engine Cadet could do a little bit of rhythm.  But over all singing, mostly Sinhala pop and baila was great. Baila also called Kaffringa is a kind of Portuguese music.  Portuguese had invaded and ruled part Sri Lanka in 1500 century.  These are a part of Portuguese culture that had been induced in Sri Lankans living in Coast al areas. 

The party started at around 7.30 PM and around 10.30 PM I decided say, “Good night and God bless”, and left the party with my wife and daughter. However, as a practice, about ten minutes prior to leaving I informed the Chief Officer and the Chief Engineer and officially handed over further proceedings of the party to them. It was great party! Thanks to Chief Officer and Chief Engineer.

I am very proud to announce that this vessel has a well disciplined and very hard working and reliable set of Officers and Crew. Sri Lanka Officers, and ratings, generally are like that.

Thereafter, it was good and peaceful sailing for my wife and daughter, until effects  of the nearby hurricane changed the sea and wind. My wife was feeling a little bit sick and I advised her to go and get some fresh on a bridge wing. It was about 2200 hours and I too went with her. Oh, it was more than fresh air. The wind speed was about 40 to 45 knots. After little while my wife was feeling good and we proceed to my day room.

They managed to spend a little time out in both ports. Apart from a excellent sea-food dinner, there was the opportunity of listening to good Spanish music provided by a Quartet at the table-side.  It was good show – we all like Spanish music and dancing. 

POSTCARD FROM TITANIC

"For many they would never have had a proper holiday. The White Star line was not about speed, but quality of accommodation. Even for those in third class, there were three meals a day, clean bed linen, music and dancing, and there would have been a semi-carnival atmosphere for the majority."

That ended suddenly in the early hours of 15 April 1912.

Darling wife, I must tell you I'm on a fine big boat. But I cannot say the same about the food: It's rotten. I don't think it was made for us to eat but it would be all right for ducks.

Well darling, it will be from Pittsburg where you will hear from me next. Don't be downhearted.

Excuse the writing, I'm on the boat and it's very shaky.

Love, Les


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Titanic: Survivors from Wales of 1912 liner tragedy

By Steve Duffy BBC News Wales

One of the Titanic lifeboats, with some of the 700 survivors

... Able seaman Thomas William Jones, 32, son of a fisherman from Llanbadrig on Anglesey, was in charge of boat No 8. It contained two fellow crew and 24 women, all first class passengers, including the redoubtable Countess Rothes, an expert oarswoman.

However, despite Jones' own misgivings, the majority of passengers were against going back for survivors, despite there being room on board for fear of being swamped. A letter of gratitude from the countess's cousin, a fellow survivor, said: "I shall always remember your words, 'ladies if any of us are saved, remember I wanted to go back. I would rather drown with them, than leave them.'"

Another crew member from Anglesey was Holyhead-born Edward Brown, 34, a steward in first class, who helped load lifeboats but was washed overboard by a wave as he tried to leave in a boat as the ship sank.

The non-swimmer said it felt "like a lifetime" in the water, clinging onto a lifebelt until he was rescued by a collapsible lifeboat, one of the last to leave Titanic.

His great-great niece Olivia Goulding said: "He was in the water so long his hands and feet swelled up - he said that his feet were bursting through his boots, but he took an oar of the lifeboat".

Edward later married but the physical toll from that night may have contributed to his death at the age of 48 in a Liverpool sanatorium. He left a widow and six-year-old daughter.

Olivia and her cousin Valerie Lewis, who have researched his story, presented Holyhead Maritime Museum with their findings in his memory to coincide with the centenary.

Historian Richard Davenport-Hines, who has written Titanic Lives: Migrants and Millionaires, Conmen and Crew said: "The crew and passengers in the lifeboats would have realised, with 1,000 people bobbing in lifejackets in the water, people might get to the sides and overwhelm them.  

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Titanic anniversary: Piecing together story of ship's captain

 By Kevin Leonard, BBC News

Titanic captain Edward Smith died when the ship sank

The actions of the Titanic's captain on its fateful voyage 100 years ago have inspired numerous colourful accounts, but for one man with a closer link to events than most, they will only ever tell part of the story.

Depending on which version of events you believe, in the time leading up to the ship sinking, Captain Edward Smith may have been heroically rescuing a child, hiding away in his quarters, or just doing his job.

There are also his celebrated, but possibly apocryphal, last words to his crew: "Be British".

Regardless of fact and fiction, it is fair to say a number of colourful stories have attached themselves to his last hours.

However, for 39-year-old Spencer Smith, who is related to the captain through his great-grandmother on his father's side, there is another story waiting to be told that may offer a different perspective.

Mr Smith, who is from Wrexham and now lives in Newtown, Powys, says few details about the captain's life away from the oceans were passed through the family.

But through family research, he now hopes to find out a different side to the experienced seaman.

"It's very emotive for me and I've always felt the same sort of way," he said.

More than 1,500 people died when the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage

"The more you find out about the finer detail, the more you find out about him as a person.

"What did he do all day? What was he like as a person?"

He is working with his family, particularly his father, to help put more flesh on the bones.

He hopes the real Captain Smith will emerge, one that may be different from the myths and hyperbole of the Titanic story.

Mr Smith, an archaeologist with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, said his family had always told him about the link with Captain Smith.

"I was told from a small child who he was - we've always known," he said.

"All we were told was that we were related.

"There was no fuss made about who he was or what he did. He did his job and died doing his job."

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Ancient Navigation: Astrolabe

The astrolabe is a very ancient astronomical computer for solving problems relating to time and the position of the Sun and stars in the sky.

The mariner's astrolabe was the navigation tool of early European explorers.The astrolabe dates back to ancient Greece, when it was used by astronomers and mariners to help tell time and location.

Astrolabe Quadrant England 1388

Spanish/Portuguese Astrolabe 1588 - The mariner's astrolabe has been developed by Arabic astronomers. Christopho Columbo used a similar astrolab design on his voyages to discover the "New World". It was a simplified version of an instrument for measuring the height of stars and the sun above the horizon level. This astrolabe has been discovered in southern Ireland were several ships of the Spanish Armada foundered.

Persian Astrolabe 1660 - The astrolabe represents a mathematical likeness of the heavens and its Greek name is - "Star Taker". This amazing sophisticated scientific instrument has been crafted by Muhammad Mahdi al-Khadim al-Yazdi in brass and was used to solve astronomical problems and to show the positions of stars and planets at different dates, times and latitudes. The Persian calligraphy engraving reads a quotation from the Koran: "The world is decorated with stars".