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Having worked in the shipping industry all my life, I’m always interested when a story about ships come to light.
As is the case this morning when a new book claims that an order given to the helmsman of Titanic was misunderstood with the result that the ship was steered towards the fatal iceberg instead of away from it. The author, the granddaughter of Second Officer Charles Lightoller, says that at the time, different steering systems were used for steam ships and sailing ships and that this caused confusion when the order was given to turn the ship to starboard.
The book also reveals that, the ship having struck the iceberg, Lord Ismay, Chairman of White Star Line, persuaded the Captain to continue sailing and that for ten minutes Titanic continued at ‘Slow Ahead’, so adding to the pressure of water flooding through the breach in her hull.
These revelations stem from the previously unpublished record of Titanic’s sinking written by Mr Lightoller who, it should be noted, was not on duty at the time of the incident.
I’m not at all sure about a mistake by the helmsman who was most likely well experienced in steamship systems and among those hand-picked for that job on what was the ship’s maiden voyage in April 1912. Any incorrect course steered would also surely have been countermanded once noticed, in which case both the incorrect course and the countermand ought to have been noticed and reported to the official Inquiries in both New York and London. All seven of the lookouts survived the sinking as well as 21 of the 29 seamen and four of the eight officers; surely one of these would have noticed or heard about and commented upon an incorrect course.
Whether or not Bruce Ismay interfered with the operation of the ship at a time of acute crisis is impossible to determine at this point in time. It is difficult to believe that the Captain at such a time would have paid much attention to a man, who though his boss, was not in command. If Ismay did interfere, then he had the blood of many passengers and crew on his hands since, if the report is true, water was forced into the ship so speeding up its sinking.
There are various theories about the sinking of Titanic and, doubtless, more will arise in time. Though I have doubts about the ones reported this morning I have to say that they are nonetheless both interesting and plausible.
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Having worked in the shipping industry all my life, I’m always interested when a story about ships come to light.
As is the case this morning when a new book claims that an order given to the helmsman of Titanic was misunderstood with the result that the ship was steered towards the fatal iceberg instead of away from it. The author, the granddaughter of Second Officer Charles Lightoller, says that at the time, different steering systems were used for steam ships and sailing ships and that this caused confusion when the order was given to turn the ship to starboard.
The book also reveals that, the ship having struck the iceberg, Lord Ismay, Chairman of White Star Line, persuaded the Captain to continue sailing and that for ten minutes Titanic continued at ‘Slow Ahead’, so adding to the pressure of water flooding through the breach in her hull.
These revelations stem from the previously unpublished record of Titanic’s sinking written by Mr Lightoller who, it should be noted, was not on duty at the time of the incident.
I’m not at all sure about a mistake by the helmsman who was most likely well experienced in steamship systems and among those hand-picked for that job on what was the ship’s maiden voyage in April 1912. Any incorrect course steered would also surely have been countermanded once noticed, in which case both the incorrect course and the countermand ought to have been noticed and reported to the official Inquiries in both New York and London. All seven of the lookouts survived the sinking as well as 21 of the 29 seamen and four of the eight officers; surely one of these would have noticed or heard about and commented upon an incorrect course.
Whether or not Bruce Ismay interfered with the operation of the ship at a time of acute crisis is impossible to determine at this point in time. It is difficult to believe that the Captain at such a time would have paid much attention to a man, who though his boss, was not in command. If Ismay did interfere, then he had the blood of many passengers and crew on his hands since, if the report is true, water was forced into the ship so speeding up its sinking.
There are various theories about the sinking of Titanic and, doubtless, more will arise in time. Though I have doubts about the ones reported this morning I have to say that they are nonetheless both interesting and plausible.
.
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