LOSS OF THE TITANIC

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12252, 6 April 1935, Page 9

LOSS OF THE TITANIC

WHY SHE WEN! DOWN

CAUSES OF THE DISASTER,

LISTED BY ONLY SURVIVING

OFFICER.

When tlie Titanic uent down and shocked the world there were many people who said that the disastei would never have occurred, if the captain had not been trying to make a record passage. This charge of recklessness and curelomtiess-~o n a maiden voyage with so many distinguished passengers on board—was terrible; and the captain could not ans Aver it He went down Avith his ship, as also did all the officers except the second officer, Liglitoller. In Ids memories (“Titanic and Other Ships.” London: Nicholson and Watson), Commander Liglitollcr defends his captain’s memory. The ship avus certainly making good speed, ho says, “that night of April 12, but not her best— nothing compared with what .she would have been capable ol in, sav, a couple of years’ time. The disaster was just due to a combination of circumstances that never occurred beiore and can never occur again. That may sound like a sweeping statement, jet it is a. fact-”

There had been an exceptionally mild winter in the Arctic, and ice had broken away from the ice-caps and glaciers in colossal quantities. Official reports say that never before or since “bad there been knoAvu to be such quantities of icebergs, growlers, field iec, and fioat ice, stretching doAvn with the 'Labrador current.” Why, then, did not the Titanic's officers know of the huge iceberg immediately in their path? The blame, according to Commander Lightofftii, lies with the wireless operator. Wireless reports had been coming in all day from other ships telling of fee .sighted in various positions. The majority ol these did not aiiect the Titanic. But the one vital message that came through did not reach tlie bridge .It was received at 9.40 p.m.j and stated:—“lce report in hit- 42 deg. N. to 41.25 deg. N., km. 49deg. to ion. 50.30. W- Btuv much heavy pack ice, and great number large icebergs. . .” The position that this ship gave Avas right in the track of the Titanic.

‘The Avireless operator was not to kn-uAv bow close Are ivere to this position, and. therefore the extreme urgency of the message. (Writes Commander Lightoller). That- he received the message is known, and it avup read by the other operator iu his hunk. The operator who received it was busy at the time, working wireless messages to and from Capo Race, also Avith his accounts, and he put the message under a paper-weight at his elbow, jiivst until he squared up what lie was doing ,and he Avould then have brought it to the bridge- That delav proved fatal, and was the main contributory cause of the loss of that magnificent ship and hundreds of lives.”

FATE SEALED AT OUTSET. Under normal conditions they would have been well south of the usual ice limit. The sea was like glass, .says Commander Liglitoller and this again was a contributory cause of the disaster. “if there had been either Avin-l or sAvell, the outline of the berg would have been rendered visible, through the water breaking at the base.” Once the ship had struck the berg there was no chance. She struck “avoll forward of the foremast, and evidently there had been a .slight sheif protruding below tho Avater. This pierced her boAv as she threw her Avhole weight on the ice, some actually falling on her fore deck. Tlie impact flung her bo\v off, but only by the whip or spring of the ship. Again sho struck, this time a. little farther oft. Each blow istove in a plate below the water-line, as the ship had not the inherent strength to resist.” Each time she bumped one of the watertight compartments into Avliicli all large ships are divided avus holed. With any two—or even three ot the four fonvard compartments—full op Avater she Avould still float. But when six compartments Avei’o smashed her fate avus sealed and nothing could save her. The women and children Avero got into the boats —although at first nobody knew that the .ship liad received her death bIpAV. Commander Lightoller says that lie .suggested that the Avomen and children "should he sent off as a precautionary measure:—“l could see a steamer's lights a. couple of miles aAvay on our port boAV. If I could get the women and children - into the boats they Avould he perfectly -safe in that smooth sea until this ship picked them up ; if. the necessity arose. Mj t idea Avas that I would lower the boats with a fcAv people in each, and Avlien safely in the Avater Fill them up from the gangway doors on the loiver decks, and transfer them to tlie other ship.”

NEVER CAME TO RESCUE. ’ But this ship never came to the rescue. Rocket distress' signals were sent up ©yery minute -or two, and these “were seen by the officer of the Avatch on board the Californian, also by several members ©i her crew. Even the flashes from our Morse lamp were seen, but finally judged to be ‘just the masthead light flickering.’ Though at one time the • thought' evidently did arise that • we - wore trying to cal

them. To let pass the possibility of a ship calling by Morse, in the existing circumstances then surrounding her, wavs bad enough; but to mistake distress signals was inexcusable, and to ignore them, criminal.’'

Those rockets are never sent up unless there is urgent need of help—and the officer of the watch saw them all. He sent messages to bis captain, and it is obvious that Commander Liglitollcr blames him for not acting on them.: —“I had assured and reassured the passengers throughout these anxious hours, ‘She cannot help but see these signals ,aud must soon steam over and pick everyone up.’ And what an absolutely unique opportunity Captain Lord, of the Caliioruiau, had that night of rendering aid and saving close on 1,560 lives. Nothing could have been easier than lo have laid his ship actually alongside the Titanic and taken every soul on board. Yet, not a thing was done, uof even was their Avireless operator aroused to sue if there were any distress calls-” CALIFORNIAN BASSES BY. The Titanic went down as Hie Californian went on her way. Out of the 2,261 on board only 711 were savedMany Avivos refused to leave their husbands. Meeting one couple, says Commander Lightoller, “evidently from'the Western States, that 1 found sitting ou a fan casing, 1 asked the girl, ‘Won’t j-ou let me put you in one of the boats?’ She replied with a very frank smile, ‘Not on your lilc. We started together and, if need be, we’ll finish together.' It was typical of the spirit throughout.”

When the engineer came trooping up from below, Avhere they bad all stayed till the lust minute, they found that there were no boats left ior them. Not one ol tho 35 survived. The boasted '‘unsiiikablc ship’ Pad uot nearly enough liieboats. Commander Lightoller himself took a it header from the bridge. He had ■one terrible moment when he Avas sucked against the wire grating that covered a shaft leading JOOlt doAvn to one of the stokeholds. “The pressure of tlie water just glued me there while the ship sunk <sluv.lv below the surface. Although J struggled and kicked for all I was worth, it avus impossible to get away, for as fast as I pushed myself -off I avus irresistibly dragged back, every instant expecting the wire to go and to find myself shot down into the boAvels of the ship. Apart from that .1 was drowning. and a matter of another couple of minutes would have seen me through. 1 was still struggling and lighting when suddenly -a- terrific blast of hot air came up the shaft and blew me right away from the air shaft aud up to the suriacc. '