Timeline Article: Ice Warning Nine

At 10:55pm, Titanic receives her ninth and final ice warning, this message comes from the SS Californian. Titanic's wireless operator Jack Phillips is busy sending messages when the Californian rudely interrupts. Titanic and the Californian are so close together that the Morse code signal nearly blasts Phillips ears off. Californian's wireless operator Cyril Evans, tells Titanic that his ship has stopped for the night because they are surrounded by ice. Jack Phillips, angry at Evans for so rudely interrupting, sends back this response:

"KEEP OUT! SHUT UP! I'M WORKING CAPE RACE!"

Evans receives Phillips' message and then shuts down for the night. Phillips continues to send the passengers' messages and does not report Californian's message to the bridge.

Wireless Operators Cyril Evans (left)
and Jack Phillips (right)

Timeline Article: Ice Warning Eight

Sunday, April 14, 1912

9:52pm

The steamer SS Mesaba sends Titanic her 8th ice warning. Wireless operator Jack Phillips acknowledges the message but does not pass it on to the bridge. With his partner asleep and being hours behind on his work, Phillips is exhausted. There is no way that Phillips could have understood the meaning of all the ice warnings that had passed through his hands the last few days.

Wireless Operators
Phillips and Bride

Phillips and Bride are not navigators and do not work for White Star but are there as a courtesy to the passengers. Tragically, a 78-mile-long ice field is traveling further south than normal and Titanic is sailing straight into it.

Timeline Article: Ice Warning Seven

Sunday, April 14, 1912

7:37pm

Wireless Operator Harold Bride arrives on the bridge and hands an ice warning to First Officer Murdoch. This warning comes from the Leyland Line's "Californian". Wireless Operator Phillips has just relayed the message to the Leyland Line's "Antillian" as a favor for the Californian. This warning never does make it to the chart room. The ice is reported to be 50 miles away. Titanic is sailing straight into it at nearly full speed.

Timeline Article: Bruce Ismay Shows Ice Warning to Passengers

Sunday, April 14, 1912
6pm

First class passengers Emily Ryerson and Marian Thayer are watching the sunset from the promenade deck when Bruce Ismay approaches them. He shows Mrs. Ryerson an ice warning that Captain Smith had given him earlier.

First Class Passenger
Emily Ryerson

"Mr. Ismay thrusts a Marconigram at me saying we were in amoung the icebergs. They were to start up extra boilers that afternoon. My impression was that they were speeding the ship up to get away from the ice, and that we would probably get in late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. Mr. Ismay's manner was that of one in authority and the owner of the ship, and that what he said was law."

First Class Passenger
-Emily Ryerson

Timeline Article: The Unusual Ice Field

All six of the ice warnings that Titanic has received have been describing a large ice field. Ice is not unheard of in the area that the messages indicate, but the amount of ice that has been spotted is unusual for April. A warm winter has caused excessive melting of the Greenland glaciers. This field of large amounts of broken ice drifts south on the Labrador Current. Even with nearly 40 years of experience at sea, Captain Smith is not aware of the magnitude of this situation. He will follow the standard operating procedure, and maintain Titanic's speed and heading until ice is spotted.

Timeline Article: Ice Warning Six

RMS Baltic (left) and SS Athinai (right)

Sunday, April 14, 1912

1:54pm

The White Star liner Baltic relays an ice warning to Titanic from the Greek steamer Athinai. This message containing details about large icebergs and ice fields is Titanic's fifth ice warning. The message is given to Captain Smith, but it never appears in the chart room. Later, Smith shows the message to Bruce Ismay in passing. After a brief discussion, Ismay takes the message and puts it in his pocket. 

Timeline Article: Ice Warning Five

SS Amerika

Sunday, April 14, 1912

Around 1:49pm

Titanic receives a message from the German steamer Amerika. The message is directed to the station at Cape Race and from there to the Hydrographic Office in Washington D.C.

Due to the Amerika's transmitter being too weak, she needs the assistance of other ships to relay the message. Cape Race receives the relayed message from Titanic.

Amerika's message reports passing two large icebergs located at 41° 27’ N 50° 8’ W on April 14th.

This message is considered to be Titanic's sixth ice warning. Since this was a message being relayed, it is uncertain if it was ever posted in Titanic's chart room or seen by the ship's officers or captain Smith.

Amerika's message via Titanic was received
in New York on April 15, 1912.

Timeline Article: Ice Warning Four

SS Noordam

Sunday, April 14, 1912
11:47am

On Sunday morning after the church services were held, Titanic receives her fourth ice warning. This one is from the Dutch liner Noordam. This message is once again addressed to Captain Smith and describes much ice in the same region that the Caronia warned Titanic about earlier. Smith acknowledges the message but does not post it in the chart room.

Timeline Article: Ice Warning Three

RMS Caronia

Sunday, April 14, 1912
9:12am

Early Sunday morning, just as soon as the wireless equipment is again functioning. Titanic receives her third ice warning. This one is sent from the Cunard Line's RMS Caronia.

This message is addressed to Captain Smith and describes field ice and icebergs. Smith begins his Sunday by posting the ice warning on the wall in the chart room. 2nd Officer Lightoller marks the position on the map and calculates that Titanic will reach that position by 11pm.

Timeline Article: Ice Warning Two

Saturday, April 13, 1912
6pm

Titanic receives her second ice warning on the evening of Saturday, April 13th. This one is sent via morse lamp from the crippled steamer Rappahannock. Traveling from Halifax to London, the Rappahannock had damaged her bow and rudder in heavy ice only 10 miles to the west of Titanic's position. Titanic flashes back a brief acknowledgement with her morse lamp and continues on course.

The Situation with the Rappahannock

The above statement regarding the communications with the Titanic and the Rappahannock is accepted by some to be Titanic's second ice warning. Its origins can be traced back to an article published in the New York Times on April 26, 1912. However, no real evidence has been shown to support it.

The historical account with any evidence regarding the Rappahannock and Titanic making contact is a testimony from Rappahannock's Chief Officer Albert Smith. He reported that they made visual contact with Titanic on the night of Saturday, April 13th. This happened after his ship emerged from "a heavy rain squall" and saw Titanic with all her lights glowing. Smith estimated that Titanic was moving fast at about 21 knots and soon disappeared into the darkness. Smith never mentioned the Rappahannock encountering ice, being damaged, or communicating with Titanic.

Others claim that the communications between Rappahannock and Titanic took place at 10:30pm on April 14th, approximately one hour before Titanic's collision with the iceberg. If the way of communication was by morse lamp, the two ships would have needed to be within visual range. This would have been impossible due to the fact that the Rappahannock departed Halifax on April 9th and would been much further to the east in her voyage to London. This makes Rappahannock's Chief Officer Albert Smith's testimony of seeing Titanic on the night of April 13th more plausible.

Timeline Article: Ice Warning One

French Liner La Touraine

Friday, April 12, 1912

5:46pm

On the evening of April 12th, Titanic receives her first ice warning. The sender is the captain of the French liner La Touraine. This massage is addressed to Captain Smith. Titanic's wireless operator Harold Bride takes the message to the bridge.

Wireless Operator Harold Bride

Titanic's officers don't see any cause for alarm, because ice is common in the early spring. Captain Smith gives the position of reported ice to Fourth Officer Boxhall, who marks the position on the map in the chart room.

4th Officer Joseph Boxhall