Featured Article: Senator Smith and the United States Senate Inquiry Into the Loss of Titanic

Senator William Alden Smith and his son had made a North Atlantic voyage aboard the Baltic under the command of Captain E.J. Smith in 1906. Captain Smith would later be the commander of Titanic in 1912. While aboard the Baltic, the senator had the chance to meet Captain Smith and developed a great respect for the man. After Titanic went down, the senator was determined to find out why the largest and most state-of-the-art ship in the world went down at the command of one of the most experienced and respected captains on the sea?

Senator William Alden Smith (left) and Captain E.J. Smith (right)

He telephoned to Charles Hilles, Secretary to President Taft, to ask what action was to be taken. The reply was that the President intended to do nothing. After hearing this, he began working on a draft of a resolution to investigate the disaster.

Early morning of Thursday, April 18th, word had been received showing that there were no other survivors of the disaster, except for those aboard the Carpathia. The true scope of the disaster was now apparent to all. Shortly after hearing the news of the true reality of the survivors, the Senate met that same morning and the floor was turned over to Senator Smith, who immediately asked for passage of his resolution which authorized the Committee on Commerce to investigate the disaster. 

The resolution called for a hearing with witnesses being subpoenaed who could offer information about the disaster. With very little opposition the resolution was carried, and Smith was appointed by the Commerce Committee chairman, Knute Nelson, as chairman of the subcommittee to look into the Titanic disaster. Neslon and Smith spent the remainder of the day selecting the panel of Senators that would aid him in the inquiry.

J. Bruce Ismay

Later that morning, the Department of the Navy contacted Senator Smith, advising him that they had intercepted several significant messages being sent from the Carpathia by Bruce Ismay, President of the White Star Line. 

Other than announcing the loss of Titanic and requesting personal needs, some of telegrams that were intercepted indicated that Ismay was hoping to go directly back to England, along with the crew, without setting foot on American soil. Some of these messages were signed with the name "Yamsi". It didn't take much to interoperate that Yamsi was Ismay spelled backwards.

At noon, Smith immediately arranged a  meeting at the White House. During the meeting, Smith asked about the legalities of subpoenaing British citizens. President Taft, checking with Attorney-General George Wickersham, said there was no question so long as they were in the United States.

That afternoon, the first meeting of the investigative subcommittee was held, during which the Ismay messages were discussed. Smith asked which of the other Senators would accompany him to New York to serve subpoenas and interrogate witnesses.

That evening at around 9:30pm, Titanic survivors begin to disembark the Carpathia shortly after her arrival.

Ismay had hoped for a quick return to England for himself and the surviving crew members by immediately boarding another White Star ship, most likely the Cedric. However, that hope was quickly diminished with the arrival of Senator Smith and his men, intercepting Ismay and the others before they could disembark the Carpathia. The men carried subpoenas for Ismay, as well as various members of the Titanic crew.

Smith also was accompanied by Senator Francis G. Newlands, US Steamship Inspector General - George Uhler, Sheriff Joe Bayliss (an old ally of Smith's that was deputized as an Assistant Sergeant at Arms of the US Senate specifically to serve subpoenas), and Bill McKinstry (Smith's private secretary).

The inquiry began at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City the following morning on Friday, April 19th. After two days, the inquiry was moved to Washington D.C. All together inquiry lasted 18 days and recorded the testimonies of 86 witnesses.

Timeline Article: Titanic's Survivors Disembark

Carpathia at the New York docks

Thursday, April 18, 1912

Around 9:30pm

Darkness and heavy rain have delayed the warping of the Carpathia to the dock. A crowd of 10,000 to eventually 30,000 people have gathered, and are awaiting the arrival of Titanic's survivors. Among the crowd is a large detachment of city officials, immigration commissioners, doctors, priests, sisters, nurses, ambulances, and coroners. The Salvation Army is also there to care for the survivors of Titanic’s steerage passengers. Delegates from the New York Stock Exchange have sums of cash for those who have lost everything. Organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America along with many others have set up fundraisers to help those in need.

The Boy Scouts of America collecting money
to help support Titanic's survivors.

Once the Carpathia was tied to the dock and the gangway prepared, a large number of stretchers were taken aboard. As Titanic's passengers began making their way down the gangway it soon became evident to the crowd that a large number of survivors had lost all their clothing, and had to make due with whatever was available to them aboard the Carpathia. Some were ill physically and or mentally. Others were violently hysterical, and evidently deranged, while there were a considerable number of cases that were in a state of shock. As the survivors made their way to the street, silence fell over the crowd, and even the flashes of the Press photographers' cameras ceased for a moment.

Titanic's surviving Wireless Operator
Harold Bride being carried from the
Carpathia.

Dr. Henry Frauenthal and his wife were the first to land from the Carpathia. They were driven off quickly in a motor car, and no one had any opportunity to speak to them. Many soon followed in the same manner. 

Some of the survivors needed assistance getting down the gangway such as Titanic's Wireless Operator Harold Bride who had injuries to his feet. One was sprained and the other had frostbite.

As Titanic's survivors disembark, the people in the crowd started shouting out names in hopes to get a response. The people that were reunited with their loved ones clung to them and kissed them tenderly. 

The sick and injured of Titanic's survivors were carried on stretchers and taken to a hospital by ambulance. 

For the others that waited and waited but never saw their loved ones, it was a horrible reality. Out of the 2,208 people aboard Titanic only 712 survived. That meant 1,496 were dead.

One man in the crowd waiting to greet the survivors is William Alden Smith, a U.S. Representative and Senator from the state of Michigan. He has been appointed to investigate the sinking of Titanic. Senator Smith along with a group of U.S. marshals board Carpathia. He has a handful of subpoena, one of which is for Bruce Ismay. The investigation hearings begin the very next day and Senator Smith wants Ismay to be there.

Senator William Alden Smith (left) and
White Star Line President J. Bruce Ismay (right)

Timeline Article: Bruce Ismay - A Man Completely Wrecked

J. Bruce Ismay

Monday, April 15, 1912

Mid-Day

On board the Carpathia, White Star's president 

J. Bruce Ismay, hands over a message for the New York office to Captain Rostron which reads:

"Deeply regret advise you. Titanic sank this morning after collision iceberg. Resulting in serious loss of life. Full particulars later."

-Bruce Ismay

Ismay sits alone in the doctor's room. Shocked, defeated, and overwhelmed by guilt. At the doctor's request, fellow survivor 17-year-old Jack Thayer, tries to offer some comfort to Ismay.

Jack Thayer

"He was staring straight ahead. Shaking all over like a leaf. Even when I spoke to him, he paid absolutely no attention. I have never seen a man so completely wrecked."

-First Class Passenger

 Jack Thayer

Timeline Article: Bruce Ismay Turns His Back On Titanic

Monday, April 15, 1912
2:16am

J. Bruce Ismay, managing director of the White Star Line and owner of Titanic, turns his back to the ship and refuses to see her go down.

The following is an excerpt from the American inquiry that took place in New York a few days after the sinking. The inquiry was preceded over by Senator William Alden Smith...

Senator SMITH.

Mr. Ismay, what can you say about the sinking and disappearance of the ship? Can you describe the manner in which she went down?

Mr. ISMAY.

I did not see her go down.

Senator SMITH.

You did not see her go down?

Mr. ISMAY.

No, sir.

Senator SMITH.

How far were you from the ship?

Mr. ISMAY.

I do not know how far we were away. I was sitting with my back to the ship. I was rowing all the time I was in the boat. We were pulling away.

Senator SMITH.

You were rowing?

Mr. ISMAY.

Yes; I did not wish to see her go down.

Senator SMITH.

You did not care to see her go down?

Mr. ISMAY.

No. I am glad I did not.

Senator SMITH.

I understood you to say a little while ago that you were rowing, with your back to the ship. If you were rowing and going away from the ship, you would naturally be facing the ship, would you not?

Mr. ISMAY.

No; in these boats some row facing the bow of the boat and some facing the stern. I was seated with my back to the man who was steering, so that I was facing away from the ship.

Senator William Alden Smith (pictured left) and White Star Line's Managing Director, J. Bruce Ismay (pictured right).

Timeline Article: Collapsible Lifeboat C is the Seventeenth to be Launched / Bruce Ismay Leaves Titanic

Monday, April 15, 1912
2am

Collapsible C is the seventeenth to be launched.
Lowered by: Chief Officer Wilde, 1st Officer Murdoch
Crew member in charge: Quartermaster George Rowe

By 2am, Titanic's forecastle deck was almost completely submerged while the forward well deck was starting to flood. Seeing this must have been a frightening sight, considering that both of these decks used to stand about 40 feet above the water.

A sight that Captain Smith may have seen from the bridge,
as the forecastle and well deck began to submerge.

1st Officer Murdoch

After firing the last distress rocket, Quartermaster George Rowe was ordered by Captain Smith to take command of collapsible lifeboat C that was being prepared by Chief Officer Wilde and 1st Officer Murdoch. Once the lifeboat was ready to be filled, Wilde leaves Murdoch to load the lifeboat while he goes to assist collapsible lifeboat D on the port side. 1st Officer Murdoch began loading the boat with the women and children that were standing near by. Murdoch allowed men to board the lifeboat, just as long as all the women and children in the area were aboard first. Unlike 2nd Officer Lightoller, who allowed women and children only, Murdoch loaded women and children first. Many of the men who survived in a lifeboat, most likely had Murdoch to thank for it.

J. Bruce Ismay, president of the White Star Line and owner of Titanic, was among the group of people that were standing near lifeboat C. Ismay spent most of the night helping passengers into the lifeboats, but once everyone in the area had boarded, Ismay jumped aboard as well. Watching Ismay leave the ship, didn't sit well with many people. Yet some thought it was acceptable since there was space in the boat. It is uncertain if Ismay boarded on his own, or if Murdoch ordered him in. Nevertheless, Ismay would be branded as a coward by the public for leaving Titanic. 

J. Bruce Ismay
President, Chairman, and Director of the White Star Line,
and owner of Titanic.

Although, Ismay and Rowe denied it, some had claimed that there was some commotion while loading lifeboat C. First class passengers, Jack Thayer and Hugh Woolner along with Third class passengers Emily and Frankie Goldsmith, said that warning shots had been fired into the air to keep men from rushing into the lifeboat.

Commotion or not, collapsible C leaves Titanic with 43 out of 47 seats occupied. Originally thought to be 39 passengers aboard, until 4 men were found hiding between the seats later in the morning.

Timeline Article: Lifeboat 9 is the Tenth to be Launched

Monday, April 15, 1912
1:30am

Lifeboat 9 is the tenth to be Launched.
Lowered by: 1st Officer Murdoch, 6th Officer Moody,
Purser McElroy, Bruce Ismay
Crew member in charge: Boatswain's Mate Albert Haines


Lifeboat 9 had been swung out and ready earlier in the evening, but because of the panic that had taken place by lifeboats 12 and 14 on the other side of the ship, number 9 was not launched until around 1:30am. There was a rumor among the passengers that men were going to be taken off on the aft port side. This left the aft starboard side, where number 9 was located, nearly deserted.
Many of the officers and crew that were on the starboard side, headed over to the other side to control the disorder that was accumulating in that area. Some officers had to use gun fire to control the disorder.

Once the situation was somewhat under control, the officers and crew resumed their efforts at lifeboat 9. After finally being loaded and once on the water, the passengers in the lifeboat noted that Titanic was noticeably down by the head, so they pulled away as fast as they could to avoid any suction from the ship.

Lifeboat 9 left Titanic with 40 of it's 65 seats occupied.

Timeline Article: People React. Ismay Heads to the Bridge

Sunday, April 14, 1912

11:41pm

Captain Smith gave the order for Titanic to be stopped and for the ship to be examined for damage. To everyone on board feeling the constant heartbeat of the engines beneath their feet and then suddenly nothing, was enough to stir up curiosity among the passengers. People were getting dressed and moving out into the halls and corridors to find out what was going on. Even most of the crew were unsure and gave people their own analysis of why they were stopped. Rumors of an iceberg began to circulate and some people went out on deck to see if the rumors were true. The few that saw the iceberg pass by were certain of what had happened.

"Being young I didn't realize we might be drowned. Nobody worried about it. Some of the people came up playing with the ice on deck, and they wouldn't believe it they said, No. She's unsinkable! They went back to bed. I thought it was wonderful to see this ice like that."

Second Class Passenger

-Edith Brown

In First class, White Star director Bruce Ismay hurries to the bridge to see what is happening.

White Star Line director Bruce Ismay

Timeline Article: Full Speed Ahead!

Sunday, April 14, 1912
Evening

By 7pm, the bridge telegraphs the engine room with the order "Full Ahead".

At this speed, their hope is to try to beat the Olympic's record and arrive in New York early...

Video Provided By: James Cameron's Titanic Explorer

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 the Baltic 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


Captain Smith will later ask Ismay to return the ice warning so he can post it in the chart room.

Timeline Article: Ice Warning Five

Sunday, April 14, 1912
1:42pm

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 hands the message to Bruce Ismay on the promenade deck. Ismay pockets the message and heads to lunch.

Timeline Article: Bruce Ismay Discusses Speed with Captain Smith

Elizabeth Lines Later in Years (Left),
Captain Smith (Top Right), Bruce Ismay (Bottom Right)

Saturday, April 13, 1912

Early Afternoon

First class passenger Elizabeth Lines and her daughter Mary are enjoying coffee after lunch in the First Class Reception Room. Not long after they had sat down, White Star's director Bruce Ismay and Captain Smith sit down at a table nearby. Lines overhears Ismay talking to Smith about Titanic's daily runs thus far on the maiden voyage, and compared them to those of Titanic's slightly older sister, Olympic.

An excerpt of Elizabeth Line's Testimony at the U.S. Inquiry Hearings after the disaster:

"I heard Mr. Ismay - it was Mr. Ismay who did the talking - I heard him give the length of the run, and I heard him say:

"Well, we did better today than we did yesterday, we made a better run today than we did yesterday, we will make a better run tomorrow. Things are working smoothly, the machinery is bearing the test, the boilers are working well."

Then I heard him make the statement: 

"We will beat the Olympic and get in to New York on Tuesday."

I heard "We will beat the Olympic and get in to New York on Tuesday" in those words.

Those words fixed themselves in my mind."

The White Star Line's Titanic and Olympic were built for luxury and size and were never meant to be the fastest ship on the ocean. That was the Cunard Line's market. It was generally a routine on a brand new ship not push the engines to full speed, but to give them a proper run in period. This was a precaution to avoid damage to the engines. However, as with any shipping line, White Star always wanted to do a little better with each new ship than the previous one built. That not only included design and construction, but also performance. It would have been natural for Ismay to want Titanic's performance to be just as well or even better than Olympic.

Mrs. Lines gives a lengthy testimony about her experiences on Titanic, but gives the only known testimony where someone heard Bruce Ismay discuss the speed of the ship. Her description of the conversation gives the impression that Ismay was primarily the one speaking and Captain Smith listened and acknowledged his words. One thing is clear, Ismay wanted to beat the Olympic's record and that required more speed. Ultimately, the last of the boilers were lit and Titanic sped up to nearly her top speed. 

The captain is the only one that can order more speed. Would Captain Smith have ordered more speed if the conversation with Ismay hadn't taken place?

Timeline Article: Titanic's Sea Trials Are Conducted

Tuesday, April 2, 1912
6am

Two days after her completion, Titanic begins her sea trials. The small crew and officers assigned to Titanic take her out into Belfast Lough where they practice making turns and other handling characteristics. Then they steam into the open waters of the Irish Sea.

Over the course of about 12 hours, Titanic was driven at different speeds, her turning ability was tested and a "crash stop" was performed in which the engines were reversed from full ahead to full astern, bringing her to a stop in 850 yards, or 3 minutes and 15 seconds. The ship covered a distance of about 80 nautical miles (92 miles), averaging 18 knots (21 mph) and reaching a maximum speed of just under 21 knots (24 mph).

On returning to Belfast at about 7pm the surveyor signed an "Agreement and Account of Voyages and Crew", valid for 12 months, which declared the ship seaworthy.

Satisfied with her performance, Harland and Wolff officials proclaim her fit to sail. Bruce Ismay accepts her on behalf of the White Star Line.

By 8pm, Titanic leaves Belfast for Southampton to prepare for her maiden voyage.

Featured Article: The Olympic / Titanic Switch Theory

One of the most elaborate conspiracy theories surrounding Titanic is the theory that Olympic and Titanic were switched after Olympic’s accident with the navy cruiser HMS Hawke to try to pull off an insurance scam.

First of all I want to make it known that I hold no stock in this theory. 

Obviously, I mean come on... 

It is so amazing to me that a theory with so many holes, and so easy to debunk, has stood the test of time, and what appear to be respectable and knowledgeable people, are still even today trying to pass it off as actual fact.

The theory goes that after the White Star Line and in turn its parent company, International Mercantile Marine, were found at fault regarding the incident with Olympic and the Hawke, the repairs on Olympic would not be covered by insurance. So, with no money coming in while the damaged Olympic was sitting at the dock, and Titanic close to completion, the company decides to switch the two ships. 

What was the newly built Titanic would then become the Olympic. Then the true Olympic, now secretly operating as Titanic, would be scuttled to look like an accident that the owners could benefit from and then receive an insurance payment. That way they could then build a new ship all while the ship originally built as the Titanic would have lived on under the name Olympic without anybody being the wiser. 

To make the theory even more plausible, the theorists would twist up the ending to better fit the historical event. Such as the reason for Titanic sinking was because it was actually the damaged Olympic and had nothing to do with the iceberg. Then in another case claiming even more despicable reasons for the sinking, stating that J.P. Morgan, owner of IMM and White Star, was behind the switch, eager to use an inferior ship to drown his financial rivals such as John Jacob Aster IV, Isidor Straus, and Benjamin Guggenheim. All of which perished in the sinking. J.P. Morgan was originally scheduled to sail on Titanic but cancelled shortly before the voyage.

In 1998, a book by Robin Gardiner called “Titanic: The Ship That Never Sank?” rekindled new life into the theory and carried it into the 21st century. In his book, Gardiner claims that the ship that sank was actually Olympic, disguised as Titanic. All part of an insurance scam by the owners,  International Mercantile Marine, White Star’s parent company, controlled by American financier J.P. Morgan.

Researchers Bruce Beveridge and Steve Hall took issue with many of Gardiner's claims in their book, “Olympic and Titanic: The Truth Behind the Conspiracy”. 

Researcher Mark Chirnside and Gareth Russell have also raised serious questions about the switch theory. 

Chirnside devoted serious time to the question of why the switch would be made in the first place. In 2005, he examined the insurance argument that the ship would be intentionally sunk to claim the insurance benefits. Chirnside pointed out that White Star’s President, J. Bruce Ismay, noted that the cost of Titanic was $7.5 million and was insured for $5 million. This is backed up by the IMM's American Vice President, Philip Franklin, who confirmed that the insurance policy was $5 million.

"Were there a conspiracy, one would expect that the insurance policy would have been changed to cover the entire value of the ship," Chirnside writes. "As it was, White Star could only expect to recoup two-thirds of the ship's value.

Chirnside then added, "It is simply impossible to pass off a one-year-old ship for a new one." 

Russell calls the theory "so painfully ridiculous that one can only lament the thousands of trees which lost their lives to provide the paper on which it has been articulated." 

"Since the sister ships had significant interior architectural and design differences, switching them secretly in a week would be nearly impossible from a practical standpoint. A switch would also not be economically worthwhile, since the ship's owners could have simply damaged the ship while docked (for instance, by setting a fire) and collected the insurance money from that "accident," which "would have been far less severe, and infinitely less stupid, than sailing her out into the middle of the Atlantic with thousands of people, and their luggage, on board, and ramming her into an iceberg."

The original theory along with Gardiner's book are all centered around the Olympic-Hawke incident, and both claim that Olympic and Titanic were switched within a week's time. It is important to note that when that the Olympic- Hawke incident happened on September 20, 1911, Titanic was only a little over 3 months into her fitting out process. No where near completion. There would be absolutely no way to switch the ships during that time. It would just simply not be an option. The only other time that Olympic and Titanic were together at the shipyard was later in March, 1912 (pictured above) when Olympic needed her port side propeller repaired. Well after the collision damage from the Hawke was repaired. There would have been no need to switch the ships then.

None of the switch claims can hold up to the enormous effort that would be needed to switch the ships in the first place. Olympic and Titanic were not identical. Noticeably, Titanic had an enclosed promenade, a unique sidewalk café, an enlarged á la carte restaurant, and many additional state rooms that changed her window configuration compared to Olympic. Titanic was modified in many areas based on the company's earlier experience with the Olympic. Titanic was an improvement on Olympic, not an exact twin. Therefore, undoing all of those improvements to make Titanic resemble Olympic would have been absurd.

There were also numerous small differences between the two, such as additional steel plates that were fitted to the bedplates of Olympic's engines, added in 1911. Those were still there in during the 20s and 30s. Proving the original Olympic was the same Olympic throughout her entire career. 

Not to mention the millions of intricate parts that make up the two ships, each part with the ship’s hull number stamped on it. All those stamped parts would have to be changed to pass off one ship for the other. If it were even possible, why do such a thing? There are even such claims that it is Olympic on the sea floor instead of Titanic, but yet so much physical evidence on the wreck proves otherwise.

With all kinds of proof and the millions of different ways to easily debunk this conspiracy theory, it continues to merrily carry on. Always being labeled as "newly discovered evidence". So, if you ever come across it somewhere in the media, my advice is to give it a laugh, dismiss it, and go about your day!

Related Articles:

The Olympic-Hawke Incident

Olympic Loses a Propeller Blade

Related External Link:

The Titanic 'Switch' Theory: Exposed

Timeline Article: Titanic is Launched!

Titanic's hull in the Arrol Gantry awaiting her launch.

On May 31, 1911, people from all over Belfast come to see the launch of Titanic. It has been 7 months since Olympic's launch and Titanic has been highly anticipated.

Harland and Wolff's president Lord William Pirrie and his wife, both celebrating birthdays, host a group of distinguished guests for the launch.

Titanic's hull sliding down the slipway.

Aided by 23 tons of soap, animal fat, and train oil spread on the slipway, the ship slides into the Lagan River. The massive empty hull of Titanic reaches 12 knots and stops 1 minute later.

Ship worker James Dobbins was fatally injured by a falling timber support during the launch. Unaware of this mishap, White Star officials celebrate the launch of Titanic and accept the completed Olympic as part of the fleet.

Titanic's hull launched into the Lagan River.

Titanic is towed to the dry dock for completion and Olympic is sailed to Liverpool to prepare for her maiden voyage.

RMS Olympic on her maiden voyage.

Featured Article: How Many Lifeboats Should There Be?

When the Olympic Class ships were being designed and constructed, nobody knew exactly how many lifeboats there should be. After all, these new ships were supposed to be lifeboats themselves. Would lifeboats be needed at all? In the early 1900s the number of lifeboats required to be installed was determined on the tonnage of a ship and not the amount of people the ship could carry. This was based on a law established by the British Board of Trade and referred to ships that were up to 10,000 tons. Since ships such as Olympic and Titanic weighed 45,000 tons, this law was obviously outdated.

Today we understand that all ships must have enough lifeboats for everyone on board just in case disaster strikes. In 1909 however, lifeboats were used to gradually get people off of a ship that was in distress and transfer those people to a rescue ship once it had arrived. They were never intended to support all passengers on the ocean indefinitely.

The original head designer of the Olympic Class ships, Alexander Carlisle, did in fact envision a way to have enough lifeboats for everyone on board using new davits developed by the Welin company. Carlisle's concept design suggested 48 to 64 lifeboats per ship.

Bruce Ismay disagrees with Carlisle, saying that so many lifeboats could cause passengers to worry, and would only be obstructions on the deck. The exact conversation between Ismay and the Harland & Wolff design team regarding the number of lifeboats has been a continued debate. In the end, Olympic and Titanic just barely exceeded the law with 20 lifeboats per ship.

Olympic and Titanic Lifeboat Details

14- Wooden Clinker-Built Lifeboats (65-person capacity)

2- Wooden Cutter Emergency Lifeboats (40-person capacity)

4- Engelhardt Collapsible Lifeboats (47-person capacity)

Timeline Article: From the Drawing Board to the Real World - Olympic's First Keel Plate is Laid

A postcard showing the new Arrol Gantry at Harland and Wolff.

Late 1908, the dream of the next generation of ocean liners moves from the draftsman's table to the real world. To accommodate the building of the massive size of the new Olympic Class ships. Harland and Wolff has to convert 3 of their already huge slipways into 2 bigger slipways. By the end of 1908, Harland and Wolff had designed the tallest gantry ever that stood over the slipways.

This gantry, known as the Arrol Gantry named after Sir William Arrol. He was a Scottish civil engineer and was contracted by Harland and Wolff to construct the enormous gantry. The gantry was equipped with heavy machinery for the construction of steel ships. Also, bridges that would allow the ship workers to get from one end to the other. This system of construction made it possible to build ships as big as Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic.

Olympic's keel being laid underneath the gantry.

Once the gantry was completed. Harland and Wolff started to hire ship workers in record numbers. They lay Olympic's first keel plate beneath the gantry that towers over Belfast. The Lagan River behind the gantry and had to be dredged to 50 feet to accommodate the launch of these new super liners, and to support ships with a deeper draft. Meanwhile back in Southampton, White Star arranges for similar dredging. While all this is taking place, Bruce Ismay is in America doing whatever is necessary to make sure that the piers in New York will be long enough for his liners to dock.

Timeline Article: Contract Signed for the Olympic Class Ships

On September 17, 1908, a contract is signed to start construction for the Olympic Class Liners that were envisioned the previous year. Bruce Ismay and other White Star members arrive in Belfast, Ireland to review Harland and Wolff's construction plans. Chairman of H&W, William Pirrie presents the drawings with the assistance of his nephew, the managing director and head of the drafting department, Thomas Andrews. 

Ultimately, they decide that they will build Olympic and Titanic side by side as identical twin sisters, then build Britannic later. This decision signals an economic boom for Belfast whose main industry is shipbuilding. This also gives a higher profile to Southampton, which is rapidly becoming the leading passenger port for England.

William Pirrie (left) Thomas Andrews (right)

Timeline Article: White Star Conceives a New Line of Ships

In the summer of 1907, the White Star Line plans to amaze the world with a new line of ships. Since the Cunard Line has positioned itself for speed, White Star will have to present the world with sheer spectacle.

One evening over dinner White Star's president J. Bruce Ismay and the president of the Harland and Wolff ship yard Lord William Pirrie, meet at Pirrie's home and conceived a new line of ships. Together they envisioned the largest moving objects ever made by man. Three liners that were to be 50% bigger and 100 feet longer than anything yet built. These three "Olympic Class" liners would be constructed to lure the wealthiest passengers with their magnificence, and be able to carry more immigrants to America than ever before.

These three liners will be called...  

"Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic"

Timeline Article: JP Morgan and the International Mercantile Marine Company

He was a banker, an industrialist, a railroad tycoon, and the richest man in the world at the time. His name was John Pierpont Morgan. 

The North Atlantic shipping trade caught his attention. He buys three shipping lines in 1893 and creates a major shipping conglomerate called International Mercantile Marine or IMM for short. In 1903 Morgan acquires the White Star Line and appoints Bruce Ismay to be president over IMM and its subsidiaries. Morgan is impressed by Ismay's knowledge and vision for the company.

JP Morgan (left) & Bruce Ismay (right)

Timeline Article: J. Bruce Ismay and the "Big Four"

1899 - 1907

After Thomas Henry Ismay's death in 1899, his son J. Bruce Ismay takes over as chairman of the White Star Line. Ismay has an extraordinary vision for White Star leading into the 20th century making many innovative decisions in a short amount of time. 

The order of a sister ship for Oceanic was cancelled. Instead, resources were transferred to White Star’s new project to build the grandest fleet of ships that had ever sailed the seas. This new class of ships consisted of Celtic, Cedric, Baltic and Adriatic.

In 1901, the White Star Line ordered a series of four ships with the Harland & Wolff shipyard. Calling them the "Big Four", These ships were designed to have a tonnage more than 20,000 tons and rather than being built for speed they were designed to be more luxurious than their rivals.

RMS Celtic (1901)

The first of the four vessels was named Celtic. The second liner of her name, the first, was completed in 1872. Celtic and was launched on April 4, 1901. She made her maiden voyage on July 25th. She was shorter than the Oceanic by only 3 feet but 3,600 tons heavier. At 20,904 tons, she was the heaviest and therefore largest ship in the world.

RMS Cedric (1903)

The second ship was named Cedric, which was launched on August 21, 1902. She made her maiden voyage on February 11, 1903. At the time she was launched she took the title away from Celtic as being the largest ship in the world at 21,073 tons.

RMS Baltic (1904)

The third ship was called Baltic. The second liner of her name, the first, was completed in 1871. Baltic was originally supposed to be the same size as her two predecessors, but a sudden decision was made that this ship was to be the largest ever built as far as dimensions and tonnage. This was no easy task because the hull was already built and closely matched the dimensions of her predecessors. The ship’s hull was cut in two and the rear section set back nearly 30 feet to make room for the enlargement. This ultimately increased her tonnage by nearly 3,000 tons. Baltic’s hull was launched on November 21, 1903, and made her maiden voyage on June 29, 1904. At 23,876 tons and with a length off 729 feet, she earned the title as the largest ship ever built until 1905 when she was surpassed by the 24,581-ton German liner Kaiserin Auguste Victoria later known as the Empress of Scotland.

RMS Adriatic (1907)

The fourth ship was called Adriatic. The second liner of her name, the first, was completed in 1872. Adriatic and was the only one of the four which never earned the title as the world's largest ship. She was the same length as Baltic, but slightly heavier at 24,541 tons. Out of the four, she was the largest, the fastest, and the most luxurious. Being the first ocean liner to have an indoor swimming pool and Victorian style Turkish baths. Adriatic was launched on September 20, 1906, and began her maiden voyage on May 8, 1907.

The "Big Four" ships were popular among passengers and all four had generally successful careers in commercial and war time service across three decades. The "Big Four" are arguably considered the most successful class of ships ever produced for the White Star Line.