Featured Article: Lord Mersey and the British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry into the Loss of Titanic

Just days after the United States inquiry had begun, the British government followed suit and order their own formal inquiry into the loss of Titanic. 

On Monday, April 22, 1912, Charles Bigham, Lord Mersey of Toxteth was appointed to fill the seat of Wreck Commissioner at the request of the British Board of Trade President, Sydney Buxton. 

Assisting Mersey as assessors would be...

J. Harvard Biles, Professor of Naval Architect at Glascow

Rear Admiral Somerset Arthur Gough-Calthorpe RNR

Edward C. Chaston, Engineer

Captain A. W. Clarke

Commander F. C. A. Lyon RNR

The inquiry began in London on Tuesday, May 2, 1912, and lasted for 36 nonconsecutive days ending on July 3rd. During the span of the inquiry, approximately 98 witnesses were called to testify answering more 25,000 questions. Testimony was heard from White Star Line officials, government officials, surviving passengers and crew, and those who had aided the rescue efforts. The questioning resulted in a report that contained a detailed description of the ship, an account of the ship's journey, a description of the damage caused by the iceberg, and an account of the evacuation and rescue.

Surviving crew members who testified included the most senior surviving officer, 2nd Officer Charles Lightoller, Lookout Frederick Fleet who was on duty at the time of the collision, the surviving wireless operator Harold Bride, and the ship's baker Charles Joughin.

Those from other ships who gave testimonies were Captain of the RMS Carpathia Arthur Rostron, Carpathia's Wireless Operator Harold Cottam, Captain of the SS Californian Stanley Lord and many of the Californian's crew, and Captain of the RMS Baltic J. B. Ranson.

Other witnesses included Guglielmo Marconi of the Marconi Company, explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, and Harold Arthur Sanderson, UK Vice President of International Mercantile Marine Company.

White Star Line officials that testified included the President of the Line J. Bruce Ismay and Superintendent Charles Alfred Bartlett.

To assist the inquiry, Titanic's builders Harland & Wolff provided a 20-foot-long half-model of the ship showing its starboard side, next to which was a large map showing the North Atlantic shipping lanes and locations of sea ice.

From Harland and Wolff, evidence was given by Naval Architect Alexander Carlisle who was the brother-in-law of the shipyard's chairman. Carlisle and Pirrie were initially responsible for the design of the Olympic-class liners. Carlisle had retired in 1910, and like Pirrie had not travelled on the maiden voyage of Titanic. The lead designer on board had been Thomas Andrews, Pirrie's nephew, who went down with the ship.

Sir Cosmo and his wife Lady, Lucy Duff-Gordon

The only passengers to testify, other than Ismay, were Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon and his wife Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon. 

The questioning of the Duff-Gordons and the Californian's crew were seen as highlights of the inquiry.

The testimony of the Duff-Gordons, who had been accused of misconduct for their actions in leaving Titanic aboard a lifeboat with 40 seats but only 12 passengers, attracted the largest crowds.

See Article: Some Passengers in the Lifeboats Want to Return. Many Are Outvoted.

The failure of Californian to go to the rescue of the sinking Titanic, which had been disclosed by the American inquiry, was already controversial and became even more so with the testimony of Captain Lord and his officers. Lord's claims and explanations were contradicted by his officers, and he was portrayed by them as an intimidating and somewhat tyrannical figure.

Captain Stanley Lord and the SS Californian

Although Lord appeared only as a witness and was not accused of wrongdoing, his public image was forever tarnished as being the captain of the ship that watched Titanic sink on the horizon and never came to her assistance.

See Articles: 

Fourth Officer Boxhall Notices a Light in the Distance

The Mystery Ship

Californian Notices Rockets

Carpathia Receives All of Titanic's Survivors. Californian Is Too Late to Help.

The final report was published on 30 July 1912.

The report found that Titanic's sinking was solely the result of colliding with the iceberg, not due to any inherent flaws with the ship, and that the collision due to dangerously fast speed in icy waters. Although, it was found that Titanic's captain E. J. Smith was at fault for not changing course or slowing down, he had not been negligent because he had followed long-standing practice which had not previously been shown to be unsafe.

It was also found that Titanic officers had been too complacent given the navigational hazards, that there were not enough lifeboats, and were not properly filled or manned with trained crew.

There was also a special section devoted to the circumstances of Californian.

The inquiry concluded that Californian could have made it through the ice and into the open water without any serious risk. If done so she might have saved many if not all of the lives that were lost in the disaster.

It was suggested that a formal inquiry should be held into Captain Lord's competency to continue as a captain, but no action was taken due to legal technicalities. 

The Duff-Gordons were cleared of any wrongdoing, but their reputation was forever damaged.

Compared to the American inquiry, the British inquiry did not condemn the Board of Trade, White Star Line, or Titanic's captain, Edward Smith. 

The British Board of Trade was criticized by the public for its inadequate and outdated regulations, notably the failure to ensure that enough lifeboats were provided and that crews were given proper training in their use. Because of this and many other factors, over the span of history the British Inquiry into the loss of Titanic has been called a "whitewash" by blaming others for the disaster and excusing themselves.

The British inquiry into the loss of Titanic was the longest and most detailed inquiry in British history up to that time.

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: Memorial Services Are Held for Titanic

Crowds of people outside of
St. Paul's Cathedral in London

On Friday, April 19th, 1912, England observes a National Day of Mourning for Titanic. Roughly 10,000 people attend a memorial service at St. Paul's cathedral in London.

Those that cannot find room inside pay their respects in the street. The dead are mourned, and prayers of thanks are offered for those who were rescued. 

Churches in other cities are crowded with those paying their respects to the tragedy. 

In Queenstown, flags fly at half-staff to honor all the people of Ireland who will never fulfill their dreams of the new world.

Flags are flown at half-staff outside of White Star's
office in Queenstown, Ireland.

Timeline Article: Survivor Lists Become More Accurate / Southampton Is Hit Hardest By The News of Titanic

Friday, April 19, 1912

Morning

The lists of names of Titanic's survivors become more accurate after Carpathia's arrival in New York. Crowds of people gather outside the White Star offices in both America and the United Kingdom. They watch with hope and fear for familiar names.

Southampton is hardest hit by the news that only about 200 of Titanic's 900 crew members were saved. The majority of Titanic's crew were recruited directly from Southampton not long before Titanic departed. 

The London Daily Mail reports:
"In the humble homes of Southampton, there is scarcely a family that has not lost a relative or friend."

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: Carpathia Arrives in New York with Titanic's Survivors

Carpathia approaching New York.

Thursday, April 18, 1912

Evening

By 6pm, Carpathia slowly makes her way through the dark and rainy evening, a harbor pilot from the Ambrose lightship is brought aboard as well as an escort of tugboats to lead her into New York. Private craft surround Carpathia. Photographers' camera flashes light up the evening and reporters shout out questions with megaphones. One reporter manages to board the ship only to be grabbed by crew members and taken below deck. Some people in the boats surrounding Carpathia hold up signs asking for Titanic survivors by name. Nearly 30,000 people gather at the Cunard's pier 54 braving the rain and cold waiting for Carpathia to arrive. Nearly all of New York's police force was on duty. Hundreds of officers were required to hold back the crowds of people. Many were relatives of the survivors desperately seeking answers.

Crowds of people waiting for Carpathia to arrive
with Titanic's survivors.

Around 8pm, Carpathia appears out of the rainy darkness only to be lit up by the constant flashing of photographers' cameras. The crowds watch in confusion as Carpathia slowly moves past her Cunard pier 54 and stops at White Star's pier 59. After a few moments it all becomes clear as Carpathia's crew begin unloading Titanic's lifeboats at the pier where Titanic would have docked. Only 13 lifeboats were all the remained of the great liner.

Titanic's 13 remaining lifeboats dropped off by
Carpathia at Titanic's pier.

After all of Titanic's lifeboats were unloaded from Carpathia's deck, she slowly makes her way back to the Cunard dock. The crowd grew silent as the gangplank was lowered, and by 9:30pm Titanic's survivors began to disembark.

Timeline Article: The Uneasiness Aboard Carpathia

Titanic's survivors aboard Carpathia

April 15 - 18, 1912

Titanic's survivors settle into their crowded new quarters among Carpathia's sympathetic passengers and crew. Under these conditions the ship is too small to allow anyone much privacy. The passengers and crew share or give up their cabins to their cold and fatigued guests. The common areas of the ship are soon filled causing many to move out onto the decks. Titanic's recovered lifeboats loom over them as a haunting reminder. Among the crowds, some family members are reunited. Newly made widows recalling the recent deaths of their husbands, are tortured by the presence of men that have survived.

Titanic's lifeboats on the deck of Carpathia

Then on Tuesday night, Carpathia runs into a thunderstorm. On Wednesday she encounters heavy fog that doesn't clear until Thursday afternoon. The bad weather frightens many of the survivors. By the time the fog clears many can hear the Fire Island fog horn. New York City is only hours away.

Fire Island Lighthouse

Timeline Article: Olympic Officially Informs New York About Titanic

RMS Olympic

Monday, April 15, 1912

6:15pm New York Time

Throughout the day, the people of New York City have heard nothing but rumors. 

With no real news on what has happened, all the conflicting and confusing stories begin to seem true. 

Finally, at 6:15pm Olympic sends New York a simple message, 

"Titanic has gone down". 

White Star Line's Phillip Franklin announces it to the American public. The news crosses the Atlantic by cable. The first numbers appear listing that only 675 passengers and crew were rescued. For a ship that had a crew of 900, this could mean the worst for Southampton, England where nearly all of Titanic's crew were employed. 

New rumors start to circulate when London's Daily Sketch makes an unsupported claim that the Carpathia with Titanic's survivors on board had also begun to sink. Lists showing the names of Titanic's survivors are posted. Some of the names posted are misspelled, then corrected, or even omitted as vague new reports come in.

There will be no relief to the confusion until Carpathia arrives.

People gather outside The Sun Building in New York
awaiting news about Titanic.

Timeline Article: Cottom And Bride Send Messages from Carpathia

Harold Cottom

Carpathia's wireless operator Harold Cottom has been on duty all night. He is completely exhausted and overwhelmed. He has a huge number of official messages that must be sent out informing the world of Titanic's sinking as well as messages going out from survivors. On top of that, Captain Rostron wants a complete list of survivors to be sent out as quickly as possible.

Harold Bride

Titanic's wireless operator Harold Bride decides to assist Cottom with the outgoing messages. Despite his exhaustion and frostbitten feet, he relieves Cottom at the wireless whenever necessary.

During voyage to New York, Carpathia's signal will be broadcasting constantly. Cottom and Bride will ignore all incoming messages from news reporters and including President Taft. The two men have both committed themselves to serving Titanic's survivors.

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: News About Titanic Reaches New York City

Monday, April 15th, 1912
New York City

White Star Line's President Phillip Franklin, at the New York office, receives an early morning call from a reporter with the alleged news that Titanic has called for help and is sinking. 

The story has already gone to press, and rumors have engulfed New York City.

Wireless operator David Sarnoff, while working on the roof of Wanamaker's Department Store, has been relaying messages from ships at sea.

The breaking news about Titanic is coming in faster than the papers can print it. Most newspaper headlines claim that Titanic is damaged, and all passengers are safe. However, out of all of the messages being sent from the ships at sea, not one has been from Titanic directly in a considerable amount of time. The silence is recognized by managing editor Carr Van Anda of the New York Times, assumes the worst, and prints it. Despite White Star's assurances throughout the day that Titanic and her passengers are safe, in a matter of hours the New York Times will have been proven right. Titanic has actually sunk with a great loss of life. Panic begins to spread.

David Sarnoff (left) and Carr Van Anda (right)

Featured Article: The Iceberg That Sank the Titanic

When the Carpathia came to the rescue in the early hours of April 15th, it wasn't until the sun had risen that the massive ice field that had laid in Titanic's path was revealed. The iceberg that Titanic had collided with was only one out of many that were floating in front of what turned out to be a low wall of ice that was blinding white in the sunlight. If Titanic had never hit an iceberg, she would have encountered the ice field instead. If this scenario had happened, she would have probably stopped for the night just like the other ships in the area had done. Ironically, it was the same ships in the area that had previously warned Titanic about the ice the day before.

The Collision

We all know that Titanic did indeed hit an iceberg. It happened at 11:40pm on April 14th. The iceberg was spotted by Lookouts Fredrick Fleet and Reginald Lee only 37 seconds before impact. It has even been suggested that 1st Officer Murdoch may have seen the berg and was already taking action moments before the lookouts had notified the bridge. Nevertheless, the iceberg was too close to be avoided by a ship of Titanic's size. In fact, Titanic was so big that the impact was only felt by a fraction of all the people on board. The impact was described as only a vibration, a slight pause in the movement of the ship, or the sensation of "rolling over a thousand marbles" as one passenger testified. It seemed to be a case of curiosity rather than alarm. After all, Titanic was an unsinkable ship. There would be no cause for concern.

The Damage

Example of Titanic "grounding" on the iceberg.

It has long been believed that Titanic sideswiped the iceberg and that all the damage was located along the starboard side beneath the waterline. Even though there is evidence of damage along the starboard side, it is highly unlikely that Titanic suffered damage to that area only.
Most of an iceberg's mass is underneath the surface of the water. When Titanic struck the berg, there is a good chance that ice hidden below the surface caused damage to the underside of the ship as well. The odds of ice not being there would be extremely rare. The scenario of Titanic "grounding" on ice actually fits better with the descriptions of the impact provided by the passengers and crew. Today, there is more evidence to prove that there was grounding damage as well as the side damage to the ship.

What did the iceberg look like?
There were many icebergs visible the morning after the sinking, and several photos were taken of icebergs either on this day or a few days later by passing ships. Out of the photos that were taken, three icebergs have been given special attention.

Photo of the Prinz-Adalbert iceberg.

One of the icebergs in question was photographed by the Chief Steward of the German ocean liner Prinz-Adalbert. This iceberg was given the reputation of being the berg that sank Titanic due to it being in the approximate vicinity to the sinking, and what appeared to be a red paint smear at its base. Even though this iceberg is generally accepted as the culprit, it does not fit the description of the testimonies given at the British inquiries.

Photo of the De Carteret iceberg.

Another iceberg that could possibly be the culprit was photographed by Captain De Carteret of the vessel Minia, a cable ship that was chartered by the White Star Line to recover bodies that were still floating on the surface. The ship arrived at the scene 11 days after Titanic sank. The iceberg was spotted near the location of the sinking with bodies and wreckage in the vicinity. Still, this iceberg doesn't fit the description of the testimonies given.

On April 20th, the German steamer Bremen sailed into the area of the disaster. The passengers on board could see wreckage and the bodies of more than a hundred victims floating on the surface.
Stephan Rehorek was on board and witnessed this horrible scene. He took a photo of an iceberg that was nearby. What Rehorek didn't know at the time was that he was taking a photograph of an iceberg that matched the eyewitness testimony of Titanic's seaman Joseph Scarrott.

"Well, it struck me at the time that it resembled the Rock of Gibraltar... It looked very much the same shape as that, only much smaller."

"As you approach Gibraltar - it seemed that shape. The highest point would be on my right, as it appeared to me."

The iceberg described by Scarrott was one that closely resembled the Rock of Gibraltar, but inverted with the high point on the right. This also seems to be the same view that Rehorek had when he took the photograph. The iceberg also had areas with fresh ice exposed indicating that pieces had recently broken off, or that the berg had suffered damage somehow.

It will never be known for sure, but out of all the photos taken of the icebergs in vicinity of the sinking, the Rehorek iceberg seems to be the most likely culprit. It's location, appearance, and size seems to be the best match with eye witness testimony.

Photo of the Rehorek iceberg.

The Rock of Gibraltar

Prinz-Adalbert iceberg from "A Night To Remember" (1958)

In The Movies
In the 1958 film "A Night To Remember", a recreation of the Prinz-Adalbert berg was used. Then in 1997, James Cameron who is known for being a perfectionist decided to use the Rehorek berg for his film "Titanic" to better fit historical accounts.

Rehorek iceberg from "Titanic" (1997)

The Mirage Effect
For decades the theory has been that the reason for the lookouts not seeing the iceberg in time was due to the fact that there was no moon, the ocean was dead calm and therefore no crashing waves at the base, and that the iceberg was a clear or dark color. During the American inquiries, Lookout Fredrick Fleet gave testimonies of what he saw. He never did describe what the iceberg looked like. That was mainly because what he saw was a dark mass that blocked out the stars on the horizon.

In 2012, researcher Tim Maltin released his six-year study on why the lookouts couldn't see the iceberg in time. He believes a mirage effect was created by air currents that rushed across the cold surface of the water had caused an optical illusion of a false horizon. Similar to the mirage effect seen on a hot street during a summer's day.

Maltin analyzed previously unseen weather records taken from more than 75 ship's logs from the week the Titanic sank. He found that a unique set of weather conditions caused an abnormal bending of light known as "refraction." Even though there were clear conditions that night, the mirage horizon camouflaged the iceberg and caused the lookouts to spot it too late.

"For years Titanic's lookouts were not believed when they said the iceberg came out of a haze on that clear night, but now we know they were telling the truth."

"It's nice to know that so many lives were not lost simply as a result of avoidable human mistake, but that it was a set of circumstances so peculiar that the crew were caught out."

"Several of the logbooks I found recorded miraging and abnormal refraction, which are common in cold water areas, such as the Labrador Current."

Maltin found that the cold water of the Labrador Current had only recently arrived at Titanic's crash site, cooling the warm air of the Gulf Stream, from the bottom up. This created a strong thermal inversion, where warm air lies above cold air and causes light to bend. To the Titanic's lookouts, the horizon would have appeared higher than normal and disguised the iceberg's outline.

"My research reconciles much previously unreconciled testimony and reveals that Titanic sank at the center of a perfect storm of atmospheric conditions."

-Tim Maltin

Timeline Article: Carpathia Proceeds to New York with Titanic's Survivors

RMS Carpathia

Monday, April 15, 1912
8:50am

After departing New York just a few days before, Carpathia was on a vacation cruise upon receiving Titanic's distress call. Now this pleasant cruise has become a mission of mercy.

With 700 additional passengers, the spaces aboard Carpathia have become limited.



Titanic's passengers crowd the decks and saloons as Carpathia's passengers try to offer aid and comfort. Captain Rostron sails his ship to the location of the sinking. Some wreckage and one floating body are visible.

The ice field is a low wall that is blinding white in the sun. One of the icebergs stands out with what appears to have a spear of Titanic's red paint at its base. 

A photograph taken of the ice field with bergs visible.

Captain Rostron asks his purser and steward for a full survivor count and prepares to return to New York. Before leaving the area, Rostron makes one more request to have a brief funeral for the victims. Titanic's survivors are overwhelmed by grief.

Timeline Article: Carpathia Receives All of Titanic's Survivors. Californian Is Too Late to Help.

Monday, April 15, 1912
8:30am

Captain Arthur Rostron of the Carpathia

Carpathia's crew finish receiving Titanic's survivors around 8:30am. Once everyone is on board, Captain Rostron asks for a full survivor count.

The survivors immediately begin looking for family and friends that had been separated during Titanic's evacuation. The married women search for their husbands that they were forced to leave behind. Unaware that Carpathia was the only ship to come to Titanic's rescue, many of the survivors have hope that their loved ones could possibly be on another ship.

After traveling through 19 miles of ice, the Californian approaches the Carpathia from the north. Californian's Wireless Operator Cyril Evans has just learned of Titanic's fate, and has relayed this information to Captain Stanley Lord.

After hearing this horrible news, Lord and the rest of his crew can't help but wonder if the rockets and lights they saw disappearing on the horizon, was actually the Titanic sinking before their eyes. As Californian gets closer to Carpathia, they realize that they are too late to help.

Captain Stanley Lord and his ship, SS Californian

See Related Articles: Californian Notices Rockets, The Mystery Ship

Timeline Article: The First Lifeboat Reaches Carpathia. Boxhall Informs Rostron of What Has Happened.

4th Officer Boxhall (left) and Captain Rostron (right)

Monday, April 15, 1912
4:10am
After arriving at the scene, the Carpathia drifts toward Lifeboat 2 with 4th Officer Boxhall in command. The passengers of this boat are brought aboard.
Boxhall informs Captain Rostron that Titanic went down early that morning and that hundreds, maybe even a thousand, went down with her. All of Titanic's remaining passengers and crew make their way toward the Carpathia.

By 8:30am all of the survivors have been brought aboard. Thirteen of Titanic's lifeboats are recovered and stored on Carpathia's deck.

Timeline Article: Carpathia Arrives!

Monday, April 15, 1912

3:30am - 4am

It has been nearly four hours since Carpathia had first responded to Titanic's distress call. Captain Rostron was getting everything and everyone ready to receive Titanic's survivors, all while pushing through the icy Atlantic at top speed. The Carpathia reaches Titanic's reported position around 3am to 3:30am only to find nothing. Carpathia sends a message to Titanic saying, "If you are there, we are firing rockets.".

As dawn appeared, all that was left of Titanic were her lifeboats. They were scattered for miles across the horizon among hundreds of icebergs.

"It was at quite an early stage that I had seen that I had seen far in the distance, the unmistakable mast lights of a steamer about four or five points away on the port side. My eyes were fixed for hours that night on the lights of that steamer far away in the distance, which afterwards proved to be those of the Carpathia. To my great disappointment they seemed to make no progress towards our rescue. This we were told later, was due to meeting an iceberg as she was proceeding full speed to the scene of the Titanic's wreck. She had come to a stop, and sighted the lights of our lifeboats, or such has had them. Finally, dawn appeared and there on the port side of our upset boat where we had been looking with anxious eyes, glory be to God! We saw the steamer Carpathia about four or five miles away with other Titanic lifeboats rowing towards her."

Titanic's First Class Passenger

Col. Archibald Gracie

With the new light of dawn and with Carpathia visible in the distance, Titanic's survivors begin rowing toward the rescue ship. Some of the lifeboats are reorganized and tied together by Titanic's surviving officers before proceeding. The overturned collapsible B is sinking fast and it's passengers are transferred to other lifeboats close by. Many of the the lifeboats that were overloaded had their passengers transferred to other boats as well.

The rescue of Titanic's survivors has begun.


See Related Article: Carpathia Responds / Titanic's Situation Becomes Clear