No matter how many Titanic videos I watch, it doesn't get any easier thinking about the nightmare those poor people had to endure, that fateful night 😢
we imagine the sinking mostly from movies, Mike has a terrifying video of what the actual sinking would have been like without the presence of movie lighting. Once the lights finally go out, it is absolute darkness.
Senator SMITH. What time did you leave the ship? Mr. LIGHTOLLER. I didn't leave it. Senator SMITH. Did the ship leave you? Mr. LIGHTOLLER. Yes, sir. Can't imagine what that would have been like when he said that.
I read the book, “The odyssey of CH Lightoller” ( it might have been the strange odyssey…) Anyway, his account was that he had the ship sink under him, and he was being sucked in by the suction of the sinking when a boiler blew up and literally blew him away from the ship, and therefore he made it to the surface. So it was true that the ship left him.
That`s a good `un, that set him up for the British inquiry when apparently his response was "I didn`t leave the Titanic, the Titanic left me". I wonder why Brady has seen fit to involve himself with the American inquiry, it`s no great surprise it looks a bit of a mess seeing that Ismay wanted to get himself and his crew back to England asap to avoid any awkward questions.
@@jaspervlogt3843 he may have been a bit of a dick but he had a good heart and was an excellent seamen. He helped with the WW2 evacuations from France
I once asked my grandmother (born 1897) and her older sister (born 1891) what they thought when they heard about the Titanic. They both said they'd had a feeling, of "no, that wasn't real, that couldn't happen."
Yes,my Grandmother, a Londoner,-born 1898-said "we couldn't believe it was gone !!-she was14 & they bought a Newspaper home for their Dad"-I used to love talking to her,-she was a "font"of knoledge-about those by-gone days,-I'm 77 now an "old geezer"
@@MuckingMuntit normally wouldn't sink actually. As long as its a head on collision that is. It would if been better to hit the iceberg head on. Then it wouldn't have sank. Also don't act as if the ship wasn't built to impeccable standards. At the time, the titanic was the best built class of ship. As long as you don't try to turn away from an iceberg that is
@@aj6954By people who know nothing about the three men. Astor and Guggenheim never spoke on the Federal Reserve publically however letters and documents from both men indicate varied levels of interest in the concept from both of them. Strauss on the otherhand is far easier to work out considering he actively supported the concept from as early as october 1911. You can read a speech he made in its support in the New York Times published 13th Oct 1911. None of the men aboard Titanic were against the Federal Reserve and the death of Strauss actively damaged its progress.
@@aj6954 Yes probably because people dislike the nonsensical federal reserve myth. The only connection Titanic had to the reserve was Strauss, who was a vocal supporter of the Federal Reserve. The other two no one really knows as the documentation that remains only suggests interest and does not disclose Astor or Guggenheim's true opinions on the matter. Regardless the sinking of Titanic is entirely unrelated to the formation of the Federal Reserve and may have even damaged its progress with the death of Strauss.
My best friend's great grandfather was crew on Carpathia when they rescued the survivors of the Titanic. I remember learning that when I was about 7 and that began my life long fascination with Titanic. My ten year old daughter is now just as fascinated. Its so fun teaching her all that I know. Ive been showing her these videos! I only learned of the Carpathia's heroic efforts to reach Titanic in time and the incredible actions of her Captain and crew from this channel. Its awe inspiring.
Whenever I think I've heard everything about Titanic, our friend Mike Brady drops a video about a topic regarding Titanic that I never even thought about! I've got some beers, I've got a new Oceanliner Designs video to enjoy... All is well right now!
@@giggiddy Exactly! That means I'll probably have enough beer left over for a couple of other videos from our friend Mike Brady that I have saved in my playlist that I haven't watched yet! 😂
The reputational damage of Ismay was not accidental. The man in charge of the most popular newspapers in New York at the time, William Randolph Hearst, was somewhat of an enemy of Ismay so was relentless in misrepresenting things that were said in the inquiry to the detriment of Ismay, in his papers. Misinformation still believed to this day. Ismay was just a scapegoat. Nothing more. In my opinion, Captain Lord's actions were far more egregious than Ismay's. It would have cost him nothing to wake his wireless operator and have him check.
@@bmused55 Hearst hated Ismay, and made it his mission in life to vilify Ismay in any way he could. Even if Ismay was not vilified and pilloried in the press, he like the other survivors was traumatized by what he saw and heard. Certainly he was facing survivors guilt.
True, but he was part of the company management, so he needed to answer questions. Hitting the iceberg was an unfortunate accident. I don't really think that's anyone's fault. But the actions of the officers and the stewards overall was very bad. Most of them did a terrible job of helping passenger's. Obviously, they aren't evil and didn't intend to get people killed. But they did
Although it's highly probable Lord & the Californian could have saved lives, Titanic would have sunk anyway, and the passenger trauma & loss of the ship can only be laid at the door of White Star Line, the crew and to a lesser extent, the British commission for ship construction/equipment. All more or less whitewashed in the British inquiry, for prestige & insurance liability motives.
@@nickgotvyak5890 When you see DISTRESS rockets being fired I'm sure you know that means...idk...DISTRESS. 5 miles is far, but when you're at sea and everything is at sea-level (as in flat) you can see rockets 5 miles away. It's not like they were having fireworks being fired at all times like cruise ships now (which I'm sure they don't do until arriving at their destinations or leaving). He blatantly disregarded a distress signal and didn't bother to check into it. He failed as a captain in all aspects and it is partially his fault people died.
Senator Smith asked all those ridiculous question about the composition of icebergs and air pockets in watertight compartments not because he was stupid - he was not - but for the education of the general population of the US, most of whom had never seen a body of water bigger than a lake and knew absolutely nothing about ocean liners. The testimony may have been all over the place, but the mistrust the surviving officers showed toward Smith and the Senate Committee was hard to surmount. Smith may have been self-aggrandizing, but he was competent and thorough. He accomplished his aims in improving safety at sea, which was the whole point.
"...asked all those ridiculous question about the composition of icebergs and air pockets in watertight compartments not because he was stupid - he was not - but for the education of the general population of the US, most of whom had never seen a body of water bigger than a lake and knew absolutely nothing about ocean liners." Where in the hell did you pull this "fact" from? Were you there? Did you speak to Smith and ask him this question? Did you read his diaries? Please tell me.
@@danbouchard6780 I got this information from Daniel Allen Butler in his book "Unsinkable" published in 1998. Considering that the American public at the time was largely provincial, I don't find it hard to believe that the questions Senator Smith asked were so different than what many were thinking themselves. If you think otherwise, I wish you'd explain.
@@virginiamackey6446 So 90% of the country didn't know that ICEbergs are made of ICE? Would they need to also be told that ice is frozen water, that water freezes when its really really REALLY cold, and that water is wet?
@@YankeeRebel1348 he sold newspapers that what he accomplished. But he also played an important role in exposing corruption in the 1900s. He went all bloated and villainous himself in later life. But early on he was a force for good./ And 1912 was still his good phase
YES!!!! I have been waiting so long hoping you would cover this part of the Titanic story. I really hope you follow up with another video on the British inquiry and how the two compared to one another
Senator Smith was an expert on railroads not maritime affairs. But his investigation established that Congress needed accurate (or at least more accurate) facts to base legislation on. His efforts did result in useful legislation and international treaties still in effect today.
Imagine being Harold Lowe, you were the 5th officer on the Titanic, you managed to survive as one of the junior officers when many of your colleagues did not (including James Moody) along with passengers, you then voluntarily go back to try and pick up survivors and you are cold and feel somewhat depressed or shocked over the whole ordeal - all of this only for a US senator to ask you what an Iceberg is made out of. "Ice, I suppose sir." Is honestly such a composed and restrained answer.
The point that Smith wanted to make was to establish that icebergs are glacial and usually contain rocks and other very hard materials, which could have contributed to the hull damage. Boxhall gave Smith the answer he wanted earlier in the questioning. Which, of course, begs the question of why Smith asked it again.
Actually studies done on icebergs have shown that their composition is more like rock than the ice one finds in a drink. Considering the centuries of compression required to make glaciers, this is not surprising. Therefore it's a sensible question.
Thank you for bringing it up - we usually know pretty well the history of the ship, but both inquires are pretty fascinating in their own right, yet often overlooked.
I would humbly add 2 things, sort of related to each other. 1. Capt Smith was the CAPTAIN. On any ship to this day, his/her word is final. No one, not an owner, manager, designer can overrule him/her. Related to that, Smith had zero to fear anyway as this was his last trip and had requested retirement. So Ismay could babble about making records all day. If Smith thought it was unsafe he would not do it. Which leads me to 2. 2.All the talk about the above, and lack of binos and the fact the Californian was 10nm away and even though they SAW the distress rockets, yep, and did not wake the wireless operator; the bottom line is: Smith ran his ship at damn near top speed, into an ice field he WAS FULLY AWARE OF. He even made a course correction to the south because of ice warnings. His ship, his responsibility. That is the consequence of being in command.
He went full speed because of the false horizon, an optical illusion that provided a false sense of security. They thought that they could see for 10s miles in each direction, so potential threats to the ship could be spotted before they could cause an issue.
I agree with both above. Smith allowed himself to push at high speed. There were unusual atmospheric conditions that night (Fata Morgana) that distorted the perception of reality. But Smith knew there were icebergs and still did it relying on sightings - it was reckless to travel at high speed knowing there were icebergs.
The heros of that unforgettable night, Bride and Phillips, are always underrated. Stayed at their post until power was gone sending CQD and SOS. They are the reason we had survivors at all. I still feel if Lord would've at least woke his wireless operator maybe, just maybe more could've been saved.
If ANY of Californian's officers on watch had the initiative to wake up the wireless operator, especially after the first or second rocket had been fired more lives might have been saved. But Lord had created an atmosphere on Californian where no officer wanted to make a decision without consulting the captain first. People will forgive failure but they'll never forgive inaction.
California's engines and boilers were cold by the time the Titanic began sending distress signals. The reason was the captain decided it was prudent to stop the engines and wait for dawn before resuming his eastward course to Europe. So the engines and boilers were shut down and she was drifting with the current. Even if the radio operator was awake, and then roused the captain, it would have taken them time to raise enough steam before the ship could move. Even if they came to Titanic's rescue with her crew and lifeboats ready to take passengers and crew aboard, they might have only been able to recover dying people and dead bodies from the water. Alas we will never know if California could have saved those trapped aboard Titanic before she broke apart and sunk. If she saved even some people from death in the freezing water, her Captain Stanley Lord and his crew would be regarded as heroes.
If I recall,. Californian needed 4h to navigate through ice in the daylight on April 15th. Even starting the boilers would take few hours to build the pressure up@@taras3702
Phillips? a hero.... the guy who above anyone else sank the Titanic. Bride sure. Philips nah. Not passing on the last 3 ice warnings is the No 1 reason the ship sank. Lightholler didn't mince his words in 1930. Smith had changed direction twice that day to avoid ice fields having received earlier warnings. He assumed they were too far south to meet ice. The last 3 ice warnings would have contradicted that belief. Thanks to Phillips one specific ice warning was in a pile on his desk and two specific warnings were cut off by him in temper tantrum. If he had given those warnings to the bridge they would have changed direction or slowed. Not opinion. Fact. Because that is what they had done already twice.
@@taras3702 SS Californian was heading west towards Boston. She left London (Thames) on 05 April 1912, and was operating as a cargo ship only. (She could carry some passengers, but not on this trip). She travelled at an pproximate speed of 11 knotts which meant she took approximately 13 days to complete one trip. For Example, SS Californian left Boston on 27 April 1912 and didn't reach Liverpool, England until 10 May 1912. On Sunday 12 April 1914, Captain Lord slowed the ship considerably once he learned of the presence of ice in the vicinity of the Grand Banks. He even posted two watchmen in the bow of the ship to keep a look-out. Because she was operating as a cargo ship, their Marconi man didn't need to send passenger messages to shore. The ship had only recently acquired a Marconi Wireless System, and so it would have been a relatively new apparatus as far as the rest of the ships crew were concerned. It's probable that their Marconi man Evans only sent messages when he was instructed to do so by the captain, otherwise he would have sat at his apparatus and just listened in.
Yes, and were any of them considered influential or wealthy? Because to a parasite attorney, poor dead people really have no value and require very little payout. Its truly disgusting how that stuff plays out and continues the same way today.
So wait, there was a conspiracy before it started to blame certain people? Not surprising to see a baseless accusation from someone with a Family Guy reference.
@@bookemdanno5596 there was no Family Guy reference. I have never watched a single episode all the way through. I certainly do not pattern myself on it.
He was the last person to get into the last lifeboat after working all night to fill them up and lover them down. He was the one who gave orders to fill the boats up after they lowered them down with not even 1/3rd capacity. One officer shouted at him at first when Ismay went over to tell him to Fill the boats up, only after the officer recognized Ismay did he follow orders. Listen to the survivors interviews when they talk about Ismay, he saved hundreds of lives that night.
Or where he got all the many many articles of clothing that women would layer on themselves at the time - and the fact that he apparently was able to take the time during the sinking to put all of it on too. And being a man, he likely would have required assistance to put it on. Yeah, that's just ridiculous on the face of it. And the fact that it was proposed in an era when they were very familiar with just how many layers women wore and how complicated their outfits were? I struggle to believe anyone was gullible enough to actually print it! Well, it was probably more mean-spirited than taken as literal. That's the only way it makes sense.
Perhaps one of the more poignant quotes from the US Inquiry was when Senator Smith asked Lightoller when he left the ship: "I did not leave the ship. The ship left me."
@@wrichard11 sorry but you got that bit of history incorrect - multiple witnesses accounted his location on the upside down collapsible vessel. It floated only after the Titanic went down below it.
This was an inquiry that was necessary, but there's no possible way that everyone present on the Titanic that fateful night that was either comfortable enough to speak of what they had seen, or who wasn't absolutely shell shocked or suffering from PTSD who could account of the events that had occurred that night. Senator William Alden Smith was just trying to do his best to make sense of what had happened, and neither was Lord Mersey, but there was no possible way that all of those crew members who survived could've possibly confirmed every detail of the night.
Mersey's inquiry had its own shortcomings, most notably, that solicitors for the various interested parties were allowed to participate and question the witnesses, and often tried to muddy the waters to benefit their clients' interests.
Mike, great watch but at 8:06 camera "flashbulbs" weren't commercially available until 1930. You have said in the past to let you know of any mistakes so you could correct them, from a camera collector.
They had bright (and smokey) powder charges to act as flashes. Magnesium was used as the charge, and chlorate was the oxidizer. This made a brief but powerful flash of light. However, igniting flash powder by hand was quite dangerous, so safer alternatives were eventually developed, such as the flash lamp designed in 1899. The flash lamp used electricity from a dry cell battery to ignite the flash powder, making flash photography somewhat safer, although still risky by today’s standards. Mike was correct in saying that Smith objected to the photographers' flashes.
Senator Smith did a heck of a job... And actually saved lives with his investigation. We're all indebted to this previously underappreciated public servant...
Wow, I'm just shocked that the U.S. Senate could get something done quickly! Now it would take three years and a lot of crap and then nothing would happen. Great video, thanks so much for all your hard work.
Always here for it when you drop Titanic content my friend ❤️ for a tale that's been in the spotlight for a century, you're still able to breath some needed freshness into it.
I was just listening to the inquiry audio (narration, not the actual audio) on Spotify after finding your channel. I highly recommend it. It was very interesting.
Imagine being a passenger in Carpathia one day your going to holiday the next you got 705 more people who watched there family die in a tragic and painful way. And you don’t know what the do what to say.
Amazing video! I was just at the Titanic museum in Halifax a couple days ago, this video is a great compliment to the info I saw in the museum! Love it!
On other ships, just after the disaster, the crews went on strike and refused to go to sea until enough lifeboats were loaded. This was done promptly on most ships. I do not know how they managed to have enough davits, but they did.
@@JedRothwell Simple, they just needed to update the davits with the latest model (which Titanic and Olympic had since White Star figured that BoT WOULD update their lifeboat regulations) that could hold more lifeboats.
Ismay used “Yamsi” in his communication with White Star asking them to hold the Cedric so he and the crew could get back to Great Britain…..ya don’t say :)
The amount of research, writing and editing involved in these videos does not go unnoticed. Thank you for donating your time and energy to educate and entertain people like me. I appreciate it.
32:50 The Titanic was only two-thirds full (which was owing to a national coal strike in the UK and to her sailing in the off-season); that's why she had lifeboats for just over half of everyone on board. Had she been fully booked then her lifeboats would've been enough for only 27% .
Have you figured out how the US Senate had jurisdiction and oversight to form an inquiry into a British shipwreck in international waters that killed mostly non-Americans?
Excellent video. I'm guessing that your research included the excellent account of the American Hearings written by Wynn Craig Wade. I look forward to each of your videos as I know that you've thoroughly researched the subject before the first seconds of video are ever shot. Thanks!
Craig's book is "Titanic, End of a Dream." It is excellent. I think Brady did not read it because it contradicts some of his claims here, in important ways.
Fascinating and informative. I confess I feel many of the same feelings of curiosity and wishes to pin blame that seems to have gripped the public all these years ago.
My good friend Mike, there are so few long form youtube videos that I take the time to watch, but well over half of them are yours. You have an excellent knack for storytelling, you're thorough, and you keep the whole topic very interesting. Great work, and keep it going!
The reply was wrong. It showed that Lowe did not know about icebergs. Boxhall had testified earlier that icebergs are composed of ice, rocks and soil. Smith confirmed that with experts. Here is the full exchange: Senator Smith: Do you know what an iceberg is composed of? Mr. Lowe: Ice, I suppose, sir. This response “convulsed the audience with laughter,” and it was reported in many newspapers as proof that Smith was an ignoramus. Here is what followed: Senator Smith: Have you ever heard of an iceberg being composed not only of ice but of rock and earth and other substances? Mr. Lowe: No, sir; never. Senator Smith: Did you hear the testimony of your fellow officer, Boxhall? Mr. Lowe: No, sir. Senator Smith: You did not hear him describe what composed an iceberg? Mr. Lowe: No, sir. Senator Smith: But you labor under the impression that they are composed entirely of ice? Mr. Lowe: Absolutely, sir.
Even though I agree that it might appear too soon after the disaster, one has to consider that are many details that might have been forgotten had the authorities waited too mucho to launch the hearings. Memory Is a frail thing.
But the subpoenas didn't have jurisdiction behind them, British citizens don't answer to the American government for events that happened outside of the United States
@@JohnnyHikesSW The subpoenas *did* have jurisdiction behind them. J. Bruce Ismay and the other crew of the White Star Line were, indirectly, employees of the International Mercantile Marine Company, which was an American company. Subpoenas could, legally, be issued to those individuals, to which they *would* have to answer the summons. Being a British citizen doesn't indemnify someone from the laws of the host country that they find themselves in, and when those subpoenas were issued not only were the individuals in question high-ranking employees of a US company, they were also on US soil at the time. So, yes, those subpoenas had legal standing. It is, however, unclear if the Senator had *_any_* legal right to immediately hold these individuals before they testified; he might have been required, by law, to allow them to return to England first and then return for the inquires. I mean, honestly, it wasn't like England was going to tell one of her allies "piss off" when the US Senate requested Ismay or the others to return for questioning in the Titanic's sinking.
@@JohnnyHikesSW Oh yes they did have jurisdiction. There was never any question about that. Anyone in the U.S. has to obey all subpoenas and laws. That includes people on tourist visas, illegal immigrants, shipwrecked people, and everyone else. As it happens, my wife is a resident alien (Green Card holder) and I assure you she has to pay all taxes and obey any subpoena or other legal demand.
True. It wasn’t known or acknowledged at the time, but mental trauma can alter and suppress memories. While their expediency likely had the thought of getting the truth before anyone could collaborate a false narrative, they were right to be expedient before mental trauma of the survivors could change or remove pertinent information from their memories
You're a friend to many, Mike Brady, and we all thank you for this extremely interesting analysis of the US Inquiry by Senator Smith → the best record to date as to what actually happened that horrific night.
Mike, I hope your trip to the United States provided reams of information. Your research and writing, presentations, and stimulating conversations are second to none.
Watching to this video made me feel really sad. The trauma experienced by the survivors is unimaginable but the truth needed to known. I can’t imagine being on either side of the hearing. A trauma survivor who literally saw a once glorious ship be swallowed by the sea or the inquisitor who not only knows these people have suffered but who then has to pull the truth out of the people.
Re whether the ship was trying to set a record. It makes no sense that she would be.Titanic was desighnd and marketed as the most elegant and luxurious ship afloat, never the fastest. She was never going to win the blue ribbon, it makes no sense that either the Captain or the ownership would even try.
I can't recall where I heard it, but apparently the rush to NY wasn't to do with setting any records, it was because they wanted to get the ship into the pier at night so the first thing people would see when they woke up was the Titanic proudly sitting in her berth. Captain Smith was also known to be fairly impetuous and needed no goading from Ismay to make the journey at speed.
Funny enough me and my partner were watching James Cameron's Titanic this evening; and I was talking about the arguably unfair treatment of Bruce Ismay, and one if the faults of the movie is in perpetuating some of the myths.
Yeah, William Hearst indirectly became the prominent villain in the Titanic inquiry. Greed and corruption tended to breed during maritime disaster inquiries, which Hollywood tends to downplay. Even during the Empress of Ireland's inquiry, they blamed the Swedish ship for the tragedy yet ignored that the Empress's captain had violated some rules while under pressure.
@@SolidAvenger1290 they always will. Even in 2024 that happens. Nothing new. People of power should not be trusted regardless. They only care about money
Quite the contrary. Ismay got off scot free. His behaviour was entitled to the highest degree. He actively tried to evade US authorities and sneak home with his employees. Clearly all he cared about was avoiding any liability. He pretended to Smith that he was too sick to see him to avoid a subpoena and sent many messages under a false name to book passage home immediately on the day he landed in NYC. The two inquiries treated him with kid gloves despite the mendacity and deceitfulness of his testimony and behaviour. He had several conversations with Captain Smith about speed and testified in the UK inquiry about the detailed speed per revolutions of the Titanic at every stage and the plan for speeding it up further the next day. And produced an ice warning Smith had given him This after having denied he ever had any conversation with Smith in the US inquiry. He also testified he was a normal passenger despite having been given his reserved grand suite for free. He was clearly there on business to closely observe the voyage but tried to deny this. This is why he was pilloried in the press. He gave them all the ammunition himself. He then lived a long life afterwards in great comfort in a beautiful mansion overlooking Galway Bay. His reputation might have been destroyed like OJ Simpson but that was a self inflicted wound. And I repeat..he got off scot-free The media was very gentle considering everything
@@fiachramaccana280 I think the first part of your premise at least is a little unfair. He would have known that when he arrived in the UK he would have to participate in a far more thorough and effective inquiry by the Wreck Commissioner on behalf of the Board of Trade. He was effectively detained in the USA for the show trial optics of a senate inquiry and he was quite within his rights to question the legality.
@@fiachramaccana280 Got off 'Scot-Free?' Apart from resigning as Chairman of White Star, living the rest of his life as a virtual recluse, and suffering unjustified and false vilification for the vindictive William Hearst? There is no evidence that he discussed the issue of speed with Smith, as the only witness to any conversation stated that Ismay simply said that Titanic was making better time than Olympic had on her maiden voyage. Indeed, five of Titanic's boilers were never connected. He didn't 'pretend' to be sick. The reports from Carpathia's doctor and the one other person who visited him both confirmed his mental state. By the way, apart from two obvious 'crimes', those of being Chairman of the White Star Line, and shamelessly not dying in the disaster, how do you think he was liable?
Senator Smith was VERY popular in his home state of Michigan, he had no fear of losing the upcoming election as it was. He'd served his state well and didn't need a Titanic investigation to polish his image. g.
I am really astounded by where you all got this detailed information from! I am currently reading all the testimony on this interrogation process, but still those newspaper articles and background knowledge… amazing. I would not know where to find it nor can I imagine how much time it had cost to gather. Thx so much and by the way - love your voice and work!!! Would be amazing if you did smthg on elected people onboard surviving the disaster one day… you find so little online. Thx
One notable fact: even if Titanic had enough lifeboats for the ship's compliment there wouldn't have been enough time to prepare the davitts, swing them to position to be boarded, and lower them to sea. In modern cruise ships it takes approximately 7 + minutes. In Titanic it is safe to gauge that it would have taken double that time. Do the math.
Quite right, for what's worth James Cameron tested how long it could take to prep and launch a single boat at the 7 story height and that was a little over 30 minutes. And keep in mind the lowering and raising from the starting point as the ship is going down, as well the near crushing of Lifeboat 13, and try repeating that to the second or third boat for each davit. The best that the crew could've done with more boats is try setting them loose so that when people entered the water they had a chance of getting to boat, but even THAT comes with several variables which would impact how effective it would be ranging from the way the boats are let loose to if they drift too far for people to swim to assuming they could see them in the dark.
One doesn't even have to "do the math" - one need only look at the events of the evening: of 20 boats/collapsibles, the crew launched 18 under davits (the last 2 being floated off). Therefore, even of the Titanic had carried 64 lifeboats, the crew still would have only had time to launch ..... 18.
Absolutely fascinating video, Mike - love all your videos and this one has covered an aspect which I don't think many people consider, i.e., the immediate aftermath. You've hinted that you may be covering the British Inquiry, please do! Keep up the fantastic work, I have a lot of your back catalogue to watch and can't wait to do so. Stay happy! ☺️☺️
When the senator asked the officer from the Titanic what the iceberg was composed of, which the officer answered "ice." I thought, wow, astonishing concept, why didn't anyone think of that before.
The only thing that gets me is he asked Lightoller and got the answer he was looking for, he didn’t need to ask it again. Though that’s likely a question for educational purposes. One needs to remember the needed changes Smith was seeking to identify would be put on paper and turned into policy by elected officials such as himself. That’s the case with both the UK and US. In 1912 it was very possible that a large number of those elected policy makers had never crossed an ocean before. Some likely had never seen an ocean first hand. So the understand of what policies failed and why, as well as what changes needed made and how they needed made had to be as crystal clear as possible. When you spell things like that out in such a way that a 5 year old can understand them, it leaves no margin for misunderstanding.
@@dovetonsturdee7033 He asked it because Boxhall had already testified that icebergs contain rocks and soil as well as ice. Lowe, obviously, didn't know that. If icebergs aren't just ice, maybe ships need to be constructed differently. Or maybe not, but it's the job of the inquiry to gather as much information as possible - including on the training and knowledge of the officers - and to figure out what needs to be done afterward. Smith's questions about whether the funnel injured or killed anyone weren't stupid, either - he's being thorough, and as every lawyer knows, it's not evidence unless a witness actually says it.
@@LeraResan Exactly why should a sailor be expected to know details of the composition of an iceberg in any case? Smith was, apparently, an expert of railroads and their finances. I wonder if, when asked, he could explain how a steam locomotive was designed and constructed?
@@dovetonsturdee7033 Lowe wasn't just a sailor, but an officer. Boxhall knew, so it wasn't completely unreasonable to think that the composition of icebergs is something officers know, or should know, about. And if one officer can answer well while another just says 'ice, I suppose' - combined with the other chaos on the night of the sinking (starting with was it women and children first, or only?) - maybe the training of officers was something that could use some updated regulation. Maybe it was ultimately unimportant, but, in the middle of the inquiry, Smith didn't know what details would turn out to be important and what wouldn't . He wasn't asking the question because he was too stupid to know icebergs are (mostly) made of ice, which is what most people who only hear the quote without the context think.
True, the British Board of Trade failed to update the lifeboat laws as ships grew bigger and so it was outdated when Olympic and Titanic were built. It maybe a myth that J Bruce Ismay ordered removing the extra lifeboats saying the deck looked to cluttered. The officer on that side of ship interpreted the order as Women and Children ONLY instead of FIRST, refusing men on lifeboats
From what I understand, the discussion about how many lifeboats to carry was rather brief and more based on what was considered necessary at the time. It should be noted the idea of a ship staying afloat long enough for rescuers to arrive and the survivors to be transferred did occur when the RMS Republic sank a few years earlier.
I think it is a myth just to hurt Ismay more. Hearst was a terrible person. Also, the Titanic had more lifeboats than legally required. I wish the laws had been changed before the disaster with MORE lifeboats AND lifts (davits?) to lower them. The disaster led to a lot of improvements for safety.
Carlyle; the chief designer directly testified to that in the British inquiry. So how is it a myth??. The testimony is available online. Lets not start spreading more falsehoods about Ismay. He ordered the removal of the extra lifeboats from the design. Thats was sworn under oath by the guy who designed the ship. Why would he lie under oath?
@@kari34b54 Hearst was saint compared to that snake Ismay. A lying greedy toad. There were plenty of davits for 64 lifeboats. But there were only 16 +2 lifeboats. Because of Ismay. Testified fact at the inquiry.
The downside there is just about as many witnesses said she broke apart as said she didn’t. Once Titanic went dark, everything went pitch black on that moonless night. In the chaos, it would’ve been difficult for anyone that wasn’t still on Titanic’s stern half to be able to confirm that she did break apart.
Interesting fact the captain of The Californian Stanley Loyd and the captain of The Carpathia Arthur Rostron were both from the town of Bolton in Lancashire
Charles Lightoller was also from Lancashire, born and raised in Chorley. You can hear his accent in his broadcast recordings, and there are several memorials around the town dedicated to him.
@@kellieyang77 Qute the gnarly thing on his side. He despised submariners and submarine warfare in generals. "Rats of the seas" as he described them. "They don't have the right to surrender." During the war he denied the allegations, naturally. It was only after the armistice when he spilled the beans on his wartime practice. He wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was enjoying it. Like I mentioned it before. He was a "colorful" character. Both on land and seas.
@@turgid_member8717 Japanese officers engaged in ritualistic cannibalism (1931 to 1945). Consuming the flesh of POWs... while they (captives) were still alive. Why?! To honor the emperor and build bondings among each other. Whatever monstrosities humans committed throughout history, the subjects of Yamato (Japanese) were 4x worse. Full stop.
CHIEF officer (above both Murdock and Lightoller) Wilde was even more ardent. Not only he lovered lifeboats half-filled, but didn't allowed boys age 9-12 to get into lifeboats. In his mindset, they were adult men, therefore women and girls ONLY! That's more apples per apples comparison...
As a Merchant Mariner I can say that so much of our lives at Sea are dictated by lessons that have been learned over the course of many tragedies just like this one. It is tragic that progress in this field so often only comes after the loss of ships but it is amazing how far we have come though there is still so much more to learn. The ocean is a dynamic and complex place and we must constantly rise to meet her challenge and respect her strength.
Absolutely fascinating story. This brings to light an important commentary not only on the hearing itself, but upon the nature of how the government actually responded in a timely manner to a tradegy. Excellent documentary, well worth watching.
Some of those old "cartoons"-where absolutely-"Brilliant"--the one "doing the "Math"-is absolutely-"Right-on-the-money"!!-just fantastic--& of course,-the insurance Companies-"Refused to pay out"-& charged the "crew-survivors"for ruined uniforms !!--& docked their Pay-!
I am glad Mike Brady is covering the horrifying & abysmal Titanic inquiries. Many need to know that William Hearst was the ultimate villain in this story, given that he never forgot his long personal feud with Bruce Ismay, A tale that Hollywood never wants the public to know about because it would hurt their image & Cameron's legacy. Like the Empress of Ireland, it was a whitewash to condemn only one party while letting others not get any part of the blame for their role during such maritime tragedies.
Thank you for mentioning this! Everything you hate about journalists, times it by 100 and that is William Randolph Hearst. He does not get dragged down enough by historians for the crap he pulled. Not just with Ismay, but with so many others.
@@Wildcat_Mediano problem. I appreciate the comment. Yeah. Hearst opposed American involvement in the First World War and attacked the formation of the League of Nations. He was criticized for his use of 'yellow' journalism and for his political ambitions. Hearst was also accused of being anti-Semitic and of using his media empire to promote his own interests which ultimately doom Ismay & many others livelihoods forever.
Hiya Mike. Love your work. I will leave the commentary on the "Californian" to Bob Ballard. I can't find a clip, but to my recollection, "If I were standing on the deck of a sinking ship firing rockets into the night; and these rockets were seen on the horizon by someone else, I would hope they would wake the radio operator." Rockets. Californian saw them. Lord ignored them. Whether or not Californian could have arrived in time is immaterial. Anyone interested will find Ballard's commentary near the beginning of the second part of "Titanic: Death of a Dream."
@@lukewalken1316 Indeed. There is a book entitled "Titanic, End of a Dream" by Wyn Craig Wade which I believe served as a template for the documentary. Mr. Wade offered commentary in the documentary as well. The book; IMHO, is one of the best regarding the overall impact of the tragedy and highlights the American Inquiry.
You may have already done a video on the topic, but it might be interesting to explain the life boat philosophy before Titanic (ferrying back and forth to rescuing ship(s)).
RMS Titanic was a British registry ship that sank off the Canadian coast. Just because it was heading for New York City, why does the US have any jurisdiction? It would seem that should have been done in Britain or at least in Canada.
Newfoundland became a canadian province in 1949. So in 1912 it was still a british overseas territory. The Titanic actually sank in international waters.
