April 10, 1912. | 12 Noon: | Leaves Southampton dock; narrowly escapes collision with American Liner New York. |
7:00pm: | Stops at Cherbourg for passengers. | |
9:00pm: | Leaves Cherbourg for Queenstown. | |
April 11, 1912. | 12:30pm: | Stops at Queenstown for passengers and mail. One crewman deserts. |
2:00pm: | Leaves Queenstown for New York, carrying 1316 passengers and 891 crew. | |
April 14, 1912. | 9:00am: | Caronia reports ice Latitude 42º 3' N, and Longitude 49º 52' W. |
1:42pm: | Baltic reports ice Latitude 40º 51' N, Longitude 49º 52' W. | |
7:00pm: | Temperature 43º. | |
7:30pm: | Temperature 39º. | |
7:30pm: | Californian reports ice Latitude 42º 3' N, Longitude 49º 9' W. | |
9:00pm: | Second Officer Lightoller warns carpenter and engine room to watch fresh water supply -- may freeze up; warns crow's-nest to watch for ice. | |
9:40pm: | Mesaba reports ice Latitude 42º N to 41º 25' N, Longitude 49º to 50º 30' W. | |
10:00pm: | Temperature 32º. | |
10:30pm: | Temperature of sea down to 31º. | |
11:00pm: | Californian warns of ice, but cut off before she gives location. | |
11:40pm: | Collides with iceberg Latitude 41º 46' N. Longitude 50º 14' W. | |
April 15, 1912. | 12:05am: | Orders given to uncover the boats, muster the crew and passengers. |
12:14am: | First wireless call for help. | |
12:45am: | First rocket fired. | |
12:45am: | First boat, No. 7, lowered. | |
1:40am: | Last rocket fired. | |
2:05am: | Last boat, Collapsible D, lowered. | |
2:10am: | Last wireless signals sent. | |
2:18am: | Lights fail. | |
2:20am: | Ship founders. | |
3:30am: | Carpathia's rockets sighted by boats. | |
4:10am: | First boat, No. 2, picked up by Carpathia. | |
8:30am: | Last boat, No. 12, picked up. | |
8:50am: | Carpathia heads for New York with 705 survivors. |
So much for the basic facts. Beyond these, much is a mystery. Probably
nothing will ever equal the Titanic for the number of unanswered
questions she left behind. For instance --
How many lives were lost? Some sources say 1635 ... the American
Inquiry, 1517 ... the British Board of Trade, 1503 ... the British Inquiry,
1490. The British Board of Trade figure seems most convincing, less
Fireman J. Coffy, who deserted at Queenstown.
How did various people leave the ship? Nearly every woman survivor
who was asked replied firmly, "In the last boat." Obviously, all these
women didn't go in the same boat, yet to question the point is like
questioning a lady's age -- one simply doesn't do it. Careful sifting of
the testimony at the British and American hearings shows pretty clearly how
the ship was abondoned, but even here there's conflicting evidence. At the
British Enquiry each witness was asked how may people were lowered in his
lifeboat. The minimum estimates were then added. The results show
a good deal of wishful thinking:
In short, about 70 percent more men and 45 percent fewer women
went in the boats than even the most conservative survivors estimated. Plus,
the fact that the boats pulled away with 25 percent fewer people than
estimated.
What time did the various incidents happen? Everyone agrees that the
time the Titanic hit the iceberg at 11:40pm and sank at 2:20am -- but
there's disagreement on nearly everything that happened in between. The
times given on this page are the honest estimates of people ultimately
involved, but they are far from foolproof. There was simply too much
pressure. Mrs. Louis M. Ogden, passenger on the Carpathia, offers a
good example. At one point, while helping some survivors get settled, she
paused long enough to ask her husband the time. Mr. Ogden's watch had
stopped, but he guessed it was 4:30pm. Actually, it was only 9:30 in the
morning. They were both so engrossed, they had lost all track of time.
What did the band play? The legend is, of course, that the band went
down playing "Nearer My God to Thee." Many survivors still insist this was
so, and there's no reason to doubt their sincerity. Others maintain the band
played only ragtime. One man says he clearly remembers the band in its last
moments, and they were not playing at all. In this maze of conflicting
evidence, Junior Wireless Operator Harold Bride's story somehow stands out.
He was a trained observer, meticulously accurate, and on board to the last.
He clearly recalled that, as the Boat Deck dipped under, the band was
playing the Episcopal hymn "Autumn."
The answer to all these Titanic riddles will never be known for
certain. The best that can be done is to weigh the evidence carefully and
give an honest opinion. Some will disagree, and they may be right. It
is a rash man indeed who would set himself up as final arbiter on all that
happened the incredible night the Titanic went down.