At 5:50 PM, the Titanic reached the "Corner". In order to avoid the ice found each spring near the Grand Banks, the ships took a more southerly route than at other times of the year. This meant they normally steamed southwest until reaching forty-two degrees north latitude and forty-seven degrees west longitude - a location known as "the corner". From there they steamed nearly due west on the course for Nantuket Lightship. Although the Titanic reached the corner around 5PM, Sunday, Captain Smith had ordered a delay in changing the course until 5:45, causing the ship to travel an additional 16 miles southwest. Third Officer Herbert Pitman calculated that when the Titanic turned the corner, the ship was ten miles south of the normal shipping route. Smith's decision was likely due to the ice warnings the ship had been receiving.

      Bruce Ismay would later testify that at 7:10PM, as he sat in the smoking room, Captain Smith approached and asked, "By the way, sir, have you got that telegram which I gave you this afternoon?" He explained, "I want to put it up in the officer's chartroom," Smith got the message and left.

      That night in the crowded a la carte restaurant on B-Deck, Captain Smith lingered over dinner with several of the ship's more prominent passengers. The party had been organized by George & Eleanor Widener. Their guests were their son, Harry, the Thayers, the Carters, and Major Archibald Butt, President Taft's aide-de-camp. The gathering was quiet, and pleasant. Seeing Mrs. Harris and her injured arm, the captain came over and congratulated her on her spirit.

      After dinner, EJ settled down for a smoke. He smoked two that night. "Cigars," said his daughter, "were his pleasure. And one was allowed to be in the room only if one was absolutely still, so that the blue cloud over his head never moved." Smith was in no hurry to leave the party. As dictated by White Star Line regulations, Captain Smith did not drink wine or liquor of any kind.

      Later a Elmer Taylor and his friend Fletcher Lambert Williams told how they had come into close proximity to the Captain that evening, and related that they were close enough to hear Captain Smith tell his party the ship could be cut crosswise in three places and each piece would float. "That remark confirmed my belief in the safety of the ship," said Taylor. Shortly before nine o'clock Smith excused himself for the evening and left for the bridge.

      At 8:55 PM Captain Smith arrived on the bridge, remarking to Second Officer Lightoller about the cold. Lightoller agreed and said it was only one degree above freezing. Smith commented that there wasn't much wind and Lightoller responded, "No, it is a flat calm as a matter of fact." They continued to discuss the weather and Lightoller remarked that it was a pity there was no breeze as they were going to be going through ice region. Lightoller later stated, "He would know what I meant, I was referring to the breeze making the waves break on the side of the berg." Eventually they discussed the time they would be reaching the ice and how they would be likely to detect it. Lightoller predicted that in view of how clear it was with so many stars there would be a great deal of reflected light from any icebergs. Smith said that if the weather became the slightest bit hazy, they would have to slow down and that probably even if the blue side of the berg was turned towards us the white outline would give us sufficient warning. He said we shall be able to see it at a good distance.

      There was nothing unusual in Smith's behavior. The majority of captains, faced with increasingly tight schedules preferred to forge ahead in the face of possible adversity. Those who erred on the side of caution were treated with disdain. Captain James Barr of the Caronia was nicknamed "Foggy" because of his tendency to reduce speed at the first hint of haze.

      At 9:20PM Smith left Lightoller. Smith retired to his sea cabin immediately abaft the bridge on the starboard side leaving instructions, "If it becomes at all doubtful, let me know, I will be just inside." Smith knew better than anyone that navigationally this was the most crucial period of the voyage. A number of ice messages had been received from the Caronia, Baltic, Amerika and the California - although only the Caronia's was posted in the chartroom, according to later testimony. The officers were therefore ignorant of the others. Lightoller left the Bridge at 10PM and turned over the Captain's instructions to Murdoch - to be notified if there was any doubt about the situation.

      The ship was making a steady 22.5 knots and the air temperature was right on freezing (0 C.). Whatever precautions had been considered necessary in view of approaching an ice field, a reduction in speed was obviously not given serious consideration. As the ship sped on the temperature dropped a half a degree below freezing.

      The collision occurred at 11:40PM. There was a sudden jar, followed by an ominous grinding noise far below along the ship's side. Fourth Officer Boxhall had arrived on the bridge just as the collision occurred, having been due to take over watch a few minutes later. Almost immediately he was joined by the captain who had heard the warnings and felt the impact.

      Captain Smith came rushing out of his room, "What have we struck?" he asked. "An iceberg, sir," Murdoch replied. "I put her hard a'starboard and run the engines full astern, but it was too close. She hit it. I intended to port around it, but she hit before I could do any more." "Close the watertight doors." Smith ordered. "The watertight doors are closed, sir." Smith then asked Murdoch if he had rung the warning bell, and the first officer replied that he had.

      Both officers strode out onto the bridge wing to look aft for the iceberg and on reentering the bridge the captain told Boxhall to inspect the forward area of the hull below decks and to report back as soon as possible. Smith moved the engine telegraphs to "half Ahead" but then rang down "Stop" shortly afterwards. The Titanic slowed and then stopped dead in the water. Smith now faced the horrible fact that his ship had been damaged, how seriously he did not yet know. Furthermore, he had not been present on the bridge during this most critical part of the voyage.

      Boxhall worked his way down into the bow, going as low as he could in the passenger areas and finding no sign of damage. He returned to the bridge and reported this to the Captain who ordered, "Go down and find the carpenter and get him to sound the ship." Boxhall had just begun to descend the staircase leading down to A-deck when he met Carpenter John Hutchinson. "The captain wants you to sound the ship", Boxhall told him. "The ship is making water", Hutchinson replied breathlessly. He continued onto the bridge while Boxhall headed below. There Boxhall met Jago Smith, one of the mail clerks, who wanted to know where the captain was. "The mail hold is filling rapidly!" he told Boxhall. "Well, you go and report it to the captain, and I will go down and see", Boxhall replied. Boxhall went down to the mailroom and then returned to the bridge and reported the grim news to Captain Smith. The water had risen to within two feet of the top of the stairs.

      The Chief Officer then hurried to the bridge and asked the Captain whether he thought the damage was serious. "Certainly", was the reply, "I'm afraid it's more than serious." During this time, Captain Smith had been to the wheelhouse to look at the commutator, which was a small instrument mounted in front of the compass for indicating how the ship was listing. He observed to his consternation that it already showed a list of five degrees to starboard. "Oh, my God!" he muttered. The Captain then ordered Fourth Officer Boxhall to establish the ship's exact location so that it could be included in any subsequent wireless messages. Chief Officer Wilde and Thomas Andrews inspected the damage. Carpenter Hutchinson had taken a draft of the water and there was no question that the Titanic was continuing to sink.

      Bruce Ismay then appeared donned in his pajamas and overcoat to ask Captain Smith what had happened. "We have struck ice", he explained. "Do you think the ship is seriously damaged?" Ismay asked. "I am afraid she is." was Smith's reply.

      Thomas Andrews had arrived and he explained to Smith the full seriousness of the Titanic's situation. It was clear that the iceberg had ruptured the first six watertight compartments. The first five were cargo or storage areas and the sixth was boiler room #6. Over two hundred feet had been opened up to the sea. It did not take Andrews long to reach the unpalatable conclusion that the ship was mortally wounded and estimated that it would sink an hour and a half, or two hours on the outside - a remarkable accurate assessment in the circumstances. It was now up to Smith and his officers to organize evacuation of the ship and save as many people as possible.

      Smith now faced the worst. His ship was sinking fast and the more than 2200 people on board were in extreme peril. The job was difficult not only because there were too few lifeboats for the number of passengers, but also because there had been no lifeboat drill. Captain Smith then made a decision that would significantly add to the legend of the disaster. He clearly made up his mind that it was crucial there should be no panic. He advised the crew that the ship struck an iceberg, to wake the passengers and prepare the lifeboats for lowering. What he apparently did not do was make it clear to the crew who were responsible for evacuating the ship that the Titanic was actually going to sink. From the onset the tone was set that women and children were to get into the boats as a precaution. The passengers were left to speculate as to what was happening.

      The captain and the officers on the bridge knew it was only a matter of time before the Titanic sank. At 12:05 AM, he ordered the crew to be mustered and for them to stand by to uncover the lifeboats and the crew and passengers to be rounded up.

      Three French passengers who survived the disaster said that there was momentary panic as they saw ice rubbing against the ship's sides:

      At approximately 12:10AM, after Boxhall estimated the Titanic's position, Smith stepped into the wireless room for the second time after the collision. The first time he had informed Harold Bride and Jack Phillips that he was having an inspection made to determine the extent of the damage. He had told the two to prepare to send out a distress call. Now he gave the order "Send the call for assistance" handing Bride the Titanic's estimated position. Phillips inquired, "What call should I send?" "The regulation international call for help, Just that," Smith replied and then disappeared. At 12:15AM the first wireless call for help went out.

      The lifeboats were being prepared. Third Officer Pitman waited the commander's orders to load them. He was queried as to why he had not begun to fill the lifeboats. He walked forward to the Bridge, where the Captain was standing. He informed him that the person he suspected was Bruce Ismay wanted him to get the boats away. "Go ahead, carry on." Smith replied. It was approximately 12:25AM.

      Lightoller now appeared before Captain Smith. He had been readying lifeboats on the port side. Chief Officer Wilde had ordered Lightoller to uncover the boats but not to swing them out. Seeing the Captain, Lightoller repeated the request, "Yes, swing out, " Smith ordered. Wilde said nothing.

      Phillips sent Bride to tell Smith that the Cunard ship the Carpathia was on its way. It was the closest, 58 miles to the southeast. It would take four hours to get there.

      At 12:30AM, Captain Smith ordered Second Officer Lightoller to fill lifeboat #4 from the promenade deck (A deck) instead of the boat deck as it would be less exposed for the women and children. One of the passengers then reminded Smith that the glass windows on the promenade deck were closed. Smith, who had been confusing the ship with her sister ship, the Olympic, where the promenade deck was open, immediately ordered a return to the boat deck. By the time the passengers had climbed back up, the lifeboat had been lowered, as originally ordered, to the promenade deck. Lightoller then decided that it would be easier to have the windows opened then to haul the boat up again and so passengers were again sent down to the promenade deck. It was another hour before boat #4 was finally lowered to the sea.

      As they worked the deafening noise caused by the release of steam suddenly stopped, at last allowing the men to communicate more easily. Soon a very different sound could be heard as Titanic's musicians came up from the lounge, assembled on the deck and began to play cheerful ragtime numbers. Apparently the Captain had told them to play in order to keep the passengers calm.

      Fourth Officer Boxhall waited for Quartermaster Rowe to arrive with rockets. The reason for his impatience lay roughly ten miles away from the Titanic off the port bow. Peering through binoculars he could see the lights that winked at him telling him there was a steamer approaching. She was close enough to read a morse lamp and Captain Smith gave the order to try contacting the vessel with the morse lamp, and they did so in between firing rockets. Smith ordered them to "fire one every five or six minutes." The first rocket shot up at 12:45AM. They thought the ship to be 5 to 6 miles away. Boxhall immediately began signaling in morse. Smith approached. "Call that ship up and when she replies, tell her. 'We are Titanic sinking; please have all your boats ready. Tell him to come at once," he ordered. "We are sinking." Boxhall never got a response.

      At 12:55 AM, Boat #6, was being loaded and launched. Major Peuchen watched. Per his later testimony he says as he watched he heard a man's voice coming from the disappearing lifeboat. "I can't manage this boat with only one seaman." "Can I be of any assistance? I am a yachtsman", Peuchen said to Captain Smith. Smith told Peuchen to go down to A deck, break one of those lever windows specially built for the Titanic, and get into the boat through a broken pane." Of this Peuchen said "The captain was not quite himself; his idea was impractical, if not downright dangerous." Instead, Peuchen grabbed a loose rope from the davit and lowered himself, hand-over-hand, into the boat.

      Watching the loading of the lifeboats, Smith saw Lightoller sending only two men in each boat. For Lifeboat number 10, Smith ordered Steward Alfred Crawford and a cook to join them. "Row straight for those ship's lights over there," Smith ordered Seaman Thomas Jones. "Leave your passengers on board of her and return as soon as you can." Captain Smith felt that the steamer he saw was that close.

      As boat #2 was being loaded, the captain ordered Boxhall into the boat. He told quartermaster George Rowe to continue to signal in morse, but his efforts proved no more successful than Boxhall's.

      Lightoller all along maintained the policy of assuring passengers that loading lifeboats was a precautionary measure and explaining to them that the steamer still plainly visible was only a few miles away. At this point Chief Officer Wilde interrupted Lightoller's work to ask where the firearms were stored. Lightoller had stowed the guns, as he was originally the First Officer before the change in responsibilities with Wilde taking over as Chief Officer and all the other officers being moved down a notch. Lightoller led Wilde, Murdoch, and Captain Smith to the locker in Murdoch's cabin where the guns were kept.

      At 1:10AM, a Mrs. J. Stuart White observed that the captain seemed to be in a hurry to have the boat leave. Boat #8 was loaded with all the women and children he could see, there were still about 30 empty places. The wives began begging Captain Smith, who was standing nearby, to let in some of the husbands to row. But the captain backed Lightoller to the hilt - the rule was "Women and children only."

      At well past 1:30AM, the strains of music still drifted across the placid ocean to the passengers who were now in lifeboats. The decks were still brightly lit. An officer's whistle blew and Captain Smith shouted, "Come alongside" to the boats already away. He did this several times. These orders were not obeyed. None returned.

      Periodically, Bride left the wireless cabin to report their work to the captain, and occasionally Smith would stop in personally to check on them. During one visit he told them the engine room was flooded and the ship was sinking and that she could not last longer than half an hour.

      It was now 2AM and the Titanic's last rockets had been fired. All but Collapsibles C & D had left on the ship. Collapsibles A & B were still lashed upside down on the roof of the officer's quarters. The Titanic's bow was now well submerged, with her mast and rigging rising from the sea. Most of the remaining third class passengers had retreated to the stern with the first and second class staying on the boat deck.

      Frederick Hoyt, First Class Passenger, later reported "I knew Captain Smith for over fifteen years. Our conversation that night amounted to little or nothing. I simply sympathized with him on the accident; but at that time, as I then never expected to be saved, I did not want to bother him with questions, as I knew he had all he wanted to think of. He did suggest that I go down to A deck and see if there was not a boat alongside. This I did, and to my surprise saw the boat "D" still hanging on the davits and it occurred to me that if I swam out and waited for her to shove off they would pick me up, which was what happened."

      Collapsible B, on the port side was now being freed from its lashings. On the starboard side, several oars had been leaned up against the deckhouse so that then men could slide Collapsible A down to the boat deck. Due to the underestimated weight of the boat, it came crashing down. The men began attaching it to the davits. Over the forward railing of the bridge in the meantime, the Captain watched the water swirling around the port side of A deck just below. As Samual Hemmings, jumped back down to the boat deck, he was just in time to hear what was probably Captain Smith's last order. Hemming said "The captain was there and he sung out: 'Everyone over to the starboard side to keep the ship up as long as possible.' Hemming followed the captain's orders and went over to the starboard side, soon to work on Collapsible A. Wilde probably went over with him. As they worked, Captain Smith approached with a megaphone and shouted to those on deck. "Well, boys, do your best for the women and children, and look out for your selves." Knowing the ship was about to founder, the Captain headed for the boat deck door nearby that led to the wireless office to relieve the operators from their duty.

      Jack Phillips & Harold Bride were in the wireless room when Smith entered. Bride noticed that the Captain still had not put on his own life preserver. "Men, you have done your full duty. You can do no more. Abandon your cabin." They didn't move. "You look out for yourselves," the captain continued. "I release you. That's the way of it at this kind of time. Every man for himself".

      Now the bow of the Titanic began to plunge swiftly, causing a huge wave to wash aft from the forward end of the boat deck. The moment Captain Smith had feared was at hand - the ignominious end to a previously untarnished career. During the two and a half hours since the collision, he had at times seemed almost in a daze, a strangely passive figure. Boxhall took the initiative to fire the rockets. Lightoller and Pitman approached the Captain for permission to load and lower the lifeboats. Now, with the ship going down, Captain Smith turned and dove into the ocean. Harold Bride said he saw Captain Smith jump into the sea just before the liner sank:

      There are different tales of Smith's death.

      Philadelphia banker Robert W. Daniel who leapt from the sinking ship two minutes before she went down said. "I saw Captain Smith on the bridge. My eyes seemingly clung to him. The deck from which I had leapt was immersed. The water had risen slowly, and was now to the floor of the bridge. Then it was to Captain Smith's waist. I saw him no more. He died a hero."

      Another tale comes from Collapsible B. At this time, the boat was overturned in the water, crowded with thirty men standing, sitting or kneeling in all conceivable positions, afraid to move for fear of losing their grip on the boat's hull while also trying to paddle away from the remaining swimmers using a loose board.

      "Look out, or you'll swamp us, someone told A.H. Barkworth, one of the last to climb onto Collapsible B. "Hold on to what you have, old boy. One more of you aboard would sink us all," one of the crewmen called to another man in the water. In a powerful voice the swimmer called back, "All right boys. Good luck and God bless you." Several men would later claim to have recognized the swimmer as Captain Smith. He swam away for a short distance before becoming still.

      Another story from Robert Williams, one of the firemen, says that when he was on the overturned Collapsible B, the captain was swimming close alongside me, and he had a baby in his arms. I saw him swim to one of the boats and hand the baby to someone, and the last I saw of him he was heading back toward the ship."

      H. Maynard, an entree cook, claimed that while aboard a lifeboat, shortly after the sinking, Captain Smith swam up to him handing him a baby before swimming away. Harry Senior, a Titanic fireman, said he saw the captain rescue a child. A passenger, Charles Williams claims he saw "Captain Smith swimming around the icy water with an infant in his arms and a lifebelt. When the small boat Mr. Williams was in, went to rescue Captain Smith, he handed them the child, but refused to get in himself." "Then Captain Smith pushed himself away from the lifeboat, threw his lifebelt from him and slowly sank from sight. He did not come to the surface again."

      Seaman G.A. Hogg said, "I saw Captain Smith in the water alongside a raft. 'There's the skipper,' I yelled. 'Give him a hand'. They did, but he shook himself free and shouted to us, 'Goodbye boys, I'm going to follow the ship.' That was the last we saw of our skipper".

      Another claimed that Smith had shouted, "Be British, boys, be British!" before going under with the ship.

      G.A. Drayton claimed that E.J. had simply been swept off the bridge when it lunged forward: "I saw him swim back into the sinking ship. He went down with it in my sight."

      Dr. J.F. Kemp, a passenger on the Carpathia, raised an ominous possibility. Kemp had spoken to a boy who had been one of the last children to leave the Titanic. The boy had seen "Captain Smith put a pistol to his head and then fell down." Others reported having seen Captain Smith commit suicide; crewmen however, vigorously denied the possibility. The window of a local newspaper in Southampton after the disaster said, "The final scene. Smith remained at his post on the bridge and went down with the ship. There was no panic.' (this last was in immense letters). Seaman stood around and spelt it out to their comrades. "I should think so, shot himself! That wasn't Smith's way. I know what I'd do to the feller that put that in." (here he spat)

      The fate of Captain Smith remains a mystery as his body was never found.

      Of his boyhood friend, William Jones would say:

      Second Officer Lightoller remembered him decades after the disaster as "the best captain he ever knew."

      A message from Captain Smith's wife was later posted outside the White Star offices in Southampton. It read: "To my poor fellow sufferers - my heart overflows with grief for you all and is laden with sorrow that you are weighed down with this terrible burden that has been thrust upon us. May God be with us and comfort us all. Yours in sympathy, Eleanor Smith."

      Senator Alden Smith paid tribute to the career of Captain Smith, "Captain Smith knew the sea and his clear eye and steady hand had often guided his ship through dangerous paths. For forty years, storms sought in vain to vex him or menace his craft. Each new advancing type of ship built by his company was handed over to him as a reward for faithful services and as evidence of confidence in his skill. Strong of limb, intent of purpose, pure in character, dauntless as a sailor could be, he walked the deck of this majestic structure as master of her keel". Smith added that the Captain's "own willingness to die was the expiating evidence of his fitness to live."

      Perhaps the strangest report was made by a Captain Peter Pryal and was reported in the Baltimore, MD press on 20 July 1912. "Captain Pryal, one of the oldest mariners in Baltimore and well known in shipping circles, who sailed with Captain Smith when he was the commander of the Majestic, made the startling statement today that he saw and talked to Captain Smith at Baltimore & St. Paul Streets. He declares he walked up to Captain Smith and said, 'Captain Smith, how are you?' Then the man answered, 'Very well, Pryal, but please don't detain me, I am on business.' He says he followed the man, saw him buy a ticket for Washington, and as he passed through the gate of the railway station he turned, recognized Pryal again, and remarked 'Be good, shipmate, until we meet again.' 'There is no possibility of my being mistaken,' said Captain Pryal, 'I have known Captain Smith too long. I would know him even without his beard. I firmly believe that he was saved and in some mysterious manner brought to this country. I am willing to swear to my statement. Many persons may think I am insane, but I have told Dr. Warfield of the occurrence and he will vouch for my sanity.' Dr. Warfield said that Captain Pryal was perfectly sane. The captain is well-to-do and is a consistent church member."

      Edward J. Smith was married to Sarah Eleanor. Eleanor was born 17 June 1861 and was killed in an auto-pedestrian accident (she was knocked down by a taxi-cab) in London on April 28, 1931. They had one daughter Helen Melville Smith born in Liverpool, England in 1898. She married in 1922 Sindey Russell-Cooke. He was an underwriter. Her husband was killed in a hunting accident on 30 July 1930. "Mel" never remarried and died of an intercranial hemorrhage at Pratts, Leafield Oxford, England on August 18 1973. Mel had twins Simon Russell-Cooke born 18 June 1923 at Bellcrorst London and killed in action in World War II on 23 March 1944. He never married. His twin Priscilla was married in 1946 to John Arneal Phipps. She died in Scotland in 1948 of acute paralytic Polio. There were no children.

      A big statue of the captain was put up in Lichfield, England (the diocese where he was born). Many important people attended the unveiling of this statue, including relatives of passengers who perished with the captain.