by Nic Compton
When I got down there, I met Mr Shepherd. He said to me, ‘You have got the lamps, have not you?’ and I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He said, ‘That is right, light them, and put them up by the water-gauges of the boilers.’ So I lit them up and took them up and came down below again, and Mr Shepherd said to me, ‘Start drawing fires.’ I said, ‘Yes.’ I went to get the rake to start pulling some of the fires out, when Mr Harvey came to me and asked me to get some men down to get the fires out. I went up top and saw a few belonging to the eight-to-twelve watch, and asked them if they would come, and some went down. The ship was going down a little by the head then.
Frederick Scott – Greaser
They rang down ‘Stop’, and two greasers on the bottom rang the telegraph back to answer it. Then they rang down ‘Slow ahead’. For ten minutes she was going ahead. Then they rang down ‘Stop’, and then ‘Astern’. She went astern for five minutes. Then they rang down ‘Stop’.
They cannot stop the engines at once; they are bound to let the steam get out of the cylinder first, otherwise they would blow the cylinder covers off if they tried to stop them at once.
Charles Lightoller – Second Officer
My light was out but I was still awake. The impact is best described as a jar and a grinding sound. There was a slight jar followed by this grinding sound. It struck me we had struck something and then, thinking it over, it was a feeling as if she may have hit something with her propellers, and I thought perhaps she had struck some obstruction with her propeller and stripped the blades off. It flashed through my mind that possibly it was a piece of wreckage, or something – a piece of ice had been struck by a propeller blade, which might have given a similar feeling to the ship.
I lay there for a few moments, it might have been a few minutes, and then, feeling the engines had stopped, I got up. I went out on deck, on to the boat deck on the port side. First of all, I looked forward to the bridge and everything seemed quiet there. Everything seemed normal. I could see the first officer standing on the footbridge keeping the lookout. I then walked across to the side, and I saw the ship had slowed down and was proceeding slowly through the water, at a matter of perhaps six knots or something like that. I did not stay there long.
After looking over the side and seeing the bridge, I went back to the quarters and crossed over to the starboard side. I looked out of the starboard door and I could see the commander standing on the bridge in just the same manner as I had seen Mr Murdoch, just the outline. I could not see which was which in the dark. It was pretty cold and I went back to my bunk and turned in. I did not think it was anything serious. I thought she had either bumped something or fouled something. If it was sufficiently serious, I knew I should be called.
It is very difficult to say how long I was in my bunk after that. I should say roughly about half an hour perhaps – it might have been longer, it might have been less. There were no noises. I turned in my bunk, covered myself up and waited for somebody to come along and tell me if they wanted me. I knew that if they wanted us, it was a moment’s work for the quartermaster to come along and tell us.
After some time, Mr Boxhall just came in and quietly remarked, ‘You know we have struck an iceberg.’ I said, ‘I know we have struck something.’ He then said, ‘The water is up to F deck in the mail room.’ He had no need to say anything further then.
Herbert Pitman – Third Officer
I saw a little ice on the well deck. I went further, to the forecastle head, to see if there was any damage. I could not see any at all. On my return, before emerging from under the forecastle head, I saw a crowd of firemen coming out with their bags of clothing. I said, ‘What is the matter?’ They said, ‘The water is coming in our place.’ I said, ‘That is funny.’ I looked down No 1 hatch, then, and saw the water flowing over the hatch.
Bruce Ismay – Managing Director, IMM
I presume the impact awakened me. I lay in bed for a moment or two afterwards, not realising, probably, what had happened. I really thought we had lost a blade off the propeller. Eventually I got up and walked along the passageway and met one of the stewards, and said, ‘What has happened?’ He said, ‘I do not know, sir.’
I then went back into my room, put my coat on, and went up on the bridge, where I found Captain Smith. I asked him what had happened, and he said, ‘We have struck ice.’ I said, ‘Do you think the ship is seriously damaged?’ He said, ‘I am afraid she is.’
I then went down below, where I met Mr Bell, the chief engineer, who was in the main companionway. I asked if he thought the ship was seriously damaged, and he said he thought she was, but was quite satisfied the pumps would keep her afloat.
I went back on to the bridge, where I heard Captain Smith give the order to get the boats out. It is difficult to remember exactly what was said. I know I heard him give the order to lower the boats. I think that is all he said. I think he simply turned around and gave the order. As soon as I heard him give the order to lower the boats, I left the bridge. I walked along to the starboard side of the ship, where I met one of the officers. I told him to get the boats out. I then assisted, as best I could, getting the boats out and putting the women and children into the boats.
Frederick Clench – Able Seaman
I was awakened by the crunching and jarring, as if the ship was hitting up against something. Of course I put on my trousers and I went on deck on the starboard side of the well deck and I saw a lot of ice on the deck. With that, I went in the alleyway again under the forecastle head to come down and put on my shoes. Someone said to me, ‘Did you hear the rush of water?’ I said, ‘No.’ They said, ‘Look down under the hatchway.’ I looked down under the hatchway and I saw the tarpaulin belly out as if there was a lot of wind under it, and I heard the rush of water coming through.
I went down below and put my guernsey on, my round hat on, and after that I sat down on a stool having a smoke, down in the forecastle. I seen the water coming in, and I thought it was all right. I thought she would not sink then.
Edward Wilding – Naval Architect, Harland & Wolff
Assuming the forepeak and Nos 1, 2 and 3 holds and No 6 boiler room flooded, and that the water has risen to a certain level, it would mean that about 16,000 tons of water had found their way into the vessel. That is the volume of the water which would have to come in. As far as I can follow from the evidence, the water was up to that level in about forty minutes. It may be a few minutes more or less, but that is the best estimate I can make.
My estimate for the size of the hole required (and making some allowance for the obstruction due to the presence of decks and other things), is that the total area through which water was entering the ship, was somewhere about 12 square feet. The extent of the damage fore and aft, that is from the foremost puncture to the aftermost puncture in the cross bunker at the forward end of No 5 boiler room, is about 500 feet, and the average width of the hole extending the whole way is only about three-quarters of an inch. That is my reason for stating that I believe it must have been in several places – that is, not a continuous rip. A hole three-quarters of an inch wide and 200 feet long does not seem to describe to me the probable damage, but it must have averaged about that amount.
It can only have been a comparatively short length, and the aggregate of the holes must have been somewhere about 12 square feet. One cannot put it any better than that.
Norman Chambers – First Class Passenger
At the time of the collision I was in bed, and I noticed no very great shock, the loudest noise by far being that of jangling chains whipping along the side of the ship. This passed so quickly that I assumed something had gone wrong with the engines on the starboard side.
At the request of my wife, I prepared to investigate what had happened, leaving her dressing. I threw on sufficient clothes, including my overcoat. I went up, in a leisurely manner, as far as the A deck on the starboard side. There I noted only an unusual coldness of the air. Looking over the side I was unable to see anything in a
ny direction.
I returned below, where I was joined by my wife, and we came up again to investigate, still finding nothing. However, there was then a noticeable list to starboard, with probably a few degrees of pitch; and as the ship had a list to port nearly all afternoon, I decided to remain up, in spite of a feeling of perfect safety.
Upon returning to the stateroom for the purpose of completing dressing, I looked at the starboard end of our passage, where there was the companion leading to the quarters of the mail clerks and farther on to the baggage room and, I believe, the mail-sorting room. At the top of these stairs I found a couple of mail clerks wet to their knees, who had just come up from below, bringing their registered mail bags. As the door in the bulkhead in the next deck was open, I was able to look directly into the trunk room, which was then filled with water, and was within 18 inches or two feet of the deck above.
We were standing there joking about our baggage being completely soaked, and about the correspondence which was seen floating about on the top of the water. I personally felt no sense of danger, as this water was forward of the bulkhead.
While we were standing there, three of the ship’s officers – I did not notice their rank or department – descended the first companion and looked into the baggage room, coming back up immediately, saying that we were not making any more water. This was not an announcement, but merely a remark passed from one to the other. Then my wife and myself returned in the direction of our stateroom, a matter of a few yards away only, and as we were going down our own alleyway to the stateroom door our steward came by and told us that we could go back to bed again; that there was no danger. In this I agreed with him, personally.
However, I finished dressing, my wife being already fully and warmly clothed, and she, in the meanwhile having gone out into the passage to note any later developments, came rushing back to me, saying that she had seen another passenger who informed her that the call had been given out for lifebelts and to go on the boat deck. I went out myself, and found my room steward passing down the alleyway, and had the order verified.
As I was at the time fully dressed and wore my heavy overcoat, in the pockets of which I had already placed certain necessities, we started up. My wife had presence of mind enough to take a lifebelt. I opened my steamer trunk and took out a small pocket compass, and, sending my wife on ahead, opened my bag and removed my automatic pistol. We then proceeded immediately upward, my wife being rather alarmed, as she had also been at the time of the collision.
But for her I should have remained in bed, reading.
Henry Etches – Bedroom Steward
At that minute I heard a loud shout, ‘Close watertight bulkheads.’ I recognised it as our boatswain’s voice; it was extra loud. I looked out and he was running from fore to aft. The one shout, ‘Close watertight bulkhead doors.’
I partly dressed and looked out of the door, and I saw the Third Class passengers coming along from forward with their portmanteaus. I had gotten about 30 yards, when I met a passenger with a piece of ice, and he said, ‘Will you believe it now?’ And threw it down on the deck. With that, I went back and finished dressing, and then went up on deck. As I was going through the door I met a bedroom steward named Stone. I said, ‘What is the time?’ He said, ‘Never mind about that; there is something else for you to do. I saw them pull up bags of mail, and the water running out of the bottom of them.’
When I got on A deck, the bedroom steward was assisting passengers then, and most of the doors were open. I said, ‘Have you called all of your people?’ He said, ‘Yes, but I can’t get them to dress.’ They were standing in the corridors partly dressed. I said, ‘I will go down on my deck,’ and with that I went down to B deck, arousing my passengers.
I aroused the passengers in my stateroom. The first cabin I went to was at the foot of the pantry stairs. I pulled the bottom drawer out there and stood on it, and got out lifebelts. As a gentleman was passing there, I gave him one of those. He was a stout gentleman; he appeared to be an Englishman. He said, ‘Show me how to put this on,’ and I showed him how. Then he said, ‘Tie it for me.’ I said, ‘Pull the strings around to the front and tie it,’ and as he was doing it I ran outside and opened other doors.
Mr Guggenheim and his secretary were in their room. He apparently had only just gone to his room, for he answered the first knock. The lifebelts in this cabin were in the wardrobe, in a small rack. There were three lifebelts there, and I took them out and put one on Mr Guggenheim. He said, ‘This will hurt.’ I said, ‘You have plenty of time, put on some clothes, and I will be back in a few minutes.’
I then found No 78 cabin door shut, and I banged with both hands on the door loudly, and a voice answered, ‘What is it?’ Then a lady’s voice said, ‘Tell me what the trouble is.’ I said, ‘It is necessary that you should open the door, and I will explain everything, but please put the lifebelts on or bring them in the corridor.’ They said, ‘I want to know what is the matter.’ I said, ‘Kindly open the door,’ and I still kept banging.
I passed along, and I found one cabin was empty, and then I came to another cabin, and a lady and a gentleman stood at the door. They were swinging a lifebelt in their hands. I don’t know the name. It was a shortish name, and I fancy it began with S. They were a stiff-built gentleman and a rather short, thin lady. They were undoubtedly Americans.
I went along to the purser’s place. He said, ‘It is necessary to go up on the boat deck.’ And he said, ‘Tell all the other bedroom stewards to assemble their passengers on the boat deck and stand by.’
Charles Lightoller – Second Officer
The lifebelt consists of a series of pieces of cork. A hole is cut for the head to go through, the flaps fall over front and back, and there are tapes from the back then tied around the front. It is tied to the body. It is a new idea and very effective, because no one can make a mistake in putting it on.
Joseph Wheat – Assistant Second Steward
I saw the mail men dragging bags of mail up, which I took to be the registered mail. The water was already on G deck when I got on it, and rising rapidly. I went upstairs to E deck again, and down to F deck to close the bulkhead doors by the Turkish baths. There are two bulkhead doors there. I closed the inside one myself, and then to close the other we had to go on top and turn that one with a key. Mr Dodd and Crosby, the Turkish bath attendant, helped me.
I went and saw if all the people were out of the Turkish bath attendants’ quarters. As I was coming up, there was water running off E deck, down the stairway on to F deck. It was more than trickling, but it was not exactly a stream.
I thought the water had come up the stairway leading down to the Post Office, and then ran along E deck, and then down on to F. There is no bulkhead between the stairway and those stairs on E deck. The watertight doors are further aft. There is nothing to stop the water from coming up to F deck.
Francis Carruthers – Board of Trade Surveyor
As these bulkheads were built I followed their construction. When they were riveted I inspected them to see how they were riveted and if they were well riveted; and when they were finished I went round and tested the caulking of the bulkheads and at the end of the survey, a few days before she was finished, I went round the bulkheads to see that all the small holes that are drilled for carrying through the heating pipes and the electric light wires were all properly made fast. I went over the bulkheads with a feeler, a small-bladed knife, round the caulking, and saw there were no rivet holes left unfilled.
I found them all very good indeed. I think if I had found any of the bulkheads not watertight I would have submitted the question to London.
John Binns – Former Marconi Operator, SS Republic
From the plans of the Titanic, the vessel has been built to meet every possible accident, with the exception of a glancing blow. The ship has a certain number of watertight compartments and also a double bottom; but according to the plans the sides of the ship are just a single shell under the
waterline. In the event of a glancing blow extending from one end of the ship to the other the watertight compartments would be rendered absolutely useless, owing to the fact that there is no side protection.
Helen Bishop – First Class Passenger
My husband awakened me at about a quarter of 12 and told me that the boat had struck something. We both dressed and went up on the deck, looked around, and could find nothing. We noticed the intense cold; in fact, we had noticed that about 11 o’clock that night. It was uncomfortably cold in the lounge. We looked all over the deck; walked up and down a couple of times, and one of the stewards met us and laughed at us. He said, ‘You go back downstairs. There is nothing to be afraid of. We have only struck a little piece of ice and passed it.’ So we returned to our stateroom and retired.
About 15 minutes later we were awakened by a man who had a room near us. He told us to come upstairs. So we dressed again thoroughly, looked over all our belongings and went upstairs. After being there about five or ten minutes, Mr Astor, one of the men we were with, ran up and spoke to the captain, who was just then coming down the stairs. The captain told him something in an undertone. He came back and told six of us, who were standing with his wife, that we had better put on our lifebelts. I had gotten down two flights of stairs to tell my husband, who had returned to the stateroom for a moment, before I heard the captain announce that the lifebelts should be put on. That was about three or four minutes later.
