Titanic: A Very Deceiving Night

by Tim Maltin

  - Yes.

  17669. Was your vessel's head swinging at the time you saw this light of this other vessel?

  - I put it down that her stern was swinging.

  17670. Which way was her stern swinging?

  - Practically dead south, I believe, then.

  17671. Do you mean her head was facing south?

  - No, her head was facing north. She was coming round to starboard.

  17672. The stern was swung to the south?

  - Yes.

  17673. And at that time you saw this white light?

  - Yes.

  17674. How was it bearing from you?

  - When I first saw it it was half a point on the port bow, and roughly about two points when I left the bridge.

  Light on the port bow

  With Titanic stopped and facing north, it is revealing that the following 10 witnesses, drawn from Titanic’s most senior surviving officers, quartermasters, lookouts, able seaman, stewards, as well as from her First as well as Third Class passengers, all agree that the only ship they saw as Titanic was sinking was off Titanic’s port (left) bow, putting the nearby ship northwest of Titanic’s wreck site:

  Lightoller, Second Officer: 13894. I knew there was, if I may mention it, this light on the port bow about two points; I had already been calling many of the passengers' attention to it, pointing it out to them and saying there was a ship over there, that probably it was a sailing ship as she did not appear to come any closer, and that at daylight very likely a breeze would spring up and she would come in and pick us up out of the boats, and generally reassuring them by pointing out the light.

  Boxhall, Fourth and Navigating Officer: 15392. And then you saw this light which you say looked like a masthead light?

  - Yes, it was two masthead lights of a steamer.

  15393. Could you see it distinctly with the naked eye?

  - No, I could see the light with the naked eye, but I could not define what it was, but by the aid of a pair of glasses I found it was the two masthead lights of a vessel, probably about half a point on the port bow, and in the position she would be showing her red if it were visible, but she was too far off then.

  Harold Godfrey Lowe, Fifth Officer: 15825. Did you look for any lights at this time at all?

  - As I was getting the emergency boat ready, No. 1, Mr. Boxhall was firing the detonators, the distress signals, and somebody mentioned something about a ship on the port bow, and I glanced over in that direction casually and I saw a steamer there.

  15826. What did you see of her?

  - I saw her two masthead and her red sidelights.

  Quartermaster Rowe: 17673. And at that time you saw this white light?

  - Yes.

  17674. How was it bearing from you?

  - When I first saw it it was half a point on the port bow, and roughly about two points when I left the bridge.

  Quartermaster Hitchens: 1162. What light?

  - There was a light about two points on the port bow…

  Frederick Fleet, Lookout: FRF242. And what did you do then?

  - We got the oars and pulled for the light that was on the port bow.

  James Johnson, saloon steward: 3481. You said something about seeing a light?

  - Yes.

  3482. Did you see that light from the deck of the "Titanic"?

  - I should think we saw it for about twenty minutes on the port bow.

  3483. How broad from the port bow?

  - I should think from where I was standing we pulled a mile and a half or two miles after it.

  3484. Was it nearly right ahead?

  - No, something like an angle.

  3485. A right angle?

  - A left angle from the port bow rather.

  Bedroom Steward Henry Samuel Etches: HSE127. (Senator Smith) Did you see lights while you were lying by, after or before the Titanic sank, from any other ship?

  - After the Titanic had sunk we pulled a good distance out farther from her, after the cries were all over. We pulled away, and a light we thought was a mast headlight of a ship was across where the port bow of the Titanic would have been at the time. During the time the Titanic was there I saw no light. I was looking at the Titanic the whole of the time.

  First Class passenger Colonel Archibald Gracie: I reassured them and pointed out to them the lights of what I thought was a ship or steamer in the distance.

  Mr. Astor came up and he leaned over the side of the deck, which was an enclosed deck, and there were windows and the glass could be let down. I pointed toward the bow, and there were distinctly seen these lights - or a light, rather one single light. It did not seem to be a star, and that is what we all thought it was, the light of some steamer.

  We all went up on deck and stayed there. We walked over to the port side of the ship, and there were five of us standing, looking, and we thought we saw a light.

  Third class passenger Olaus Abelseth: OLA009. On what deck were you standing?

  - Not on the top deck, but on - I do not know what you call it, but it is the hind part, where the sitting room is; and then there is a kind of a little space in between, where they go up on deck. It was up on the boat deck, the place for the steerage passengers on the deck. We were then on the port side there, and we looked out at this light. I said to my brother-in-law: "I can see it plain, now. It must be a light."

  OLA010. How far away was it?

  - I could not say, but it did not seem to be so very far. I thought I could see this mast light, the front mast light. That is what I thought I could see.

  A little while later there was one of the officers who came and said to be quiet, that there was a ship coming. That is all he said.

  When she stopped her lights seemed to go out

  That Californian was indeed off Titanic’s port bow and therefore northwest of Titanic’s wreck site is confirmed by Californian’s Second Officer, Charles Victor Groves, who was watching the Titanic from the Californian at the time of the collision, when she made her starboard (right) turn immediately after her collision, at 10.40pm:

  8227. Did you continue to see the masthead lights?

  - Yes.

  8228. Did you see any navigation lights - sidelights?

  - I saw the red port light.

  8229. (The Commissioner.) When did you see that?

  - As soon as her deck lights disappeared from my view.

  Groves is describing Titanic’s deck lights appearing to disappear as her bow is presented to Californian instead of her broadside, which was showing the starboard light before Titanic’s turn:

  Lord STL 268: When this man was coming along he was showing his green light on our starboard side, before midnight.

  The fact that Groves continued to see Titanic’s masthead light, shows that Titanic did not get to North through a 270° turn to Port (which would have shut in Titanic’s masthead light to Californian while Titanic was heading southward), but through a 90° turn to Starboard.

  That Titanic is then facing northwards and therefore presenting her Port bow to Californian is also confirmed by Gibson, who notes that Titanic’s lights were behind and to the right of her masthead light:

  7780. Was the glare of light which you saw on the afterpart of this vessel forward or aft of the masthead light?

  - Abaft the masthead light.

  7781. So that you would be seeing her starboard side?

  - No, her port side.

  7782. The glare of light which you say was aft, was aft of the masthead lights?

  - Yes.

  7783. Was that to your left or your right as you were looking at her?

  - To the right.

  7784. Do you mean the masthead light was to the right?

  - No, the masthead light was to the left.

  The fact that the Californian was off Titanic’s port bow after Titanic had come to a stop, meant that Titanic therefore presented only her port bow towards the Californian after her collision:

  Titanic leaving Southampton on her
maiden voyage at 12.15am on Wednesday 10th April 1912

  © Science Photo Library

  …and not her full broadside, which would have been much more distinctive:

  Postcard of Titanic at Cherbourg, 8pm Wednesday 10th April 1912. This artist’s impression shows more lights than were in fact visible on Titanic at night.

  © Author’s Private Collection

  Furthermore, as well as many of her stateroom, cabin and public room lights being put out due to passengers going to bed, we know that Titanic’s bow would have appeared particularly dark that night, because earlier in the evening First Officer Murdoch, in charge on the bridge of Titanic at the time of the collision, had ordered lamp trimmer Samuel Hemming to make sure it was as dark as possible in order to give Titanic’s watch officers and lookouts the best chance of spotting icebergs from the bridge and crow’s nest, respectively:

  17704 Do you remember reporting to Mr. Murdoch, the First Officer, that all the lights had been placed? – Yes.

  17705 About what time was that? – I think about a quarter past 7.

  17706 Do you remember what he said to you after that? – Yes.

  17707 What did he say? – I was walking off the bridge, and he called me back, and he said:

  "Hemming, when you go forward, get the fore scuttle hatch closed, there is a glow left from that, as we are in the vicinity of ice, and I want everything dark before the bridge."

  17708 Where is the fore scuttle hatch? – On the forecastle head.

  17709 Did you carry out those orders? – I closed it myself.

  All of these factors tended to make Titanic look very unlike the Titanic, from the Californian, and this is proved in the following conversation between Groves on the Californian - who saw Titanic approaching near the Californian before her collision – and Captain Lord, who only joined him on the bridge moments after Titanic’s collision, when she was then heading more towards the Californian:

  Groves: 8197. - When he came up on the bridge he said to me, "That does not look like a passenger steamer." I said, "It is, Sir. When she stopped her lights seemed to go out, and I suppose they have been put out for the night."

  8203. (The Commissioner.) You said something about the lights of the ship going out. When did they go out?

  - At 11.40

  8204. Was the Captain standing with you?

  - No, my Lord.

  8205. At that time?

  - No, my Lord.

  8206. Had he gone away?

  - He had not been on the bridge again since about 10.35.

  Ironically, had Captain Lord returned to the bridge a moment earlier, he would possibly have recognized her as being the Titanic.

  We were swinging, but very, very slowly

  Titanic was not the only ship in the area which had turned to Starboard after she saw ice. About an hour earlier, the Californian had come to an emergency stop nearby, when she arrived at the ice barrier blocking the westbound steamer tracks. The stationary Californian was equally confusing to Titanic, because Californian was gradually swinging clockwise, through south, throughout that night, after she came to a stop at 10.21pm:

  10.21pm Captain Lord of the Californian: STL268. - Well, on our ordinary course, our ordinary course was about west, true; but on seeing the ice, we were so close we had to reverse the engine and put her full speed astern, and the action of reversing turned the ship to starboard, and we were heading about northeast true [sic NNE by compass]. When this man was coming along he was showing his green light on our starboard side, before midnight. After we slowly blew around and showed him our red light.

  Californian’s constant and marked swinging to starboard (clockwise) throughout that night also gave rise to confusion about the true bearings of Titanic from Californian, according to Californian’s witnesses. However, they were much more accurate when simply recalling how Titanic’s lights bore relative to Californian’s hull, at specific times throughout that night:

  11.10pm Groves: 8135: About 11.10, ship's time, I made out a steamer coming up a little bit abaft our starboard beam.

  8150. How were you heading? - At that time we would be heading N.E. when I saw that steamer first, but we were swinging all the time because when we stopped the order was given for the helm to be put hard-a-port, and we were swinging, but very, very slowly.

  8157: We were heading N.E. and she was three [sic two] points abaft the beam.

  12.08am Stone: "I went on the bridge about 8 minutes past 12, and took over the Watch from the Third Officer, Mr. Groves, who also pointed out ice and steamer and said our head was E.N.E. and we were swinging. On looking at the compass I saw this was correct and observed the other steamer S.S.E dead abeam and showing one masthead light, her red side-light and one or two small indistinct lights around the deck which looked like portholes or open doors.

  7820. And how were they bearing from you at this time? - S.S.E. by the standard compass.

  8083. (The Commissioner.) She went across your bows? - It was merely our swinging that brought her across our bows.

  …and Gibson: It being my watch on deck from 12 o'clock, I went on the bridge at about 15 minutes after twelve and saw that the ship was stopped and that she was surrounded with light field ice and thick field-ice to the Southward. While the Second Officer and I were having coffee, a few minutes later, I asked him if there were any more ships around us. He said that there was one on the Starboard beam, and looking over the weather cloth, I saw a white light flickering, which I took to be a Morse light calling us up. I then went over to the keyboard and gave one long flash in answer, and still seeing this light flickering. I gave her the calling up sign. The light on the other ship, however, was still the same, so I looked at her through the binoculars and found it was her masthead light flickering. I also observed her port sidelight and a faint glare of lights on her afterdeck…This ship was then right abeam.

  12.25am Gibson: At about 25 minutes after twelve I went down off the bridge to get a new log out and not being able to find it, I went on the bridge again to see if the Second Officer knew anything about it. I then noticed that this other ship was about one and a half points before the beam.

  12.55am Gibson: I then went down again and was down until about five minutes to one. Arriving on the bridge again at that time, the Second Officer told me that the other ship, which was then about 3 ½ points on the Starboard bow, had fired five rockets and he also remarked that after seeing the second one to make sure that he was not mistaken, he had told the Captain, through the speaking tube, and that the Captain had told him to watch her and keep calling her up on the Morse light. I then watched her for some time and then went over to the keyboard and called her up continuously for about three minutes. I then got the binoculars and had just got them focused on the vessel when I observed a white flash apparently on her deck, followed by a faint streak towards the sky which then burst into white stars.

  1.15am Gibson: Nothing then happened until the other ship was about two points on the Starboard bow when she fired another rocket.

  1.25am – 1.40am Gibson: Between one point on the Starboard bow and one point on the Port bow I called her up on the Morse lamp but received no answer. When about one point on the Port bow she fired another rocket which like the others burst into white stars. (Stone BI 7935 - I saw the last of the rockets as near as I can say about 1.40 – and this agrees with Boxhall on Titanic: - I was sending the rockets up right to the very last minute when I was sent away in the boat. 15422. How long before the vessel sank were you sent away in the boat?

  - I cannot give the time, but I have approximated it nearly half-an-hour, as near as I could tell.)

  2.05am Gibson: [This was 2.17am on Titanic, exactly when her lights went out, three minutes before she sank at 2.20am. We know this because Titanic set her clocks to noon when she was at longitude 44.31W, 126 miles from the corner at 42N, 47W on the Great Circle route from Fastnet Light; and we know from Captain Lord that Californian set her clocks at noon when she was at
longitude 47.25W: Lord STL023:" At the ship's time for 47° 25' longitude." But Sam Halpern has pointed out that this longitude was incorrect and should in fact have read 47.34W, because the departure distance of 25 miles from the Corner was erroneously entered into Californian’s log, instead of the 34 minutes of arc that would have been obtained from the traverse table, for that latitude and departure. Given that there are 60 minutes of arc in each degree of arc, Californian’s noon longitude was therefore 183 minutes of arc west of Titanic’s noon longitude. As the sun takes 4 seconds to cover each minute of arc as it appears to circle the globe from east to west, Californian time was therefore 12 minutes and 12 seconds behind Titanic time.]: Just after two o'clock she was then about two points on the Port bow, she disappeared from sight and nothing was seen of her again. Gibson: 7552. What were the orders which the Second Officer gave you when she disappeared?- "Call the Captain and tell him that that ship has disappeared in the South-West [sic]; that we are heading West-South-West [sic], and that she has fired altogether eight rockets." 7565. What was the time?

  - Five minutes past two by the wheelhouse clock.)

  3.20am Gibson: At about 3:20 looking over the weather cloth, I observed a rocket [flare from Boxhall’s lifeboat] about two points before the beam (Port), which I reported to the Second Officer…

  4am Stone: 8017. - …Just after 4 o'clock - a few minutes possibly. The Chief Officer relieved me. I gave him a full report of everything I had seen and everything I had reported to the Master, his instructions, when the steamer disappeared, and the way she was bearing - the whole information regarding the watch. He looked over on the port beam, and he remarked to me, "There she is; there is that steamer; she is all right." I looked at the steamer through the glasses, and I remarked to him "That is not the same steamer; she has two masthead lights." I saw a steamer [Carpathia, at Titanic’s wreck site] then just abaft the port beam showing two masthead lights apparently heading much in the same direction as ourselves.