February 1912 saw Olympic return to Belfast after losing a propeller while crossing the Atlantic. Titanic in dry dock being completed was taken out to make way for Olympic to be repaired. From the 1st to 6th of March both the Olympic and Titanic were together in Belfast which was to be the last time.

Alexander Littlejohn had been serving on the Olympic as a 1st Class Steward. He was discharged from the Olympic on the 28th February when she damaged a propeller. Alexander travelled to Belfast to join senior officers and crew for his new posting onboard Titanic.

While in Belfast Alexander sent a postcard of Titanic in Dry Dock to his oldest son Alick the aged 12 at the Royal Masonic School.

The message read:

Dear Alick,

Uncle Clem will jmeet you at Broad Street. The ship goes for her speed trials on Monday and

leaves for Southampton on Tuesday. I hope you will get on allright.(sic.)

From Dad

On the morning of 2nd April 1912 R.M.S. Titanic steamed under her own power for the first time to complete her sea trials. Black smoke poured from her three funnels, her fourth funnel was for ventilation and Bruce Ismay decided that three funnels looked odd on such a large ship and also wanted to out do rival Cunard Line. Stokers worked to fire boilers which would generate the steam to drive Titanic's turbines.

Lunch was served for the first time not to passengers but to members of the crew who could be spared from duty and to representatives of the White Star Line and Harland & Wolff.

At the end of her sea trials Titanic's official certificate of seaworthiness is handed over, and under the command of Captain Smith, set sail for Southampton arriving just before mid night on April 3rd.

Provisions are loaded and the crew is assembled. Passengers start to arrive on the boat train from London and embarkation begins for the most famous sea journey in history.

1912 The First Days at sea and the Last images of Titanic Through the lens of Father Brown

Father Brown was a Jesuit priest who developed a passion for photography after he was given a camera in 1897.

He traveled all over the world taking pictures in such places as France, Britain,

Italy, Ireland , Australia and South Africa. He was a chaplain to the Irish Guards, serving on the front in France and Flanders in the First World War.

He boarded the Titanic in Southampton for the Maiden Voyage, between Southampton and Queenstown~ now Cobh ~ County Cork where he disembarked along with the Odell Family and another passenger, he captured Titanic's first days at sea and what was to be the last images ever taken of the great leviathan.

After the tragedy Father Brown compiled an album of the photographs he had taken and other memorabilia from his time on Titanic.

Bound in leather he entrusted his volume to his friends in the Jesuit Order in Dublin.

His original Album estimated today to be worth in excess of £2 million has been produced as a book 'Father Brown's Titanic Album' and contains over 30 black & white photographs taken on and around the ship depicting its leisure and working life, the journey on the boat train from London to Southampton and disembarkation in Queenstown. He handwrote the captions: such as “The Titanic's first sunrise”; “The Children's Playground, taken about midday on the saloon deck”; “The last glimpse of Captain Smith” plus many others too numerous to list.

His pictures were used a great deal by newspapers at the time for the many articles and features that were circulating after the tragedy and to this day. He is recognised as one of the worlds greatest photographers of all time.

1912 The birth of Millvina Dean is announced.

1912

The Birth Of Milvina Dean

Millvina Dean (she was called Girly or Gay by close family members and they still do today) was born on 2nd February in London. Just 9 weeks later the family boarded RMS Titanic.

The Dean family, were emigrating to America on the Titanic, where her father Bertram had hoped to open a tobacconist's shop in Kansas City.

Millvina's Grandfather and Aunt traveled down to Southampton by horse and trap from their home at Berkley Farm in Hampshire to see the family off on their voyage to start their new life in America. Unfortunately, he didn't hear the signal for visitors to disembark. Luckily the pilot was still in attendance so they were able to be returned to the quay.

Bertram Dean had sold his London pub to help pay for the family's 3rd class tickets and his quick thinking enabled him to get his family from the depths of the ship through the masses of terrified passengers to where Boat 13 was being loaded. A place in the Boat was found for Georgetta Dean and baby Millvina who was placed in a mail sack and passed down to the boat by members of the crew.

Young Bertram (he was always called Vere by family and close friends) got separated from his mother and was put in another boat. This was only discovered when they were picked up by the Carpathia and reunited.

Georgetta's last words to her husband were “Hope to see you later” she never did.

After their rescue, she chose to return home to England with her family to start a new life rather than stay in America as was originally planned. Young Bertram was only twenty months old at the time of the tragedy, Millvina nine weeks old. She was 8 years old when she learned of her part in history of R.M.S. Titanic.

She became TITANIC's youngest survivor.

1912

Southampton Titanic in near collision with the New York

10th April

Titanic departs Southampton for Cherbourg, on her Maiden Voyage under Captain Edward Smith. Titanic's mooring lines were cast off one by one and finally the bow line.The tugboats began to tow the great leviathan away from White Star's berth 44. Titanic's enormous propellers started to turn, taking her further away from the jetty.

The tugboats manoeuvred Titanic out of the harbour into the middle of the channel ready for her to set sail under her own steam. The propellers started to pick up speed, passing quays 38 and 39, then an unexpected incident began to unfold. The Oceanic and New York were moored side by side, they had been kept in port by the coal strike, all the coal in ships in Southampton harbour was transferred into Titanic's bunkers 6,000 tons. Normally only one ship would be berthed at that quay.

A significant volume of water was displaced by Titanic's movement causing the lines securing the New York to the quay to give way. The New York once free swung outward and headed straight for the Titanic. Without the intervention of the Captain of the Vulcan a small but powerful tugboat which threw a line to the New York to slow her down, Titanic's history would have been written in a very different way. The two ships sailed close to each other, but avoided a collision.

11th April

Titanic departs from Cherbourg for Queenstown in Southern Ireland. Father Brown together with the Odell family disembarked at Queenstown. Father Brown had, unknowingly taken with him the only photographs taken on board, and of Titanic.

Titanic departs from Queenstown for New York at 6.55am.

14th April The tragedy unfolds.

Timing of Events

9.00 am Caronia reports ice Latitude 42o N from Longitude 49o to 51oW.

1.42 pm Baltic reports ice Latitude 41o 27o N Longitude 49o to 52'W.

1.45 pm Amerika reports ice Latitude 41o 27o N Longitude 50o to 8'W.

7.00 pm Temperature 43o.

7.15 pm First officer Murdock orders lamp trimmer Hemming to secure forward foc’sle hatch to prevent glow from interfering with the crow's nest watch.

7.30 pm Temperature 39o.

Californian reports ice Latitude 42o 3'N Longitude 49o to 9' W.

8.40 pm Second Officer Lightoller warns carpenter and engine room to watch fresh water supply, may freeze up,warns crow's nest to watch for ice.

9.00 pm Temperature 33o.

9.40 pm Mesaba reports ice Latitude 42o N to 41o 25'N Longitude 49o to 50o 30'W. Not delivered to the bridge.

10.00 pm Air temperature 32o. First officer Murdock relieves second officer Lightoller on the bridge.

Look-outs Fleet and Lee relieve Symons and Jewell in the crow's nest.

10.30 pm Temperature of the sea down to 32o. Rappahannock passes, reports heavy ice via morse lamp.

11.00 pm Californian warns of ice, but is cut off before she can give location.

11.40 pm Titanic collides with iceberg Latitude 41o 46' N Longitude 50o 14''W.

Her stated position was: 40 46'N, 50 14W, her actual position was: 41 44'N 49 47W'.

With flat calm conditions, a cloudless sky and the temperature was 31f -1C

15th April The tragedy continues to unfold.

12.00 am Evans and Hogg relieve Fleet and Lee in the crow's nest.

12.05 am Captain Smith orders lifeboats uncovered and the crew mustered.

At 12.25 am the crew ordered passengers to put on warm clothing, their life jackets and take to the lifeboats, with women and children first.

Titanic's lifeboat capacity of 16 plus 4 collapsible boats provided only 1,178 spaces for 2,225 Passengers and crew.

At 2.20 am Titanic sinks, approximately 1,523 passengers and crew lost their lives in the sub zero temperature water.

Timing Of Events 15th April 1912

12.05 am Orders are given to uncover the boats, muster the crew and passengers.

12.15 am First wireless call for help.

12.45 am First rocket fired.

12.45 am First boat, No. 7 is lowered.

1.40 am Last rocket fired.

2.05 am Last boat, collapsible D, is lowered.

2.10 am Last wireless signals sent.

2.18 am Lights fail.

2.20 am Titanic sinks.

2.40 am Carpathia arrives at the scene of the disaster to rescue survivors.

3.30 am Carpathia's rockets sighted by lifeboats.

4.10 am First boat, No. 2, picked up by Carpathia.

8.30 am Last boat, No. 12, picked up.

8.50 am The Carpathia heads for New York with 705 survivors.

First Headlines

16th April Daily Mirror (British Newspaper) Headline reports ~

DISASTER TO THE TITANIC: WORLD'S LARGEST SHIP COLLIDES WITH AN

ICEBERG IN THE ATLANTIC DURING HER MAIDEN VOYAGE

16th April New York Times Headline reported:

TITANIC SINKS FOUR HOURS AFTER HITTING ICEBERG;

866 RESCUED BY CARPATHIA, PROBABLY 1250 PERISH;

ISMAY SAFE, MRS ASTOR MAYBE, NOTED NAMES MISSING.

18th April The Carpathia arrives in New York with only 705 survivors.

19th April The Odell family having returned to London from Southern Ireland after a week of motor touring in the Irish countryside, attended the Titanic memorial service at St. Paul's Cathedral.

20th April L'ILLUSTRATION (French illustrated paper) Front page reported:

'L'OBSERVATION DE L'ECLIPSE, LE 17 AVRIL - A la batterie des Cotillons, au fort de Cormeilles-ea-Parisis.

2nd May The British Board of Trade enquiry begins.

28th May US Senate report published.

1912

And the Band Played On

The musicians engaged to entertain Titanic's passengers numbered six members led by Wallace Hartley, with J.Clarke (Bass), J.Woodward (Cello), P. Taylor (piano), G. Krins (violin) W. Brailey (piano), J. Hume (violin) and R. Bricoux.

Their accommodation consisted of two second class cabins next to a potato washing machine, they were expected to be able to play by heart 352 songs and were paid four pounds a month but were charged for expenses.

They had been playing cheerful ragtime tunes in the first class lounge soon after the collision.

They moved first to the Boat Deck foyer, then finally to the deck itself when the situation worsened. Toward the end the mood changed and they played more somber music.

The debate over which was actually the last song played as Titanic finally succumbed to the icy waters of the Atlantic rages on. The popular opinion is thought to be the hymn “Nearer, My God To Thee”some say the waltz Song d' Autumn which was very popular in 1912.

Survivor 1st Class Steward Alexander Littlejohn when asked if he had heard “Nearer, My God To Thee” when Titanic was sinking, he replied that the band had been playing when he had left the ship but when the Titanic sank boat 13 was nearly half a mile away and he could not tell what the band were playing over cries of people.

Nearer My God To Thee

Nearer, My God , To Thee, Nearer to Thee;

E'en Though It Be A Cross, That Raises Me;

Still All My Song Shall Be;

“Nearer, My God To Thee, Nearer, Nearer To Thee”

None of the band members survived

Wallace Hartley born in Colne, Lancashire made 80 ocean liner voyages before joining Titanic as bandmaster. It took two weeks before the body of Wallace Hartley was recovered by cable ship Mackay-Bennett still wearing his bandsman uniform with his music box still strapped to his chest.

His body was returned to Colne on the SS Arabic for burial with full honours. Approximately 40,000 people lined the route as the mile long procession made its to the cemetery.

1912

The Deathless Story of the Titanic By Philip Gibbs

The extraordinary story of a great liners' death as told by survivors at the time.First published 2 weeks after the sinking priced 2d, it was the equivalent of the Times Sunday Supplement of today. It was a comprehensive account of the tragedy, one of many to be published in the years to come.

Illustrated with drawings and photographs it contained a list of those who survived and those who were lost. Personal accounts of the tragedy from survivors, Sailors tried to force Mrs Straus into a boat, she was a old lady but she clung to her husband with great strength. “We have lived together for forty years and we will not part now” She perished with her husband.

Prominent 1st class passengers were portrayed, details of Phillips and Bride, wireless operators were featured, plus more articles detailing the tragedy, including a copy of one of the notice boards outside the White Star Company's local office, where names of rescued crew members were posted. Top of the steward's list was Assistant Second Victualing Steward Joseph Thomas Wheat, 29 at the time of the tragedy, he was born in Rock Ferry, and was on board Titanic for her delivery voyage from Belfast to Southampton. He signed-on again, in Southampton, on 4 April 1912 for the maiden voyage, receiving just £8 a month wages.

He was in charge of boat 11, first reported lost, he arrived back uninjured, gave evidence at the enquiry and continued working for the White Star Line and then Cunard until his retirement in 1947, he died in 1956. Survived by Grandson Michael & Grandchildren.

1912 Bruce Ismay retires from WSL

There was no hard evidence to support the theory that Ismay overrode Captain Smith's orders en route,and ordered full speed, knowing there was ice in the area in an attempt to beat the Olympic's Atlantic crossing record. Both the U.S.. and the British Inquiries following the disaster concluded that Ismay's remaining behind when spaces were open at the particular lifeboat he was helping load, would have just added another death to the list. He was exonerated by both investigations.

Bruce Ismay had decided prior to the disaster to retire his position as president of IMM. After the Titanic disaster, he asked the IMM board of directors to allow him to retain his position as chairman of the White Star Line.Most likely thinking this was bad for business with all of the ridicule and rumours flying around about Ismay, his request was denied in June of 1913.Staying out of the public eye, Bruce Ismay retired to his home in Ireland with his wife and died in 1937 at the age of 74.

1912

International Ice Patrol is created

The Coast Guard has conducted the International Ice Patrol since 1913 in order to detect icebergs in North Atlantic shipping lanes and warn shipping accordingly.

The Ice Patrol traces its origins directly to the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912.

The U.S.. began patrolling the area to warn mariners of ice dangers shortly after the tragic loss of Titanic and the International Ice Patrol was formalized by the first Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention in 1914. The Ice Patrol is funded by 17 signatory nations in proportion to their vessel tonnage transiting the area during the ice season. Since the establishment of the Ice Patrol there has been no loss of life or property for vessels that have heeded Ice Patrol's warnings. The status of the Ice Patrol during periods of national emergency has not yet been determined, but during the two World Wars, Ice Patrol operations were suspended.

1912 The Aftermath

6th May A Séance was held in England at which the spirit of Titanic passenger W.T. Stead, is said to have appeared and communicated with his daughter, Estelle for 40 minutes who was present at the séance.

18th May Thousands turn out for the funeral of Titanic bandleader Wallace Hartley in Lancashire, England.

3rd July As a result of the British Board of Trade enquiry, the following recommendations were called for.A greater number of Lifeboats to be provided and provisions for more watertight compartments in the design of new vessels.

3rd July In the High Court Justice Kings Bench Division a Writ was issued between Thomas Ryan Plaintiff and The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company Limited Defendants.

High Court Writ 1912 R. No 1111

Between Thomas Ryan Plaintiff and The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company Limited Defendant.

Extract from Statement of Claim

The Plaintiff brings this action for the benefit of himself the father of Patrick Ryan deceased he having suffered damage from the Defendants' negligence in carrying the said Patrick Ryan on their Steamship “Titanic” on a voyage from Queenstown to New York hereby the said Patrick Ryan was drowned in consequence of the said ship colliding with a Iceberg and foundering in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15th April 1912.

Particulars pursuant to Statute are:-

Thomas Ryan Father of the deceased -

The nature of the Claim in respect of which damages are sought.

The said Patrick Ryan was a Cattle Dealer and had been earning about £2 per week and was sole support of the Plaintiff, who by his said death has lost all means of support and living.

The Plaintiff claims damages.

THOMAS SCANLAN -

The Court's Findings

I Certify that this action was tried before the Honourable Mr Justice Bailhache and a Special Jury of the County of Middlesex, on the 20th, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th Days of June 1913. On the question of negligence. The Jury decided that Judgment be entered for the plaintiff for £100. The Judge directed that the costs when fixed be paid by the Defendants to the Plaintiffs Solicitor within 14 days after the date of the verdict.

1912

The Loss of The S.S.Titanic by Lawrence Beesley is Published

Survivor, 2nd Class passenger Lawrence Beesley returning to England, soon after walking through the doors of Houghton and Miffin related his famous and well respected account of the Titanic disaster.

The first edition published just two months after the sinking by Houghton and Miffin with a second edition published in 1920.

It was the first and only eye witness account of the tragedy to be published as a book. The circumstances in which his book came to be written are as follows. “Some five weeks after the survivors from the Titanic landed in New York, I was the guest at luncheon of Hon. Samuel J. Elder and Hon. Charles T. Gallagher, both well-known lawyers in Boston. After luncheon I was asked to relate to those present the experiences of the survivors in leaving the Titanic and reaching the Carpathia”.

“Whoever reads the account of the cries that came to us afloat on the sea from those sinking in the ice-cold water must remember that they were addressed to him just as much as to those who heard them, and that the duty, of seeing that reforms are carried out devolves on every one who knows that such cries were heard in utter helplessness the night the Titanic sank”.

At the end of this chapter of mental impressions it must be recorded that one impression remains constant with us all to-day--that of the deepest gratitude that we came safely through the wreck of the Titanic; and its corollary--that our legacy from the wreck, our debt to those who were lost with her, is to see, as far as in us lies, that such things are impossible ever again. Meanwhile we can say of them, as Shelley, himself the victim of a similar disaster, says of his friend Keats in "Adonais"

Extract from 'The Loss of The S.S. Titanic' chapter 9 by Lawrence Beesley.

Lawrence Beesley, a science teacher from Dulwich College London was traveling to America was rescued along with baby Millvina Dean, her mother, brother, First Class passenger Mr Washington Dodge, a Chinese gentleman, Mr Choong Foo and several Swedes in Boat 13. He was able to gain access to the boat when it became level with the Promenade Deck from the Boat Deck. He died on Tuesdsy 14th February 1967.

Although Lawrence Beesley was only characterised in one Titanic film he acted as technical advisor to the film 'A Night to Remember'. He was played by David Warner in the 1979 EMI film S.O.S Titanic starring David Jansen and Susan St James.

I had the pleasure of meeting David Warner in 2004, I was manning a Titanic display at an exhibition and he appeared in front of me. After exchanging pleasantries he spotted a Heart of the Ocean necklace we had on display he then said to me ”I put that in Jack's pocket”.

He has the distinction of appearing in two Titanic films, the second as Caledon Hockley's dastardly bodyguard Spicer Lovejoy in James Cameron's romantic epic.

I asked him which of his roles he preferred, his answer - Lawrence Beesley.

1912

First film about the disaster is made.

“Saved from the Titanic”

Silent film star Dorothy Gibson from Hoboken New Jersey, then 28, was in route back to America at the request of her wealthy husband, film distributor Jules Brulatour. She and her mother Pauline had cut short their European vacation booking their passage just days before Titanic was to sail.

Within a month of the sinking, Dorothy had starred in the film about her experiences during the disaster. Just for the sake of realism if nothing else, she wore the same dress she had on during the sinking. Dorothy Gibson was described as "a vivacious sort", which in today's terms roughly translates to being a Smart Alec. She even had the audacity to break ship's etiquette by playing bridge on a Sunday. She died of a heart attack in Paris in 1946. No copy of the film is known to exist.

First German film about the disaster is made. “IN NACHT und EIS”

The world's second film to be made only two months after the sinking. A silent film made in Berlin directed by Mime Misu. The film called 'IN NACHT und EIS' (In Night and ce) had thought to have been been lost. The only copy came to light after an anonymous film collector prompted by news paper articles came forward with the reels of film from his collection.

1912

The Aftermath

The White Star Line now faced a loss of confidence in the company and their ships, for the Titanic had been heralded as “unsinkable”.

In the Autumn of 1912, the Olympic was sent to Belfast for a number of alterations brought about by the Board of Trade enquiry and recommendation from the American enquiry, all aimed at improving safety. The most visible result of this was the large increase in the number of lifeboats.

As a result of this refit the Olympic was now 46,359grt.

The loss of the Titanic and the withdrawal the Olympic for the refit meant that the White Star Line had to shuffle their ships around to maintain the Southampton to New York service. Which had been suspended at the start of the First World War.

1912

Captain Lord and the Californian were heavily criticised in the Board of Trade inquiry for not responding to Titanic's requests for help. Although not a court of law, it effectively found Captain Lord guilty of gross negligence and implied that he was directly responsible for the loss of many lives which it alleged could have been rescued.

As a result of the controversy and unfavourable publicity, Captain Lord was forced to resign from the Leyland Line in August 1912. In January 1913 he joined the Nitrate Producers Steamship Company commanding one of their vessels and long and successful career.

He retired in 1927 and was aware of the continued interest in the Titanic tragedy.

When Walter Lord's (no relation to Captain Lord) book A Night to Remember was serialised in the Liverpool Daily Echo, he read parts of the serialisation and found no reference to the California's participation in events of 15 April 1912 so he didn't pay it much attention.

With the release of the film based on Walter Lord's book it was a different matter. In his words,'...the film gave great prominence to the allegation that the Californian stood by in close proximity to the sinking Titanic,.

In an effort to clear his name, he engaged the services of W. Leslie Harrison, general secretary of the British Mercantile Marine Service Association. Captain Lord had been a member since 1897 and wished to present facts not brought out by the British enquiry. Captain Lord always maintained that, even if he had been aware of Titanic's sinking, he would not have been able to reach the site of the disaster in time to save any lives.

Sadly he died in 1962 before Leslie Harrison was able to present any of several petitions he would later present to the British Board of Trade. In 1965 and again in 1968, this petition included evidence from Lawrence Beesley, survivor and author of the book The Loss of the Titanic, the most reliable factual account of the disaster. All Leslie Harrison's petitions were eventually rejected.

Discovery of TITANIC ~ The Early Attempts

A plan to locate the wreck of the Titanic was discussed only five days after the tragedy. Vincent Astor, John Jacob Astor's son, declared that he wanted to find the wreck and blow up its hull in order to retrieve his father's missing body.

J.J. Astor's remains were discovered the next day, however, and those initial plans were dropped. Later that year, though, the Astor's, Widener and Guggenheim families looked into the feasibility of locating and raising the Titanic's hull. They even contracted with the Merritt and Chapman Derrick and Wrecking Company to perform the work, but the firm determined that the task would be impossible.

In 1913, Charles Smith, a Denver architect, proposed a plan to use a submarine fitted with electromagnets to help raise the Titanic's hull A second would-be salvor proposed using magnets attached to pontoons to float the ship's hull to the surface.

After those discussions, thoughts of locating and raising the Titanic were forgotten while the nation grappled with World War I, the Depression and World War II.

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