Part 6 - Rescue & Aftermath - Rediscovery
3.30am, 15 April 1912 - 1985
3.30am - The survivors finally gain hope as they spot Carpathia’s rockets, Carpathia’s normal speed was 14 knots, but Captain Arthur H. Rostron had done everything he could to get her to Titanic’s location as fast as he could, pushing her into making the journey at 17.5 knots, this is brave as he knew he was pushing towards ice so bad it had sunk the "unsinkable". 4.10am - Titanic’s Lifeboat Number 2 is picked up, the first lifeboat to be rescued. 5.30am - Californian is told of the disaster by Frankfort, she makes her way toward the site of Titanic. 5.30am - 6.30am - The survivors from Collapsible Lifeboat A are rescued by Lifeboat 14, and those on Collapsible Lifeboat B by Lifeboats Number 4 and Number 12. 8.30am - Lifeboat Number 12 is the last lifeboat to be picked up. Second Officer Charles Lightoller is the last person to come aboard Carpathia. Californian arrives to Carpathia and is told there is nothing they can do to help, so she steams away to search for more survivors at the scene of Titanic’s last, they would find none living, only bodies and wreckage. 8.50am - Carpathia leaves Titanic’s last spot and heads for New York. 705 survivors are aboard. Over 1,500 souls were lost that night. Joseph Bruce Ismay sends a message to the White Star Line offices; “Deeply regret advise you Titanic sank this morning after collision with iceberg, resulting in serious loss of life. Full particulars later.” 17 April 1912 - The White Star Line hires a cable-laying vessel, Mackay-Bennett, which leaves from Halifax, to search for bodies of the lost at the scene of tragedy. 18 April 1912 - 9.00pm - Carpathia arrives at New York. Around 10,000 people watch her arrival. Titanic’s lifeboats are hanging from her davits. She steams past the Cunard Pier, and goes directly to the White Star Line Pier to unload the lifeboats. She then makes her way back to the Cunard Pier to unload the survivors, finally the survivors feel solid land beneath their feet. 19 April 1912 - The United States Inquiry into the Titanic Disaster is begun by the senate Inquiry, headed by Senator William A. Smith. 82 witnesses are called to give evidence. 22 April 1912 - The White Star Line sends Minia out from Halifax to assist Mackay-Bennett as she is overwhelmed with bodies, they have picked up 306 so far. Minia only finds a further 17 after a week-long search of the area. 25 April 1912 - Titanic’s sister ship, Olympic is about to depart Southampton, however her stokers call a strike and refuse to work on a ship with insufficient lifeboats, 285 crew abandon the ship and the voyage is cancelled. 2 May 1912 - 3 July 1912 - The British Board of Trade Inquiry is conducted, 25,622 questions are asked of 96 witnesses, these include such experts as the inventor of the radio, Marconi, and the explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton to provide insight in regards to ice and icebergs. The passengers called forth to give evidence are Sir Cosmo and Lady Duff-Gordon and Joseph Bruce Ismay. Non-passenger witnesses include Captain Lord of Californian, Lightoller who is required to answer 1,600 questions alone, other members of the crew, Titanic’s owners, and members of the British Board of Trade. The final judgement concludes that Titanic was travelling too fast, none of the crew were at fault, and advises on “more watertight compartments in ocean-going ships, the provision of lifeboats for all on board.” 6 May 1912 - The White Star Line sends out Montmagny from Sorel, Quebec to search for more bodies, they find only a further 4. 15 May 1912 - The White Star Line send out Algerina from St. John’s, Newfoundland, she discovers just one more body. Out of over 1,500 people who were left with Titanic, the total recovered is only 328. 1st September 1985 - The wreck of Titanic is found nearly 2.5 miles beneath the Atlantic Ocean. Photographs and video recordings of her wreckage can be taken and further research can be done to discover what happened on the night of 14 April and the morning of the 15th. 12 April 2012 - 100 years on and there have been countless books, films and TV dramas made of the fateful night Titanic slipped under the Atlantic Ocean. Laws have been changed and safety is paramount to launching any journey for all companies. The tragedy of Titanic and the awful demise of most of her passengers and crew with her still shocks people today. 100 years ago the White Star Line were not breaking any law on lifeboats, they had more than was required of a ship, this of course, changed after Titanic, as did many other things, such as having Radio Rooms manned 24 hours a day. |