Failure Modes - TITANIC

TITANIC

Wednesday, 10 April, 1912,:
The Royal Mail Steamer Titanic, star of the White Star Line, started her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.
Saturday 13 April: Titanic's wireless telegraph set breaks down during the evening.
Sunday 14 April: Titanic's wireless telegraph system repaired in the early morning. The wireless operators are swamped
with the number of passenger messages that have accumulated during the down time, and hurry to catch up.
Sunday 14 April, 1pm: Ice warning received from Caronia. Second Officer Lightoller posts the message in the chart room.
1.40pm: Additional ice warning received from Baltic. This one is delivered directly to Captain Smith, who passes it to White Star Line's managing director J Bruce Ismay. Ismay pockets the message, and it is not delivered to the bridge until late that evening.

7.30pm: By this time three ice warnings have been received from Californian(another ship) and delivered to the bridge. Californian is only 50 miles away, directly ahead of Titanic at this point. The captain is not notified, however, as he is attending a dinner party at the time.

9.20pm: Captain Smith pays a visit to the bridge, and has a discussion with his Officer of the Deck (OOD), Second Officer Lightoller, about the poor visibility. The captain's night orders are to proceed on course at 22.5 knots (considered to be High speed).

9.30pm: Ice warning received from Mesaba, which reads:
Ice report. In latitude 42N to 41.25N, longitude 49W to 50.3W. Saw much heavy pack ice and great number of large icebergs, also field ice. Weather good, clear.

It quite clearly points out the magnitude of the hazard, and places it squarely in the path of Titanic. This message never reaches the bridge.

10.10pm: Wireless operator Jack Phillips, still trying to cope with the backlog of passenger messages to be transmitted, has the following conversation with wireless operator Cyril Evans of the Californian:

Evans: Say, old man, we are stopped and surrounded by ice.
Phillips: Shut up! Shut up! I am busy.
11.35pm: Californian's wireless operator Cyril Evans turns off his set and retires for the night.
11.40pm: Crow's nest lookout Frederick Fleet spots an iceberg dead ahead. He telephones the bridge immediately. First Officer Murdoch orders all engines full astern, and helm hard to port. The idea is to avoid the berg by reversing the engines and turning to the left. Several seconds later, a grating sound is heard along the starboard bow.

11.45 - 12am: Inspections reveal the forward five watertight compartments have been damaged. Titanic's chief design engineer, Thomas Andrews, informs Captain Smith that the ship will sink in less than 90 minutes.

12.05am: Smith orders the lifeboats uncovered and the women and children loaded into them, an order Lightoller would follow to the letter. Wireless operators Jack Phillips and Harold Bride begin transmitting the following:

CQD MGY4 41.46N 50.14W We have struck a berg. Require assistance. Putting the women off in the boats.

12.45am: Boat 7 is the first boat in the water. Out of a capacity of 65 people, only 28 are aboard.
12.55am: As Boat 5 is being lowered with room for 24 more, J Bruce Ismay points out that the boat isn't full to the officer in charge of lowering that boat, Fifth Officer Lowe. Lowe verbally chastises Ismay for interfering with his command.
1.10am: Boat 1 is lowered with 12 aboard out of a maximum capacity of 40 persons, At the same time, on the port side, Boat 8 is lowered with 39 out of 65 capacity.
2.20am: Titanic submerges.
The Titanic had had only 1,178 boat spaces for her complement of 2,201 (and authorized capacity of 3,547). Therefore, although most of the discussion in 1912 and since has been about why the boats were not full, a much larger question is why there were not enough boats. Full boats would have meant 1,178 survivors instead of 712; enough boats might have meant 2,201 survivors instead of 1,178. The Disaster claimed 1,490 lives!

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