The Man responsible for the Titanic's sinking.

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

William Murdoch the First officer of Titanic on the fateful night. It was hinted at but never fully layed on Murdoch in the inquires after the tragedy in 1912, considering that he died in the sinking.

He was given orders at 10pm from the Captain to keep course and speed and to follow safety procedures with ice. At 11.40pm an iceberg was reported dead ahead, half a mile out and Murdoch made a fatal error. He ordered a full stop, engines in astern and the port around manoeuvre from the ships wheel.


By putting the engines in reverse he compromisied the action of the ships rudder, slowing the turning process. If turned at full speed at that distance the ship would have had more manoeuvreability and should have veered off in time. His other option was to put the engines to full stop and let her hit by the bow, damaging the vessel but not fatally.

There was a fire burning in a coal bunker for weeks, it even set sail while still on fire, this cause the bulkheads to be weakened. I believe this is the main reason the titanic sank.

fin12 wrote: »

There was a fire burning in a coal bunker for weeks, it even set sail while still on fire, this cause the bulkheads to be weakened. I believe this is the main reason the titanic sank.

Nah. The main reason it sank is that it filled up with water.

It was Rose"s and Jack's fault for having sex before marriage in a Reanult.

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

William Murdoch the First officer of Titanic on the fateful night. It was hinted at but never fully layed on Murdoch in the inquires after the tragedy in 1912, considering that he died in the sinking.

He was given orders at 10pm from the Captain to keep course and speed and to follow safety procedures with ice. At 11.40pm an iceberg was reported dead ahead, half a mile out and Murdoch made a fatal error. He ordered a full stop, engines in astern and the port around manoeuvre from the ships wheel.


By putting the engines in reverse he compromisied the action of the ships rudder, slowing the turning process. If turned at full speed at that distance the ship would have had more manoeuvreability and should have veered off in time. His other option was to put the engines to full stop and let her hit by the bow, damaging the vessel but not fatally.

I have to say I think that's unduly harsh on someone who mad a split decision 106 years ago. Also, any disaster never hinges on one persons actions. I mean if you go through the titanic maiden voyage the phrase "if but for.." if applied to an action then the ship may not have hit the iceberg.

Also, there are so many conflicting reports of what happened that night that unless there is proof of Thomas Andrews saying the ship would capsize. In the 1958 film a night to remember had an officer from the titanic on the night of the sinking as a consultant so if that had been a worry surely he would have heard it. It's not in that film which is seen as a very accurate retelling of the sinking and its never suggested the boat would capsize.

This is worth a look, I always got the impression that it was accurate.





0:30 - Iceberg spotted.
1:05 - Titanic collides with an iceberg.
6:06 - The ship has stopped as damage inspections are carried out.
7:44 - Captain Smith orders engines to 'Half Ahead'.
19:41 - Titanic stops for the last time.
20:04 - Excess steam is vented.
38:08 - The Titanic begins taking on a 'starboard list'.
43:03 - Thomas Andrews estimates 1-2 hours before the ship sinks.
46:23 - The first distress calls are sent out.
48:38 - Lights of another ship are spotted on the horizon.
53:07 - Most lifeboats are prepared to evacuate passengers.
58:20 - Carpathia responds to Titanic's distress calls.
1:01:29 - Lifeboat 7 is launched.
1:05:03 - Lifeboat 5 is launched.
1:06:04 - The telegraph operators begin using 'SOS'.
1:07:22 - Lifeboat 5 encounters lowering difficulties.
1:08:02 - Officer Boxhall launches the first distress rocket in an attempt to signal the ship on the horizon.
1:10:24 - The Carpathia confirms it is on it's way.
1:11:03 - Steam stops venting from the funnels.
1:13:20 - The starboard list is eliminated as Boiler Room 5 floods.
1:21:28 - Lifeboat 8 leaves.
1:28:22 - Suction pumps are activated.
1:31:33 - Lifeboat 6 is launched.
1:36:57 - Water is up to the Titanic's nameplate.
1:39:37 - Titanic begins listing to port.
1:41:43 - Lifeboat 16 is launched.
1:46:54 - Lifeboat 14 is launched.
1:51:18 - Lifeboat 14 is dropped 4 feet into the sea from its falls after they jammed.
1:51:42 - Lifeboat 12 is launched.
1:52:29 - Lifeboat 9 is launched.
1:58:53 - Lifeboat 11 is launched.
2:00:41 - Lifeboat 13 is launched.
2:05:21 - Lifeboat 13 is pushed aft by the discharging condenser, jamming it on the falls.
2:05:50 - Lifeboat 15.
2:05:42 - Lifeboat 13 cannot release itself as Lifeboat 15 comes down on top of it.
2:07:07 - Lifeboat 13 is released and is pulled out from underneath Lifeboat 15 as 15 lands in the water.
2:07:38 - Lifeboat 2 is launched.
2:09:31 - The lights on the horizon disappear.
2:11:52 - Lifeboat 4.
2:12:22 - Lifeboat 10.
2:22:12 - It is now 2AM. The Titanic has 20 minutes left.
2:26:10 - Collapsible Boat D is launched.
2:29:39 - The last messages from the Titanic are heard.
2:30:46 - Collapsible A is slid off the Officers' Quarters roof.
2:31:03 - The Wireless Room is abandoned.
2:31:42 - Collapsible B is thrown from the roof of the office quarters. It lands upside down in the water.
2:34:01 - Survivors distinctly hear 4 explosions from deep within the ship.
2:39:23 - All remaining power is lost. The ship breaks in two.
2:40:36 - Titanic is gone. Rescuers do not arrive for another hour and 40 minutes.



For information disproving the Coal Fire Theory: http://wormstedt.com/Titanic/TITANIC-...

For information disproving the Switch Theory: http://www.williammurdoch.net/article...

For information disproving the Weak Steel / Rivets Theory: http://marconigraph.com/titanic/rivet...

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Carpenter was his position on that voyage, a team of Haarland & Wolf execs travelled on every maiden voyage of their ships to check their running order.


Andrews sounded the ship after the collision and informed Captain Smith at 00.10hrs that she was making water in 6 compartments and could sink in an hour.


She never took on a heavy list to either side during the sinking. Even righting herself for a period an hour and half into the sinking.

But she did list though. We have a difference of opinion as to the severity of the list on the night of the sinking but the ship did list and at least one survivor tried to measure the list. Also, second officer lightoller testified he sent crew to open a gangway door which he presumes they did but they were never seen again.

Yes because a corridor that ran the length of the ship flooded.

I bought a ticket and didn't sail. Will my travel insurance cover it?

All these people trying to blame boiler fires etc are clearly in the pay of big ice.

Itssoeasy wrote: »

Also, there are so many conflicting reports of what happened that night that unless there is proof of Thomas Andrews saying the ship would capsize. In the 1958 film a night to remember had an officer from the titanic on the night of the sinking as a consultant so if that had been a worry surely he would have heard it. It's not in that film which is seen as a very accurate retelling of the sinking and its never suggested the boat would capsize.

Yes and No.

It's a good film,the best out there, but it doesn't portray the splitting of the ship and other details.

There were many eye witness accounts who stated the ship separated before it sank, which at the time was meet with a kind of ridicule.

Only with the discovery of the wreck was that assertion finally given credence.

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

Only with the discovery of the wreck was that assertion finally given credence.

I remember the National Geographic issue when they first got pics of the wreck, it was incredible. I pored over it for weeks.

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

William Murdoch the First officer of Titanic on the fateful night. It was hinted at but never fully layed on Murdoch in the inquires after the tragedy in 1912, considering that he died in the sinking.

He was given orders at 10pm from the Captain to keep course and speed and to follow safety procedures with ice. At 11.40pm an iceberg was reported dead ahead, half a mile out and Murdoch made a fatal error. He ordered a full stop, engines in astern and the port around manoeuvre from the ships wheel.


By putting the engines in reverse he compromisied the action of the ships rudder, slowing the turning process. If turned at full speed at that distance the ship would have had more manoeuvreability and should have veered off in time. His other option was to put the engines to full stop and let her hit by the bow, damaging the vessel but not fatally.

Massively over simplistic view. There were a number of what if's that could have changed things.
1. The speed they were doing. There had been reports of icebergs in the region from other ships however there was a pressure to not delay the maiden voyage and slow down so they were actually going too fast considering conditions.
2. Lack of wind in the area made spotting icebergs difficult and also missing binoculars in the crows nest.
3. None of the officers were used to a ship of Titanic's size and logic used on smaller ships didn't always follow through - like the turning. in a smaller ship, it would have been the right move.
4. Lack of understanding of just how much of an iceberg is under the surface at the time.
5. The fact that icebergs were quite southerly that year in general and wouldn't normally have been in the path during that time of year.
6. The rivets used were not the absolute best quality. They had ordered "best" as opposed to "best best" in an error so they may not have been as strong as they should have been.
7. The fact that the watertight bulkheads only went as far as E deck meant that it could cause a spill effect.
And many many others.
Murdoch's actions were based off experience in smaller ships where a manoeuvre like that would have worked had a larger effect.