Hello Nagy,
I hope you are doing well while reading this.
My question is, did Captain Smith in his long career come across an ice field so large that it blocked the Titanic's path? If so, what was your usual procedure in such a case?
An excellent overview of captain Smith’s experience with ice can be found
here, as written by Brian Hill and provided to you by Dr. Paul Lee. The article features an oversight of the majority of captain Smith’s career from 1867 to 1912.
It seems that on the Titanic they did not know the extent of the ice field, only the icebergs.
I could offer more information on that. Over the course of the voyage there were eight ice warnings send, of which four were delivered to the bridge. Here is a timeline of the icewarnings:
12th of April 1912
SS LA TOURAINE
The SS La Tourine (call sign MLT) was a French liner owned by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. It was sent out on the 12th of April 1912 at 17:46 ship's time. The ice-warning read:
[MSG] "(De) 'Touraine.' (a) Capt. 'Titanic.' My position 7 p.m. G.M.T. lat. 49.28 long. 26.28 W. dense fog since this night. Crossed thick ice-field lat. 44.58 long. 50.40 Paris saw another ice-field and two icebergs lat. 45.20 long. 45.09 Paris saw a derelict lat. 40.56 long. 68.38 Paris please give me your position best regards and bon voyage. Caussin."
This message was successfully delivered to the bridge. According to Fourth officer Joseph Groves
Boxhall (1884-1967) at the American Senate Inquiry, the tenth day of the inquiry as questioned by senator William Smith, recalled that he was of the opinion that the ice warning was of no use to the Titanic because the ice was considerably north of the track. This was based on a problem
Boxhall observed. At the British Board Of Trade inquiry, on the thirteenth day as questioned by Raymond Asquith, he recalled that the ice-warning had a small problem, as you can see there is a reference made to the Paris meridian rather than the British meridian. Boxhall had forgotten about the difference in longitude between the Paris and the British meridian. He putted the difference in longitude at about 54 minutes and putted the position on the chart inside the chart room behind the wheelhouse. Boxhall remarked to captain Smith:
"This fellow has been to the north of the track the whole way."
A response from the Titanic was sent out to the SS La Tourine at 18:21 ships time and read as followed:
[MSG] (De) 'Titanic.' (a) Captain 'La Touraine,' Thanks for your message and information. My position. 7 p.m. G.M.T. Lat. 49.45; long. 23.38. W. Greenwich; had fine weather; compliments. Smith"
14th of April 1912
RMS Caronia
The SS Caronia (callsign MRA) was a British Liner owned by the Cunard Line. It was sent out on the 14th of April 1912 at 9:12 ship’s time. The ice-warning read:
“[MSG] Captain, 'Titanic.' West bound steamers report bergs, growlers, and field-ice in 42 degrees N., from 49 to 51 W. April 12. Compliments. Barr.”
This message was delivered to the bridge as well, as it was recalled by Second officer Charles Hebert
Lightoller (1874-1952) (he recalled it at both inquiries) and Fourth officer Joseph Groves Boxhall (1884-1967) (who recalled it at the British Board of Trade Inquiry, which contradicts his statement made at the American Senate Inquiry where he mentioned he had no ice reports during his Sunday watches).
Lightoller recalled when he relieved first officer Murdoch so that he could eat his luncheon at around 13:00. Captain Smith according to Lightoller was holding the ice-warning in his hand and told Lightoller to read it.
It is believed this was the message first class passenger Helen Ragnhild Østby (1889-1978) saw being delivered to captain Smith on the
A-deck promenade in the late morning by a steward (it may have been Captain’s steward/Tiger James Arthur Paintin (1882-1912). A response from the Titanic was sent out to the SS Caronia at 10:28 ships time and read as followed:
“Captain 'Caronia. Thanks for message and information. Have had variable weather throughout. Smith.”
This position was located 10.82 miles north from the route of the Titanic. At the time of the collision the Titanic had long passed the 49 degrees north, but she never passed the 51.
SS Noordam (as sent by the Caronia)
At 11:47 the SS Caronia contacted the Titanic again to forward a message send by the SS Noordam (call sign MHA), a Dutch Liner owned by the Holland America Line (which was owned International Mercantile Marine Company, which also had ownership of the White Star Line. Incidentally she was built by Harland and Wolff too, she was hull 338). The message read:
“[MSG] Captain SS Titanic Congratulations on new Command had moderate wly winds fair weather no fog much ice reported in lat 42.24 to 42.45 and long 49.50 to 50.20 Compliments. Krol.”
No surviving witnesses recalled the message being delivered, however it certainly was since captain Smith sent a response to the Caronia to send back to the Noordam at 12:31 which read as followed:
“[MSG] Captain Noordam. Many thanks had moderate variable weather throughout compts Smith.”
This means that it likely was delivered to first officer Murdoch who was on watch at the time first. The second-hand ice-warning was 43.76 miles north from the route of the Titanic at it’s closest point to where the ship hit the iceberg.
SS Amerika
The SS Amerika (call sign DDR) was a German Liner owned by the Hamburg America Line (Like the Noordam she was built by Harland and Wolff, she had the hull number 357). The ice-warning was send out at 13:49 ship’s time. The ice-warning read:
“[MXG] Hydrographic Office, Washington. Amerika' passed two large icebergs in 41 27 N., 50 8 W., on the 14th of April. Knuth.”
It was meant to be forwarded to the Hydrographic Office in Washington DC once she would have gotten in communication with Cape Race. Presently there is no evidence that this warning was delivered to the bridge, however it was acknowledged by the Titanic at 21:32 with the message being repeated. The position given was 24/25 miles south-west of the estimated position where the Titanic struck the iceberg and it’s intended route. I personally don’t believe based on this distance that even if received it would have made a difference.
RMS Baltic
The RMS Baltic (call-sign MBC) was a British Liner owned by the White Star Line (and was commanded by captain Smith on her maiden voyage all the way up to April 1907 when he was placed in charge of her younger sister ship, the RMS Adriatic). The ice-warning was sent out at 13:54 and read as followed:
“[MSG] From S.S. 'Baltic,' April 14th, to Captain Smith, Titanic, Have had mod var winds and clear fine weather since leaving. Greek steamer Athenai reports passing icebergs and large quantities of field ice today in lat. 41 51 N., long. 49 52 W. Last night we spoke German oil-tank steamer Deutschland, Stettin to Philadelphia, not under control, short of coal, lat. 40 42 N. long. 55 11 W. Wishes to be reported to New York and other steamers. Wish you and Titanic all success. - Commander.”
This message was successfully delivered to the bridge and close to about 14:00 captain Smith approached Joseph
Bruce Ismay (1862-1937), the chairman of the White Star Line. Why captain Smith gave this ice warning to him remains a matter of controversy but I personally believe it was given since the Baltic was a White Star Liner unlike all the other ships. At 14:57 a response was sent out that reads as followed:
“[MSG] Commander Baltic. Thanks for your message and good wishes; had fine weather since leaving. Smith.”
It remained in Mr. Ismay pocket throughout the day, at about 18:00 he showed the message to Emily Maria Ryerson (1863-1939) and Marian Longstreth Thayer (1872-1944) and at about 19:15 he gave the ice-warning back to captain Smith in the first class smoke room on
A-deck. Captain Smith said he wished to put it up in the Officers' chart room. Second officer Lightoller, Third officer Pitman and
Fourth officer Boxhall all confirmed about having seen the ice warning.
The position was located about 5.32 miles north from the route of the Titanic. At the time of the collision the Titanic had long passed this point.
SS Californian
The SS Californian (call-sign MWL) was a British ship owned by the Leyland Line (which was owned International Mercantile Marine Company), who of-course is now infamous due to part in Titanic's story. At 17:32 she send out a message forwarded to the SS Antillian (call sign MJL, another ship of the Leyland line). It read as followed:
“[MSG] Capt. Antillian. 6:30p.m. ATS Lat. 42.3 N, long. 49.9W. Thee large bergs five miles to southward of us. Regards. Lord.”
This message was intercepted by the Titanic and was about 9.30 miles north of her route. There is no evidence this ice-warning was delivered to the bridge When she struck the iceberg she had long passed this position, however it was located in the position given by the more infamous warning after this which is the one we all been waiting for.
SS Mesaba
The SS Mesaba was an American ship owned by the Atlantic Transport Line (and was built by Harland and Wolff too, she had the hull number 319). At 21:52 she send out her ice-warning which was as followed:
“Prefix Ice Report. From 'Mesaba' to 'Titanic.' In latitude 42 N. to 41.25, longitude 49 W. to longitude 50.30 W., saw much heavy pack ice and great number large icebergs, also field ice, weather good, clear.”
This message wasn’t delivered to the bridge as far as sources indicate and no message was sent back. The position illustrates a large rectangle of about 78 miles (length, east to west) by 40.3 miles (width, north to south), in this rectangle she struck the iceberg and went down with the loss of 1496 lives. If this ice-warning would have made a difference is debatable.
SS Californian
And now lastly we have the infamous semi-ice-warning from the earlier mentioned SS Californian. At 23:07
the Californian send out the following message after she was stopped:
“MGY MGY MGY MWL Say, old man, we are stopped and surrounded by ice.”
It gives no position of where she stopped, and wouldn’t be much help to the Titanic. The Titanic’s Senior wireless operator John George Phillips (1887-1912) sends out a message that to some may appear rude, but was the standard language to communicate with one another:
“Shut up, shut up, I am busy; I am working Cape Race. You’re jamming my signal”
Terms like “shut up” or “GTH” (meaning Go To Hell) was the norm for wireless operators, so it was nothing out of the norm to react like that. Not to mention the likeliness that Phillips, who was tired and had worked on a traffic of passengers messages all day, his ears were nearly blown off by her spark.
None of the 3 ice warnings received on the bridge showed an iceberg or icefield right on route of the Titanic.
I hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Thomas
