Hello Ida,
I may sound a bit bluntly here but I would recommend not to waste your time on anything relating to anything to William C Barnes.
Based on his book (which is the only book in the world that can make my blood boil) and some samples I heard of his audio-recordings I can confidently say he’s a fraud. Let me give you some examples of the historical inaccuracies he stated:
Inaccuracy number 1:
Mr. Barnes stated in his book that he ate with famous passengers as Colonel John Jacob Astor IV and his wife Madeleine, Mrs. Margaret Brown (whom he also inaccurately calls “Molly”, which she wasn’t nicknamed until the years after her passing), Major Archibald B-utt and Mr. Ismay. Outside of Mr. Ismay, who stated he dined once with Thomas Andrews Jr during the voyage [1], none of the people Barnes named ever dined with real Thomas Andrews Jr. The real Thomas Andrews Jr ate at the doctors table (which was table number 15 beside the pursers table) in the first class dining saloon on
D-deck every evening during the voyage. [2]. On the 14th of April the following people ate at his table:
First class passengers Albert Adrian Dick (1880-1970) and his wife Vera Dick (1891-1973) [3], Mr. and Mrs. Dick who became friends of Thomas Andrews Jr in real life aren’t mentioned in Barnes his book.
First class passengers Frederick Maxfield Hoyt (1873-1940) and his wife Jane Anne Hoyt (1879-1932) [4], just as the Dicks Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt aren’t named in Barnes his book.
First class passengers Pauline Caroline Gibson (1866-1961) and her daughter Dorothy Winifred Gibson (1889-1946) [5], the Gibson’s aren’t named in Barnes his book
Assistant surgeon John Edward Simpson (1875-1912) [6], Dr. Simpson isn’t named in Barnes his book either.
Absent at the table that night was the host of the table, the ship’s surgeon William Francis Norman O’Loughlin (1849-1912), since he ate in the á la carte restaurant on B-deck together with Mr. Ismay that night [7]. Major Butt was a guest of the Widener dinner party in honour of captain Smith and also ate in the á la carte restaurant [8]. Mrs. Brown ate in the á la carte restaurant as well together with Emma Bucknell and Dr. Arthur Brewe.
Sources:
[1] Mr. Ismay his account at the American Senate Inquiry on the 11th day as questioned by captain Smith:
Senator SMITH.
Did you yourself have opportunity to confer with Mr. Andrews during the voyage from Southampton to the place of this accident?
Mr. ISMAY.
No, sir; I did not. Mr. Andrews dined with me one night. We had no conversation, really, in regard to the ship. Indeed, the only plan which Mr. Andrews submitted to me was a plan where he said he thought the writing room and reading room was unnecessarily large, and he said he saw a way of putting a stateroom in the forward end of it. That was a matter which would have been taken up and thoroughly discussed after we got back to England.
[2] Thomas Andrews Jr his second last letter to his wife Helen “Nellie” Reilly Barbour, where he stated:
“We reached here in nice time and took on board quite a number of passengers. The two little tenders looked well, you will remember we built them about a year ago. We expect to arrive at Queenstown about 10.30 a.m. to-morrow. The weather is fine and everything shaping for a good voyage. I have a seat at the Doctor’s table.”
[3] The Dicks even described the following:
“but upon every occasion, and especially at dinner on Sunday evening, he talked almost constantly about his wife, little girl, mother and family, as well as of his home.”
[4] Amsterdam Evening Recorder, April 23, 1912
[5] A New York newspaper (either the Morning Telegraph on the 21st of April 1912, the New York Telegraph on the 20th of April or the New York Dramatic Mirror on the 24th of April)
[6] Amsterdam Evening Recorder, April 23, 1912
[7] According to the American Senate Inquiry Mr. Ismay himself invited Doctor O’Loughlin:
Senator SMITH.
I believe you said you dined on Sunday evening with the surgeon of the Titanic?
Mr. ISMAY.
Yes. I was all alone, so I asked Dr. O'Loughlin to come and dine with me, and he dined with me in the restaurant at half-past 7.
In his disposition he also told:
Q. Do you recollect with whom you dined on the night of the accident?
- Dr O'Loughlin, I think it was.
[8] Major B-utt was seen by multiple people at the dining party, his saloon steward Frederick Dent Ray (1879-1977) even recalled that he wasn’t eating in the dining saloon.
Inaccuracy number 2:
Mr. Barnes claims Thomas Andrews Jr was in A-32 during the maiden voyage of the Titanic. This is false. According to Thomas Andrews Jr his bedroom steward, Henry Samuel Etches (1868-1944), Thomas Andrews Jr was in A-36 (a brand-new stateroom on the Olympic class liners in the Harland and Wolff bedroom B style, located at the after Louis XIV staircase) [1]. A-32 also was the stateroom of Hugh Roscoe Rood (1873-1912) during the maiden voyage [2]. And while not specified in his book that it was part of his stateroom, he claims he was taking a bath during the collision. A-32 was a small first class stateroom without a bath attached to it (A-36 did have a private bathroom however)
[1] Henry Etches his account at the American Inquiry as questioned by senator William Smith:
Senator SMITH.
How many rooms did you have charge of?
Mr. ETCHES.
Eight on B deck and one on A deck.
Senator SMITH.
Do you know who the passengers were on A deck?
Mr. ETCHES.
Mr. Andrews, sir
Senator SMITH.
The builder of this ship?
Mr. ETCHES.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
What apartment did he have?
Mr. ETCHES.
He had a separate cabin, with bathroom attached - the only cabin. There was only one on each part of the after-end of A deck.
Senator SMITH.
What was the number?
Mr. ETCHES.
Thirty-six, sir.
[2] Cave list
Inaccuracy number 3:
During the iceberg collision Barnes he claims he was in bath, he felt the collision, got out of bath, got dressed, makes his way to the bridge and bumps into Mrs. Straus (whose name he misspelled as “Strauss”) in a corridor and assures her nothing is wrong. The shortest route from to the bridge from the wrong stateroom Mr. Barnes claims to have had (A-32) would never make it possible for him to bump into Mrs. Straus since she had her stateroom (C-57 in the Empire style) on
C-deck.
Inaccuracy number 4:
As mentioned before Barnes claimed he felt collision in bath, got out of bath, dressed himself, got to the bridge, bumped into Mrs. Straus, climbs up to the boat deck, walks forward to the bridge and walks in JUST AS a conversation happens between captain Smith and first officer Murdoch that happened less than 30 seconds after the iceberg hit in real life where Murdoch confirmed the watertight doors were closed (the words are based on fourth officer Boxhall his citations, including the claim the engines were full astern). Barnes than claims he said something that makes my blood boil:
“And what are you doing letting a baby run the ship?”
And after captain Smith tries to defend Murdoch he uncharacteristically snaps back:
“I don’t care how many years he’s got! I told you she’s slow to go! You should have hit it head-on! Now I’ve got to go down and see what’s happening!”
First and foremost, the things Barnes claims he said are very uncharacteristic to the real Thomas Andrews Jr and he would never say anything like that.
Secondly, he claims to have done all the stuff listed above and walk in a conversation that happened less than 30 seconds after the iceberg first hit the ship, even if he got a bathrobe without drying himself he would never be able to get to the bridge that quick.
Thirdly, quartermaster Olliver and Hichens and fourth officer Boxhall never recalled anything of the sort happening.
Fourthly, there was a lot of mutual respect the real Thomas Andrews Jr felt towards both captain Smith and first officer Murdoch
Inaccuracy number 5:
During Barnes his damage inspection he claimed that he entered “a damaged cargo area” that he saw “tossed severed body parts” of a man that was cut in half by the incoming water as well that the “rushing water had also forced heavy crates against the Renault. First and foremost, the Renault motorcar of the Carter family was crated in cargo hold number 2 on the orlop deck and likely had it’s wheels removed. Secondly, this cargo hold was inaccessible during the voyage which would make it impossible to enter during the damage inspection let alone that someone was in there as water made it’s way in (this appears to be purely based off the 1997 movie). And thirdly, incoming water is unable to cut a person in half.
Inaccuracy number 6:
There is a fictional rivalry depicted between White Star Line chairman Joseph Bruce Ismay and Barnes throughout the whole book which is based on tons of misconceptions spread over the years. From his false involvement in the number of lifeboats (the real Mr. Ismay approved the installation of Welin Quadrant Davits that would make altering the boat deck if more lifeboats were required by the British Board of Trade easier to accommodate and approved additional 4 Engelhardt collapsible lifeboats to be installed despite there being no requirement to do so) to claiming him to be someone who cared for first class passengers only. Barnes takes advantage of nearly every page with Mr. Ismay in it to turn him into a moustache twirling villain that could be played by the late Terry Thomas. Barnes hates him so much that he “had to suppress the urge to throttle Ismay with his new cane.”
While telling captain Smith and Mr. Ismay that the ship has “an hour, maybe two”, Mr. Ismay says:
“First class passengers FIRST”
For which as a result Barnes claimed he slapped Mr. Ismay in the face.
First and foremost, Mr. Ismay stated that he himself did not saw Thomas Andrews Jr during the sinking and he wasn’t present at when Thomas Andrews Jr told captain Smith his estimation how long the ship had [1], second of all Mr. Ismay viewed Thomas Andrews as a personal friend [2], thirdly the real Thomas Andrews Jr gave the ship an hour to an hour and a half [3] and fourthly if Mr. Ismay was really slapped in this face it would have been recalled in the inquiry like the incident with fifth officer Harold Lowe at lifeboat number 5 and would have been immortalized in the Titanic her story. And more importantly, this is yet again something the real Thomas Andrews Jr would NEVER have done.
[1] Mr. Ismay on the 16th day of the British Board of Trade Inquiry:
18565. That, your Lordship will remember, is Rowe's evidence. Did you see Mr. Andrews at all between the time of the impact and your leaving the vessel?
- I did not.
[2] Mr. Ismay his letter to Thomas Andrews Jr his widow, Helen “Nellie” Reilly Andrews on the 31st of May 1912:
“I knew your husband for many years, and had the highest regard for him, and looked upon him as a true friend. No one who had the pleasure of knowing him could fail to realise and appreciate his numerous good qualities and he will be sadly missed in his profession. Nobody did more for the White Star Line, or was more loyal to its interests than your good husband, and I always placed the utmost reliance on his judgment.”
[3} Fourth officer Boxhall his testimony at the British Board of Trade inquiry on the 13th day:
15610. Did you hear the Captain say anything to anybody about the ship being doomed?
- The Captain did remark something to me in the earlier part of the evening after the order had been given to clear the boats. I encountered him when reporting something to him, or something, and he was inquiring about the men going on with the work, and I said, "Yes, they are carrying on all right." I said, "Is it really serious?" He said, "Mr. Andrews tells me he gives her from an hour to an hour and a half." That must have been some little time afterwards. Evidently Mr. Andrews had been down.
Inaccuracy number 7:
More a note than an inaccuracy, but Barnes barely mentioned anyone from the Harland and Wolff guarantee group in his book which were selected by Thomas Andrews Jr himself (including his long-time colleague and friend Roderick Chisholm, who was the chief draughtsman of the drawing offices and Anthony Wood Frost, who was the outside foreman of the engine works of Harland and Wolff, who’s live was even saved from a great height by Thomas Andrews Jr once). The only two members of the eight guarantee group member mentioned by Barnes are
Francis Parkes (1890-1912) (who was a plumber apprentice at the plumbing shop of Harland and Wolff) and William Henry Marsh Parr (1882-1912) (the assistant manager of the electrical works of Harland and Wolff).
Important names such as Edward Wilding (Thomas Andrews Jr his deputy), Francis Carruthers (the Board of Trade Surveyor tasked overseeing the construction of the Olympic and Titanic) and Harold Sanderson (general manager of the White Star Line, who was on-board during the sea-trails while representing the White Star) aren’t named in the book either.
Inaccuracy number 8:
William Barnes stated the following on his website (William C. Barnes :: Death of a Titan) and I quote:
“Now I may be dead wrong about this, but the computer test provides a compelling take on what killed Titanic. The only truth is we shall never really know. Finally, Tommie may not have owned a computer, but he did understand vibration in a ship! For example: Cunard’s LUSITANIA had the problem of stern vibration at over twenty two knots, until the builders figured out where to reinforce that section. She took nearly six months to certify because of the problem. Tommie by the way was lent out by H&W as a paid consultant for John Brown Yards.
THE SINKING OF TITANIC
(memories from Tommie’s projection)
Before Titanic sank, she broke in on herself. This way was much more destructive in that it folded in on people. When experts use stress graphs to show the forces working on Titanic’s hull in triangular form, they forget that Titanic was a floating box. She was a box truss design and her plates (also known as strakes) would break along in concert with the box, rather than give way like a welded ship.”
For the short this is what he claimed: “My computer tests showcases that the Titanic broke behind the third funnel like in the 1997 James Cameron movie and that the forecastle came out of the water.”
Physics show us that an “V-breakup” with a bow resurfacing out of the water that is filled by water is simply impossible. The ship also broke in front of the number three funnel, not behind it (with the aft and forward tower excluded that is). Barnes his claim that Thomas Andrews Jr worked for John Brown’s shipyard is also unfounded, he only worked for Harland and Wolff. I also have my doubts an Edwardian shipbuilder would put his full trust in a computer.
Inaccuracy number 9:
Based on the samples I heard Mr. Barnes believes he had an accent like Victor Garber had in the 1997 movie, combined Scrooge McDuck as voice by the late Alan Young. Based on recordings from John Miller Andrews (Thomas Andrews Jr’s older brother) we know which accent Thomas Andrews Jr had, which does not sound like an Irish accent at all. It’s an accent comparable to an Oxford accent (an upper class accent) with a hint of what sounds like a North Antrim or Kilkeel lilt [9].
Inaccuracy number 10:
Barnes calls Violet Constance Jessop (1887-1971) a nurse on the Titanic, she was a first class stewardess in real life.
Inaccuracy number 11:
Banes claims that Alexander Montgomery Carlisle (The chief designer of the Olympic class liners and Thomas Andrews Jr his predecessor) was fired for “making a fuss about not using the Welin davits for more than one row of boats”, firstly Mr. Carlisle retired from the company on his own accord and secondly he retired from the company due to his declining health.
My personal advice is not to spent any money on Mr. Barnes his book or audiobook, unless you intend to debunk his claims.
Forgive my bitterness to Barnes, but his book makes me very angry.
Kind regards,
Thomas
