Hi, Mark!
>>This particular year--1912--the ice unexpectedly moved farther south without melting (perhaps due to atypically higher temperatures in the northern atmosphere) [emphasis added]. This alone could likely have caused even the most experienced officer to underestimate the possibilities that lay ahead, in my opinion.
In Lightoller's book he wrote that it had been a mild winter up north. I don't know where he got that information, but the winter of 1911-12 was anything but mild. Apparently, Lightoller's claim has been accepted as fact for lo, all these years, and no one has checked the newspapers re: what the weather was really like, or what effect it had been having on North Atlantic shipping and sealing since about the middle of December '11. About the only thing missing that separated those conditions from the conditions shown in "The Day After Tomorrow" was the presence of those giant supercells and tornadoes. Some months ago, I posted a collection of 1912 newspaper weather headlines and articles, but today I'll just put up a bit of it. Please don't accept Lights's claim as Gospel.
THE SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
January, 1912:
January 3:
“Cold Snap Stiffens Local Market”;
“…celery beds in some portions of California have been frozen”
(Great Bend, KS) “Four Frozen to Death”
“Snowbound Brakemen Live on Jackrabbits”
(Walla Walla, WA) “Snow Pleases Farmers”
“Four-Inch Blanket Expected to Help Wheat Crop”
(Cordova, AK) “…blinding snow storm…”
January 4:
“Nome Coal Runs Short”
January 6:
“Cold Weather Forecast Today”
“Records Broken”
“Temperature of 35 Below Zero in Duluth Expected to Be Lowered”
“Suffering Is Intense”
“Wave Extends From Great Lakes to the Rockies, South to Kansas and North to
Montana”
“People Living on Short Rations Appeal for Help”
January 7:
“Cold Wave Causes 12 Deaths and Suffering Throughout Country”
“Eleven Are Dead in New York City--38 Below, Record”
“Country Is Swept By Wave of Intense Frigidity--No Relief in Sight”
“One Dead in Chicago”
“Amarillo, Texas, Reports 10 Below--Lodging Houses and Shelters Crowded--Street
Car Traffic Demoralized and Trains Are Late”
January 11:
“Cold Wave Again Grips Northwest”
“Train Schedules Are Demoralized”
“23 Below in Minneapolis”
“Butte remains today an oasis of warmth in a desert of frigidity. The temperature
there was 33 degrees above zero.”
THE SEATTLE DAILY TIMES
May 7, 1912, p. 10:
MARINE LOSSES OF 1912 BREAK RECORD
Present Year Will Go Down in History as Most Disastrous Ever Known to Ocean Going Vessels.
TITANIC WRECKS [sic] ADDS CLIMAX TO LONG LIST
Thirteen Ships Lost in January, Twelve in February and Twenty-Two in March -- Five Now Overdue.
NEW YORK, Tuesday, May 7.--The year 1912 will go down in history as the greatest in point of marine losses. For the first quarter of the year these aggregated about $10,253,500, and on top of these comes the Titanic's loss, ship and cargo being estimated at $12,500,000. In these figures no reckoning is made of passengers' baggage, estimated to be $1,600,000.
Underwriters are hard hit, particularly those in Liverpool and London. The German transport companies los[t] about $375,000, through reinsurance of the Titanic. The White Star line retained $750,000 of the risk on the vessel. Underwriters are readily agreed that the loss by the sinking of the Titanic is the largest on record in connection with one vessel.
In the month of March, twenty-two vessels were lost totally, and the value of ships and cargoes was $3,633,500. February's losses were $1,910,000 and those of January $3,000,000. Thus, excluding any other losses for April other than the Titanic, the total for the first 105 days of the year reaches the amazing sum of $21,043,500. To this must be added also $1,710,000, the value of five large steamships overdue and uninsurable, making a grand total of $22,753,500. ...
Roy
P.S.--Per the Inflation Calculator, $22,753,500.00 in 1912 would equal $474,943,965.75 in 2006.
