Criticisms of Capt EJSmith

[Erik Wood]

Hello Michael,

I would have to agree. I am glad as well. You know I find it odd that people say that Smith did nothing to help. Well that may be in some respects true but there really wasn't anything for him to do. After giving the orders what was left? I guess I am growing tired of people blaming for so many dying when they don't really know the situation. On damage control response I probaly would have started the pumps just as soon as they did but, I probably would have been filling aft voids and ballast tanks to even the load. Shoring was not an option really mainly because of the amount of water in the compartements but Boiler Room 6 or is it 5 (where Barett escaped from and two assitant engineers died) I think if they had shored it, she might have had a few extra minutes maybe half hour. What do you think?

Erik

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Erik, I'm not certain shoring could have been accomplished in time to make much of a difference. Boiler Room 6 appears to have been a lost cause from the start as it had one of the largest openings thanks to that slightly overgrown icecube. It was a lost cause from the start. If they were going to try shoring, the engineers would have had to make their stand at Boiler Room Five The boiler rooms were fairly large spaces so where would they put the braces to anchor everything in place and did they have enough wood for the job?

My understanding is that the pumps were started immidiately...though I could be wrong...with all the water going over the side. However, since the Titanics full pumping capacity was only 1700 tons per hour,(Source, page 22 "Report On The Loss Of The Titanic (S.S.)by the British Board Of Trade) they were badly overmatched. Add to that the fact that the decks were not watertight and the fact that the bulkheads didn't go high enough...well as we say in America, you do the math. ;-)

I don't know offhand if the voids were floodable in any event so I can't comment on that. Had they been able to even the load, perhaps they might have been able to buy some extra time. BUT, we have to remember that damage control experience and training was nowhere near as refined then as it is now. Naval architects and ships crews have the vast experience of two world wars and numerous peacetime disasters to draw on for lessons learned the hard way.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Erik Wood]

Michael,

How very right that you are. However I would tend to believe that they still could have at least pumped water aft to even the load. If they had she might still be in one piece. I probably still would have shored boiler room five just say that I did it. Although as you pointed water was coming in faster then they could pump it out it might have added in extra ten to fifteen minutes, and if you assume that evening the load would have done anything there is another 15. I also read the Smith became complacent. I would tend to agree but at the same time disagree. What have you read on it?

Erik

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find much on the damage control effort on the Titanic. Since Boiler room Five wasn't the one with the hole in it, shoring may have been an exercise in futility. The problem here was that the watertight bulkheads didn't go high enough so water simply spilled over the top from oine compartment to another. As I understand it, the pumps were running too, but as we both know, they were badly overmatched.

Re evening the load, while I don't know if that would have prolonged the ships life,(perhaps doing so would have delayed the overflow.) it might have made it easier to launch the last of the lifeboats properly rather then being forced to float them off. Maybe. Those collapsibles caused a lot of trouble. just getting them off the roof was a nightmare.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Michael Salvona]

Hi I would like to say that I think had cptn SMITH received one of the messages sent later that day about the ice that never reached the bridge he may well have slowed down. He also maybe thought if he steamed further south they could miss the ice altogether. As for Mr MURDOCH I believe it was standard practice to put the engines full astern when turning in an emergency. So as to slow the ship down. I personally believe that with so many ifs and buts the blame cannot be blamed fully on the captain alone

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Hi Mike, some of the ice warnings did reach the bridge, so the officers could hardly claim to be unaware of the situation.

Re Standard practice; slamming on the brakes was the instinctive and natural reaction, but it was far from a standard or sanctioned practice. To quote Knight's Modern Seamanship when in danger of a collision;"...so far from reversing engines, she should, if possible, increase her speed as her whole effort must be directed to getting (out of the way of the obstacle) as quickly as possible....To turn away and slow is the surest possible way of bringing about the collision."

These excerpts from Knights are from the edition in use at the time and are presented on pages 182-183 of "The Titanic, End Of A Dream" by Wyn Craig Wade. I'd suggest getting this one if you can. It's still available through Amazon.com and will be enormously helpful in understanding the investigation conducted by the U.S. Senate and the people involved

It also states,"...so far as considerations of law and seamanship permit, any vessel in danger of collision...should present her stem to the danger rather then her broadside"

In re Captain Smith's culpability; while you are correct in stating that there was plenty of blame to go around, remember that by custom and law, the master of a ship is responsible for everything that happans aboard his ship and to his ship. By this, I mean absolutely everything.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Erik Wood]

Hello Again Michael,

I would have to agree with Knights (as any true seamen would). Put the peddle to the metal and throw her hard over. But Murdoch did what he thought was best. I know all to well that a Master of a Ship is responsible for all that occurs in his ship whether he was up or not.

Erik

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Hi Erik, some of my own Captains learned this the hard way. When a man died of heatstroke in the brig on my first ship, it touched off quite a scandal that ruined a lot of peoples careers. The XO was one of several actually court martialed because of it...and convicted as he had personal knowladge of the abuses that were going on. The skipper was pretty well sheltered from it all by deliberate design. Still, it was his command, his responsibility, and a man was dead. He may not have known, but the reasoning was that he should have. He got a letter of reprimand and ended up leaving the service a year later. It was a pity as had this not happened, he would have been a cinch for admiral.

Another skipper I served under actually sideswiped a tanker we were refueling from underway. He also got a letter of reprimand and ended up retiring shortly after he was finally releived.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Erik Wood]

I don't recall whether Smith was blammed in whole or in part for the accident but to some extent it is his fault. After she hit, the ship sinking and people dying was inevitable. But what he did between then is somewhat unknown. I would like to think that I would be getting my hands dirty. But who knows. You know life of a Captain is like that. In my book I say that Smith's last order that did not require prompting before letting Bride and Phillips go was to have the boats uncovered and swung out. Is this true or did I pull that out of my rear????

Erik

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Erik, I suspect Smith was a bit more involved then we may suspect, but the evidence to support that is a tad slim. If any of the others have something to offer on that, I hope they speak up. As for prompting, I think a lot of people needed prompting that night. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to get it when it was most needed.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Erik Wood]

Michael,

I write in my book that most did not want to leave husbands and what appeared to be the safety of the ship. Lightoller had a hard time finding women and children so eventually he and it is rumored that Wilde did to resort to picking them up and dropping them in the boat. Smith may have been involved but I am not sure in what. He wasn't at a lifeboat. Other then keeping tabs on the the rockets and communication with Carpathia who knows. I hope we kind find something as well.

Erik

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Keep searching Erik. Ahhhh...just don't get your hopes up. Witness reports tended to be a bit contradictory and I doubt if anything useful has come to light since then.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Erik Wood]

Michael,

Most of the movies show Smith as being a decisive leader ( with the exception of the German one) but the current shows a more possibly accurate picture of the situation. I think that I will write that after making some key decisions he left the situation up to his good officers. Or something to that effect. What are you thoughts on this? Is that how you would write it.

Erik

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Erik, it certainly sounds close to the mark, but do as much research as you can to be sure of your ground. Once your book hits the shelves, you know it's going to be subjected to a lot of scrutiny, especially from other researchers. There are several here on the board who should be able to point you in the direction of useful material.

Cordially,
michael H. Standart

 

[Erik Wood]

Michael,

That bad thing about research is that it takes forever and more and more time means less time I do important things. But Smith as well as the Moody and Wilde thing I am spending a lot of time reasearching. Especially the Wilde and Moody thing.

Erik