Did the Marconi Scandal Influence the British Inquiry?

[Julian Atkins]

From what I gathered from the 2 years or so monthly magazines of the Marconi Co of the period, wireless telegraphy operators were given an ‘overview’ as to how the sets worked. But nothing about how to repair any faults. Identify faults perhaps. Certainly nothing I have found that said that a Marconi wireless operator would investigate shorts on cables on the generator set and repair it for themselves.

I would cite from the Smithsonian the evidence they have that Cottam’s rather old set on the Carpathia was repaired when they got to New York.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

From what I gathered from the 2 years or so monthly magazines of the Marconi Co of the period, wireless telegraphy operators were given an ‘overview’ as to how the sets worked. But nothing about how to repair any faults. Identify faults perhaps.

I am sure that you are right, but as an aside I see no point in being able to identify faults in one's professional equipment and yet be not allowed to repair them, especially on long journeys like across the Atlantic. Phillips & Bride might not have been formally taught to repair their primary wireless set but being familiar with the workings of the set, I am sure they would have known how to repair all but major breakdowns. I accept and agree with the line of discussion in Steven's post #57 of this thread.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

Certainly nothing I have found that said that a Marconi wireless operator would investigate shorts on cables on the generator set and repair it for themselves.

Different operators may have had different levels of understanding about the equipment and how it worked. There were many amateur wireless operators who build their own sets even back then. One of the two, I'm guessing Phillips, may have known enough to take a stab at troubleshooting and fixing the set with the help of Bride. They weren't paid to do so, but they obviously tried and succeeded.

 

[Julian Atkins]

Possibly, but can we agree that Phillips and Bride had no previous experience of the much larger set on Olympic and Titanic of 4kw instead of the previous 1kw and 1.5kw sets? From the Marconi magazine there is no evidence that Phillips and Bride had additional training on Titanic’s much bigger set.

And we come back to Gordon’s point that at least in theory, Marconi Operators were not allowed to carry out repairs on the set. They would change contacts on the morse code tapper and deal with other minor routine matters, but to investigate a short circuit on the generator set would be way beyond their training and pay grade I would submit.

It’s akin to re-wiring a faulty electric cooker, compared to rewiring a plug or changing a lightbulb or fuse.

 

[Steven Christian]

Possibly, but can we agree that Phillips and Bride had no previous experience of the much larger set on Olympic and Titanic of 4kw instead of the previous 1kw and 1.5kw sets? From the Marconi magazine there is no evidence that Phillips and Bride had additional training on Titanic’s much bigger set.

And we come back to Gordon’s point that at least in theory, Marconi Operators were not allowed to carry out repairs on the set. They would change contacts on the morse code tapper and deal with other minor routine matters, but to investigate a short circuit on the generator set would be way beyond their training and pay grade I would submit.

It’s akin to re-wiring a faulty electric cooker, compared to rewiring a plug or changing a lightbulb or fuse.

They assisted the engineer and helped install the 5KW set into Titanic. I'm positive they got a complete overview of how everything worked especially when they were installing and wiring it up. Besides Bride said that the fault was with the leads coming from secondary windings of the transformer that were grounding out on the frame bolts that attached the housing. That would have been a visual fault. Not hard to locate. They repaired it with rubber tape to provide insulation. Not exactly rocket science to repair. The reason it took 6 plus hours to fix was because Phillips first thought it was a failed condenser. Not an unreasonable assumption because condensers/capacitors are prone to failure. Probably more so in those days. It's one area I usually check first when troubleshooting rectified or conditioned power circuits. The filter caps. Their troubleshooting lead to them to the fix. They deserve the credit that was due to them for that.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

Thank you Steven for the very informative and logical post above. I agree with your analysis of the events with repair of the transmitter by Phillips and Bride and feel that was the practical thing to do even if it meant bending the rules a little.

 

[Steven Christian]

Thank you Steven for the very informative and logical post above. I agree with your analysis of the events with repair of the transmitter by Phillips and Bride and feel that was the practical thing to do even if it meant bending the rules a little.

Your Welcome. Not everyone agrees with my take on fixing the radio set. Which is fine. We all have our way of looking at things. We'll never know for sure what might have happened if they didn't fix it. Besides the set was faulted. I can see no downside to working on an unusable set.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

The back-up set, which ran off batteries, was there for emergency use. It had a limited range. I agree with Steven that there was little downside to working on the main set.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

As for the rule or policy regarding repairing the radio, I have to question how that was actually viewed by the operators. Apparently, Harold bride was not too concerned about rules when he informed the Marconi Company that he and Phillips had worked for nearly 6 hours on repairing the set in his April 27th letter to Marconi Co.'s traffic manager, W. R. Cross.

 

[Julian Atkins]

Yes, but no but, but yes!

We only have Bride’s word on this.

The same Bride who said a stoker tried to take a life belt off Phillips when Phillips still had his headphones on, and the same Bride who claimed Phillips was on the same collapsible boat that he was under for an extraordinary length of time.

I wouldn’t attach much weight evidentially to anything Bride ever stated.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

I wouldn’t attach much weight evidentially to anything Bride ever stated

Perhaps, but he wrote an actual letter on 27th April to the Marconi Company's traffic manager and there is a record of it. So it cannot be arbitrarily dismissed.

In fact, Bride not only testified about that letter on Day 14 of the US Inquiry but actually produced it for perusal by Senator Smith.

Mr. BRIDE.
Yes, sir; she is one of the best.

Here is a paper, sir, that may be of interest to you. It is a report which I have made to Mr. Cross, the traffic manager of the Marconi Co.

Senator SMITH.
Yes; this is interesting. (Reading:)

No. 294 WEST NINETY-SECOND STREET,
New York City, N. Y., April 27, 1912.
W. R. Cross, Esq.,
DEAR SIR: Hearing of the conflicting reports concerning the loss of the Titanic, which are being spread around, I think it is advisable for me to give you, to the best of my ability, a true account of the disaster, so that the Marconi Co. may be in full possession of all the facts.
I regret to say my memory fails me with regard to the time of the occurrence or any of the preceding incidents; but otherwise I am sure of all my statements.
The night before the disaster Mr. Phillips and myself had had a deal of trouble, owing to the leads from the secondary of the transformer having burnt through inside the casing and make contact with certain iron bolts holding the woodwork and frame together, thereby earthing the power to a great extent. After binding these leads with rubber tape, we once more had the apparatus in perfect working order, but not before we had put in nearly six hours' work, Mr. Phillips being of the opinion that, in the first place, it was the condensers which had broken, and these we had had out and examined before locating the damage in the transformer.
Owing to this trouble, I had promised to relieve Mr. Phillips on the following night at midnight instead of the usual time, 2 o'clock, as he seemed very tired.
During Sunday afternoon, toward 5 o'clock, I was called by the Californian (call letters MWL) with an ice report, but I did not immediately answer, as I was writing up the abstracts; and also it used to take us some considerable time to start up the motor and alternator, it not being advisable to leave them working, as the alternator was liable to run hot.
I, however, acknowledged the receipt of the report when "MWL" transmitted it to the Baltic, and took it myself to the officer on watch on the bridge.
Neither Mr. Phillips nor I, to my knowledge, received any further ice reports.
About 9 p.m. I turned in and woke on my own accord just about midnight, relieving Mr. Phillips, who had just finished sending a large batch of telegrams to Cape Race.
Mr. Phillips told me that apparently we had struck something, as previous to my turning out he had felt the ship tremble and stop, and expressed an opinion that we should have to return to Belfast.
I took over the telephone from him, and he was preparing to retire when Capt. Smith entered the cabin and told us to get assistance immediately.
Mr. Phillips resumed the phones, after asking the captain if he should use the regulation distress call "C Q D." The captain said "Yes," and Mr. Phillips started in with "C Q D," having obtained the latitude and longitude of the Titanic.
The Frankfurt was the first to answer. We gave him the ships position, which he acknowledged by "OK, stbdi."
The second answer was from the Carpathia who immediately responded with his position and informed us he was coming to our assistance as fast as possible.
These communications I reported myself to the captain, who was, when I found him, engaging in superintending the filling and lowering of the lifeboats.
The noise of escaping steam directly over our cabin caused a deal of trouble to Mr. Phillips in reading the replies to our distress call, and this I also reported to Capt. Smith, who by some means managed to get it abated.
The Olympic next answered our call, but as far as I know, Mr. Phillips did not go to much trouble with her, as we now realized the awful state of affairs, the ship listing heavily to port and forward.
The captain also came in and told us she was sinking fast and could not last longer than half an hour.
Mr. Phillips then went outside to see how things were progressing, and meanwhile I established communication with the Baltic, telling him we were in urgent need of assistance.
This I reported to Mr. Phillips on his return, but suggested "M B C" was to far away to be of any use.
Mr. Phillips told me the forward well deck was under water, and we got our lifebelts out and tied on each other, after putting on additional clothing.
Again Mr. Phillips called "C Q D" and "S O S" and for nearly five minutes got no reply, and then both the Carpathia and the Frankfurt called.
Just at this moment the captain came into the cabin and said, "You can do nothing more; look out for yourselves." Mr. Phillips resumed the phones and after listening a few seconds jumped up and fairly screamed, "The ----- fool. He says, 'What's up old man?'" I asked "Who?" Mr. Phillips replied the Frankfurt and at that time it seemed perfectly clear to us that the Frankfurt's operator had taken not notice or misunderstood our first call for help.
Mr. Philips reply to this was "You fool, stbdi and keep out."
Undoubtedly both Mr. Phillips and I were under a great strain at this time, but though the committee inquiring into the facts on this side are inclined to censure that reply, I am still of the opinion that Mr. Phillips was justified in sending it.
Leaving Mr. Phillips operating, I went to our sleeping cabin, and got all our money together, returning to find a fireman or coal trimmer gently relieving Mr. Phillips of his lifebelt. There immediately followed a general scrimmage with the three of us.
I regret to say that we left to hurriedly to take the man in question with us, and without a doubt he sank with the ship in the Marconi cabin as we left him.
I had up to this time kept the PV entered up, intending when we left the ship to tear out the lot and each to take a copy, but now we could hear the water washing over the boat deck, and Mr. Phillips said, "Come, let's clear out."
We had nearly the whole time been in possession of full power from the ship's dynamo, though toward the end the lights sank and we were ready to stand by, with emergency apparatus and candles, but there was no necessity to use them.
Leaving the cabin, we climbed on top of the house comprising the officers' quarters and our own, and here I saw the last of Mr. Phillips, for he disappeared walking aft.
I now assisted in pushing off a collapsible lifeboat, which was on the port side of the forward funnel, onto the boat deck. Just as the boat fell I noticed Capt. Smith dive from the bridge into the sea.
Then followed a general scramble down on the boat deck, but no sooner had we got there than the sea washed over. I managed to catch hold of the boat we had previously fixed up and was swept overboard with her.
I then experienced most exciting three or four hours anyone could reasonably wish for, and was in due course, with the rest of the survivors picked up by the Carpathia.
As you have probably heard, I got on the collapsible boat a second time, which was, as I felt it, upturned.
I called Phillips several times, but got no response, but learned later from several sources that he was on this boat and expired even before we were picked off by the Titanic's boat.
I am told fright and exposure was the cause of his death.
As far as I can find out, he was taken on board the Carpathia and buried at sea from her, though for some reason the bodies of those who had died were not identified before burial from the Carpathia, and so I can not vouch for the truth of this.
After a short stay in the hospital of the Carpathia I was asked to assist Mr. Cottam, the operator, who seemed fairly worn out with work.
Hundreds of telegrams from survivors were waiting to go as soon as we could get communication with shore stations.
Regarding the working of the Carpathia.
The list of survivors, Mr. Cottam told me, had been sent to the Minnewaska and the Olympic.
When we established communication with the various coast stations, all of which had heavy traffic for us, in some cases running into hundreds of messages, we told them we would only accept service and urgent messages, as we knew the remainder would be press and messages inquiring after some one on the Titanic.
It is easy to see we might have spent hours receiving messages inquiring after some survivor, while we had messages waiting from that survivor for transmission.
News was not withheld by Mr. Cottam or myself with the idea of making money, but because, as far as I know, the captain of the Carpathia was advising Mr. Cottam to get off the survivors' traffic first.
Quite 75 percent of this we got off.
On arrival in New York Mr. Marconi came on board with a reporter of the New York Times. Also Mr. Sammis was present, and I received $500 for my story, which both Mr. Marconi and Mr. Sammis authorized me to tell.
I have forgotten to mention that the United States Government sent out a ship, as they said, to assist us named the Chester.
Several messages passed between the commander of that vessel and the Carpathia, and resulted in the captain telling us to transmit the names of the third class passengers to the Chester.
Though it has since been reported that the most expert operator in the United States Navy was on board the Chester, I had to repeat these names, nearly in all, several times to him taking up nearly a couple of hours of valuable time, though I sent them in the first place slowly and carefully.
I am now staying with relatives and waiting orders from the Marconi Co. here, who have been most considerate and kind, buying me much needed clothes and looking after me generally.
I am glad to say I can now walk around, the sprain in my left foot being much better, though my right foot remains numbed from the exposure and cold, but causes me no pain or inconvenience whatever.
I greatly appreciate the cable the company so kindly sent me and thank them for the same.
Trusting this report will be satisfactory until my return to England, I beg to remain.
Yours, obediently,
HAROLD S. BRIDE

Mr. BRIDE.
I should like to have the letter back, Senator. That is my personal copy.

Senator SMITH.
Certainly. I shall return it to you.

I know that in that letter Bride alluded to the supposed fate of Phillips, but it was not a first person account. See this excerpt:

I called Phillips several times, but got no response, but learned later from several sources that he was on this boat and expired even before we were picked off by the Titanic's boat.
I am told fright and exposure was the cause of his death.
As far as I can find out, he was taken on board the Carpathia and buried at sea from her, though for some reason the bodies of those who had died were not identified before burial from the Carpathia, and so I can not vouch for the truth of this.

On the other hand, as you can see Bride committed himself very clearly on paper in first person about the wireless ops' successful attempt to repair the set in a letter addressed directly to a senior official of his employing company.

 

[Julian Atkins]

Hi Arun,

May I suggest that it is very illuminating to compare the above letter of Bride to W Cross to what he said much earlier to the New York Times when they docked. And Bride’s earlier testimony.

Bride’s letter to W Cross is what is called ‘self serving’ evidence. I’m sorry, but I don’t ‘buy’ any of Bride’s accounts. Bride didn’t have any credibility as a witness. All this stuff about a stoker trying to remove a life belt from Phillips when Phillips still had his headset on. Taking the MSG from The Californian to the Antillian to to the Captain - no it wasn’t the Captain - it was an unidentified Officer instead. Doing his accounts when that MSG came through - what accounts?!! Titanic had only sent very few messages that day by that time! (The charges were worked out on the individual Marconigram forms top right).

Just because Bride says something doesn’t mean it actually happened.

I have a note somewhere from the Marconi magazine that after Titanic, Bride then served on the SS Medina. A far less exacting task!

 

[Samuel Halpern]

Just because Bride says something doesn’t mean it actually happened.

That could be said about almost anyone who testified, or gave an account to a newspaper reporter, or wrote an article for a magazine or a book that could not be substantiated elsewhere.

 

[Julian Atkins]

Which is why I value Sam’s analytical and forensic approach, and also his textual analysis approach.

A simple example is Stone saying the rockets didn’t go above the other ship’s masthead lights, and that this other ship steamed off to the south west showing it’s red (port) side light [and into the ice field in reverse]. You have to test what is nonsense and what is not. Or to put it more bluntly, what were lies and what were truths.

 

[Steven Christian]

That could be said about almost anyone who testified, or gave an account to a newspaper reporter, or wrote an article for a magazine or a book that could not be substantiated elsewhere.

Yes. Very true. I read that at one point Marconi was so upset that he offered a reward to anybody that could prove it was his operators who had sent certain messages and or told certain stories.. They had been made up by the press and others.