William Oakes
Member
The Mesaba ice warning was received and acknowledged by the Titanic wireless operator Jack Phillips at 9:52 PM. The warning described large bergs at coordinates which lay directly in Titanic’s path.
We know that both Phillips and Harold Bride, the Junior Marconi operator, were both sleep deprived after having stayed up the previous night making repairs to the equipment which had malfunctioned.
The many hours that passed, while the equipment was down, created a massive backlog of messages.
The Titanic, being the largest and newest luxury liner, and the novelty of sending wireless messages, made for an already heavy workload for the two Marconi men.
Passengers either wanted to send shipboard greetings to home, or friends and family back home wanted to send best wishes to those making the Atlantic crossing. That coupled with the normal business messages, stock trades, and arrival arrangements, made the back log a mountainous nightmare for Phillips and Bride.
There has been controversy and criticism surrounding the Mesaba message for years. I have heard many comments in many Titanic discussion rooms blaming Phillips for the sinking of the ship. “If only he had delivered that message to the Bridge!”
Certainly, his mistake was a factor; one of many, that resulted in the catastrophe.
But for me it is hard to blame Phillips.
I can easily picture a scenario whereby that message came in, immediately followed by more wireless traffic and then even more messages came in from the pursers office to be sent.
Already, exhausted, overwhelmed, and the workload seeming increasing by the moment, it is easy for to me to see how Phillips had every intention of getting that message to the bridge, but became distracted and forgot.
I have often wondered why there wasn’t a “runner” hired as crew to deliver those messages, but in normal circumstances it probably wasn’t needed.
No, on the night that RMS Titanic sank, so many unique circumstances combined sequentially to create a terrible disaster.
I can picture a scenario whereby, Captain Smith, hurries into the Marconi room and tells Phillips, “We have struck a berg. Send out a CQD and tell all ships within range to come to our aide immediately.”
At that very moment, Phillips probably said to himself, “That berg warning…. I completely forgot it.”
Guilt and anger, combined with fear and fatigue would have now prompted any man to work until the last possible second; probably trying valiantly to overcompensate for his mistake.
Little wonder that Phillips stayed at the key with his headset on even after the Captain released both he and Bride, and even after the Marconi spark was gone.
I wonder if told Bride about the message or if he was afraid to.
I wonder if he truly tried to save himself, or if his guilt, combined with the agonizing death screams all around him in the cold waters, caused him to just succumb and die.
I’ve never bought into the theories and the tales that he was one of those on collapsible B.
So then, there is my two cents worth on the issue.
I’d like to hear yours.
We know that both Phillips and Harold Bride, the Junior Marconi operator, were both sleep deprived after having stayed up the previous night making repairs to the equipment which had malfunctioned.
The many hours that passed, while the equipment was down, created a massive backlog of messages.
The Titanic, being the largest and newest luxury liner, and the novelty of sending wireless messages, made for an already heavy workload for the two Marconi men.
Passengers either wanted to send shipboard greetings to home, or friends and family back home wanted to send best wishes to those making the Atlantic crossing. That coupled with the normal business messages, stock trades, and arrival arrangements, made the back log a mountainous nightmare for Phillips and Bride.
There has been controversy and criticism surrounding the Mesaba message for years. I have heard many comments in many Titanic discussion rooms blaming Phillips for the sinking of the ship. “If only he had delivered that message to the Bridge!”
Certainly, his mistake was a factor; one of many, that resulted in the catastrophe.
But for me it is hard to blame Phillips.
I can easily picture a scenario whereby that message came in, immediately followed by more wireless traffic and then even more messages came in from the pursers office to be sent.
Already, exhausted, overwhelmed, and the workload seeming increasing by the moment, it is easy for to me to see how Phillips had every intention of getting that message to the bridge, but became distracted and forgot.
I have often wondered why there wasn’t a “runner” hired as crew to deliver those messages, but in normal circumstances it probably wasn’t needed.
No, on the night that RMS Titanic sank, so many unique circumstances combined sequentially to create a terrible disaster.
I can picture a scenario whereby, Captain Smith, hurries into the Marconi room and tells Phillips, “We have struck a berg. Send out a CQD and tell all ships within range to come to our aide immediately.”
At that very moment, Phillips probably said to himself, “That berg warning…. I completely forgot it.”
Guilt and anger, combined with fear and fatigue would have now prompted any man to work until the last possible second; probably trying valiantly to overcompensate for his mistake.
Little wonder that Phillips stayed at the key with his headset on even after the Captain released both he and Bride, and even after the Marconi spark was gone.
I wonder if told Bride about the message or if he was afraid to.
I wonder if he truly tried to save himself, or if his guilt, combined with the agonizing death screams all around him in the cold waters, caused him to just succumb and die.
I’ve never bought into the theories and the tales that he was one of those on collapsible B.
So then, there is my two cents worth on the issue.
I’d like to hear yours.
