Do you have a source on Captain Smith's movements? I'm sorry, it's just that I was always under the impression that the Captain never left the bridge.
Of-course, with the mindset keeping focused on the evacuation (Since Captain Smith left the bridge twice before during the first 45 minutes of the sinking, when he went on two separate damage inspections between 11:50 to about 11:59 and 12:00 to about 12:15 however this isn't relevant to the current conversation). While it is true he stayed on the bridge a lot after 12:27 he was also very active in the evacuation Here are a few accounts:
LIFEBOAT NUMBER 8
First class bedroom steward Alfred George Crawford (1869-1938)
Mr. Crawford recalled seeing captain Smith being quite active during the loading and lowering of lifeboat number 8. Bellow, despite being out of order, are a few examples
The American Senate inquiry
Senator SMITH.
The captain told you to get into that boat and row toward the light?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes; the captain told me to get in the boat and row toward that light. He told us to row for the light and to land the people there and come back to the ship. We pulled until daybreak and we could not catch the ship.
Senator SMITH.
How far do you think it was away from the
Titanic when the captain told you to row toward it?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Capt. Smith could see the light quite plain, as he pointed in the direction that we were to make for. We pulled toward the light, and we could not reach it.
Senator SMITH.
Who superintended the loading?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
The chief officer superintended it, and myself.
Senator SMITH.
And the lowering?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
And Capt. Smith.
Senator SMITH.
All those lifeboats on the port side?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Capt. Smith and the chief officer; Capt. Smith and the steward lowered the forward falls of the boat I was in.
Senator SMITH.
This was forward?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH.
How far from the bridge?
Mr. BURLINGHAM.
He said the forward falls, Senator; that is the forward rope, but it was the after boat on the port side.
Senator SMITH.
How far from the bridge?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
It was about 20 or 30 yards from the bridge, sir.
Senator SMITH.
And the captain of the boat personally superintended the loading and the lowering?
Mr. CRAWFORD.
Of that one particular boat; yes, sir.
The British Board of Trade inquiry
17840. Now, before the boat was lowered down, did Captain Smith ask you how many crew were in the boat?
- Yes.
17841. And how many crew were in the boat?
- There were two in the boat.
17842. Besides yourself?
- No, he told me to get in then.
17843. That made three?
- Yes; and another man got in as well, Making four.
17844. Did the boat get away with four of the crew in it?
- Yes.
17845. How many passengers were in it?
- I should say about 35.
17846. What were they; were they women?
- All women.
17847. And before you left the ship's side did Captain Smith give you any directions with regard to a light?
- Yes, he pointed to a light on the port side, the two masthead lights of a vessel, and told us to pull for there and land the people and return to the ship.
17848. Did you see those lights yourself?
- I did.
17849. And what did you think they were?
- I thought they were a vessel with two masthead lights.
17850. A steamer's masthead lights?
- Yes.
17926. Was there any other Officer superintending the lowering of No. 8?
- I did not notice.
17927. Except Mr. Wilde?
- Only the Captain, he came there; he came there and lowered the forward falls - he assisted in doing so.
17928. (
The Attorney-General.) Which boat was this?
- No. 8.
17929. (
The Commissioner.) As I understand, you crossed over from the starboard side to the port side?
- Yes, I went to my proper boat.
17930. (
Mr. Scanlan.) Then you have stated that the crew you had for the boat consisted of two and yourself?
- Four altogether.
The Commissioner:
Is there anyone here representing the "Californian"?
Mr. Cooper:
Mr. Dunlop will be here in a few minutes.
The Attorney-General:
Somebody will be here, because we are calling somebody from the "Californian" today, and we have given them notice of it.
17851. (
Mr. Butler Aspinall - To the witness.) I do not know whether you are a judge of distance of lights at sea, but what would you say?
- I should say she was 5 to 7 miles away from us.
17852. The Captain gave the directions?
- Yes, he pointed the ship out.
17853. Having got down to the water's edge did you obey that direction as well as you could?
- We did.
17854. And rowed in the direction of that light?
- Yes, we pulled all night in the direction of the steamer.
17926. Was there any other Officer superintending the lowering of No. 8?
- I did not notice.
17927. Except Mr. Wilde?
- Only the Captain, he came there; he came there and lowered the forward falls - he assisted in doing so.
17928. (
The Attorney-General.) Which boat was this?
- No. 8.
17929. (
The Commissioner.) As I understand, you crossed over from the starboard side to the port side?
- Yes, I went to my proper boat.
17930. (
Mr. Scanlan.) Then you have stated that the crew you had for the boat consisted of two and yourself?
- Four altogether.
17962. (
The Commissioner.) What were you told to do, to make for the light?
- To make for the light, land the passengers, and return to the ship.
17963. Who gave you that order?
- Captain Smith.
17964. The gentleman who gave you that order must, I suppose, have thought that the lights that were visible were close to? Did Captain Smith say to you, "Make for those lights"?
- He did.
17965. "Put your passengers on board that ship with those lights and then come back here"?
- Yes, My Lord.
The Commissioner:
Then I presume - I do not know - that he must have thought those lights were close to. I do not at present think he is right about that. He may very well have been told to keep away, to go out a bit and be ready to go back.
17966. (
Mr. Scanlan.) I will ask him to give the exact order he got, My Lord. (
To the witness.) Will you tell my Lord exactly what the Captain said to you as to what you were to do when your boat was lowered; what order did you get?
- He pointed in the direction of the two lights, and said: "Pull for that vessel; land your people and return to the ship." Those were Captain Smith's words.
17967. And did you think you would go to that ship and land your passengers, and go back to the "Titanic" and pick up more?
- We did at the time.
17968. (
The Commissioner.) This was about 1 o'clock in the morning?
- About 1, yes.
17969. In what direction were the lights that you saw?
- On the port side.
17970. Before the boat was launched, did you see the lights?
- No, not till Captain Smith pointed them out.
17971. It was he who directed your attention to them?
- Yes.
17972. After the boat was launched that you were in, did you see any rockets sent up?
- Yes, from the "Titanic." I also saw the morse code being used.
17973. About how many rockets did you see sent up?
- I should say I saw about a dozen go up; probably more.
17974. A dozen rockets from the "Titanic"?
- Yes, they kept going up.
17975. And you could see those quite distinctly?
- Yes.
17976. And should those lights have been seen by the steamer towards which you were pulling?
- Yes.
17977. Those rockets should have been seen?
- Yes, I think they ought to have been seen.
Able bodied seaman Thomas William Jones (1877-1967)
Mr. Jones, who was put in charge of lifeboat number 8, recalled that he recieved orders from captain Smith to see if the plug was in the lifeboat number 8 or not. He also recieved the orders to row towards the mystery ship on the port bow of the Titanic.
Senator NEWLANDS.
State what occurred on the night of the collision. State where you were when you felt the collision.
Mr. JONES.
I was sitting in the forecastle. I heard something, just the same as a ship going through a lot of loose ice; and everybody ran on deck right away. When we went on deck we could see some ice on the deck. Then I went forward, and I could see a lot of the firemen coming up out of the forecastle; and I looked down below, and I heard a rush of water. I went down below, in
No. 1, and I could see the tarpaulin of the hatch lifting up the same as if there was air coming up there; and I went on deck then, and I could see all the firemen coming up from there. As soon as I went on deck somebody gave the order, "All hands on the bridge." I went up there, and then we were given orders to get the boats ready.
I got the collapsible boat on the port side ready. I got my own boat, No. 8, ready. An officer sent me for a lamp, and as I was going forward there was a man coming with two or there lamps in his hand. I went back again, and this No. 8 boat was there, all swung out, and there were about 35 ladies in it. I jumped in the boat. The captain asked me was the plug in the boat, and I answered, "Yes, sir." "All right," he said, "Any more ladies?" There was one lady came there and left her husband, She wanted her husband to go with her, but he backed away, and the captain shouted again - in fact, twice again - "Any more ladies?" There were no more there, and he lowered away.
Senator NEWLANDS.
Did this lady get in?
Mr. JONES.
Yes, her and a little girl. I don't know who she was. I don't know her name. He told me to row for the light, and land the passengers and return to the ship. I pulled for the light, and I found that I could not get near the light, and I stood by for a little while. I wanted to return to the ship, but the ladies were frightened, and I had to carry out the captain's orders and pull for that light; so I did so. I pulled for about two hours, and then it started to get daybreak, and we lost the light; and then all of a sudden we saw the
Carpathia coming, and we turned right back and made for the
Carpathia. That is all I know, sir.
Senator NEWLANDS.
Who was the officer on the port side who gave you your directions?
Mr. JONES.
The captain.
Senator NEWLANDS.
The captain himself?
Mr. JONES.
Yes, sir.
First class passenger Lucy Noël Martha (1878-1956), The Countess of Rothes (Who was Miss Maioni her employer) recalled in a letter to Walter Lord in 1955:
"As our Boat was launched Capt Smith called to us & told us to row to the steamer whose lights we could see & leave our passengers & return for more. We started to do this - but the steamer went away - & the sailor (T.Jones) & I wanted to return & try & pick up more people as we had a little room left - Before I got into the Boat - I heard a woman say, "I am not going without my husband." She was Mrs Straus & tho' we all begged her to get into the Boat she refused & went back to join her husband. A girl next to me suddenly said "I've forgotten Jack's photograph & must get it & in spite of protests went down and fetched it! It was of course quite unreasonable but it only struck me as natural at the time. I was was beginning to feel really frightened - the
fearful cold made it all much worse tho' after a few hours one felt very sleepy - The water was so black & very calm at first - & then towards dawn it got rough & one felt an awful loneliness & exhaustion - but my cousin & I had to row & steer as only T.Jones the sailor knew anything about a Boat. About Capt Smith I think he really thought we might reach the other steamer - but he looked to be under a terrible strain. All the crew were of course magnificent in their behaviour & I always think so much ought to have been said & written about the engineers & firemen who never ever came up on deck & did all they could to keep the ship afloat - for as long as possible."
If you want examples of lifeboat number 6, 12 and emergency lifeboat number 2 I would gladly provide them as well in the near future.
Kind regards,
Thomas
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