Warning the Bridge - The Boy Who Cried Wolf

[Aaron_2016]

The stars were shining very bright on the horizon, so bright that other ships were mistaking the stars for ships' lights. e.g.

SS Californian - Captain Lord: "I was sometimes mistaking the stars low down on the horizon for steamer’s lights."

SS Parisian - Wireless operator Sutherland: "The lookout several times mistook stars on the horizon for ships' lights."

Curious if this had occurred on the Titanic and if the bridge became tired with the false reports that they ignored Fleet's iceberg warning. Reminds me of the boy who cried wolf. He told a fellow survivor that nobody replied on the telephone. Wonder if they did not take his warning seriously until it was too late. Another possibility, what if Murdoch was observing the stars and looking at one particular one to see if it was a ship, perhaps with binoculars, and just as he focused on the light he heard the bell ring and assumed the lookouts were observing the same light, and this would create a moment of delay in his response as they were both looking at something different?

Is there a general opinion that both Murdoch and the lookouts were focusing on the same thing or were each of them looking at something different?

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[Kyle Naber]

I doubt it.

 

[Harland Duzen]

in terms of the ice report, I do ponder briefly if when Phillips received the accidentally jamming message from Cyril Evans, he thought he was trying to send the Ice message from the SS Antillian again and he was getting tired of it.

HOWEVER I know clearly Phillips, Evans and Lord didn't take offence.

As for Murdoch getting distracted by the lights, given how professional they were, it seems unlikely.

 

[Aaron_2016]

Boxhall later admitted he was warm in his cabin drinking tea when the bell rang. This was something he dare not tell the official inquiry in 1912. Have to wonder how much they were 'on their toes' on the bridge and if Murdoch was scanning the horizon at the stars when the bell rang.


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