What Would You Say

[Sahand Miraminy]

Hey All,
I've got a tricky question! I hope it hasn't been discussed yet!
If you went back to the Titanic and had all the information you have now, who would you tell to try to save the ship and what would you say. Also if you had one piece of evidence, what would it be?

ALL THE BEST,
Sahand

 

[Alex McLean]

My answer; do not mess too much with the past, because the slightest change in one's surroundings, even 3 days ago, could alter history in ways none of us could imagine. Besides, who would want to live Back to the Future after being able to watch them on TV, and we all remember that Halloween episode of The Simpsons...

Though onto the question, I would most likely tell the officer of the watch (depending when I arrive on Titanic) and the captain. If they didn't believe me, which I doubt they would, or even if I couldn't get to the bridge, I'd stay with Titanic and stand near lifeboat 1-7, or even going as as late as 11, 13, 15, C. We'll see how it all pans out from there.
Then again, I could always stay with her indefinately.
My best

 

[Susan Romanyuk]

Sahand,

What a thought provoking question! If I had all of my knowledge and expertise and could travel back in time to Sunday April 14, 1912, a few hours prior to Titanic hitting the iceberg, I am not sure I would try to save the ship. A TV Series that came out in the 60's called 'The Time Tunnel' covered this very subject. Whether to save the ship or let her sink.

This one act would alter history in such a major way. One does not know if they would have ever been born if Titanic had not sank. This gets us into the 'what if' scenario.

If I could account and answer all of the 'what if's....' then my answer would be yes I would try to save the ship. If the opportunity arose I would go to Lightoller first off. I would give him the exact position of the 'berg' and try to convince him to change course. If that failed, I would try the captain, then Murdoch and anyone else that would listen.

Here are some what if's you can try to answer:

1) If the Titanic had not sank, then Cal Archibald Gracie would not have died in Dec 1912. What effect would that have had?

2) Same as above, but JJ Astor would have remained alive, to probably live out a full life.

3) J. Bruce Ismay would not have been vilified, so with his growing power in IMM, what effect would that have had on American commerce?

Do you see what I mean. To many very powerful people died on titanic, and had they have lived to there fullest potential, what changes in the world would have come? Would the stock market crash of 1929 even happened? Lastly, what would life be like now if the Edwardian Era or Gilded Age had continued?

 

[Sahand Miraminy]

Hey All,
Yea All that stuff would happen but Im not trying to look into the question that much. Just say your a passenger on the Titanic and you knew stuff. Perhaps your life would be in danger.

Sahand

 

[Bob Godfrey]

If I wanted to save the ship, I'd set the controls on my time machine to deposit me on the ice berg with a portable generator and a neon sign. But if I had no choice but to land on Titanic itself, one approach would be to seek out Lightoller and present him with a copy of his own book Titanic and Other Ships which he would write many years later. Even if he didn't recognise his own distinctive style, in the Titanic chapters he could read about incidents that had already happened too recently to find their way into a printed book - like the near collision at Southampton and the details of the ice reports which had arrived just hours or minutes earlier. Bearing in mind that he was a believer in a mystical dimension of existence, that should be enough to make him keen to read on...

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Simply put, I wouldn't. All this is strictly hypothetical of course, but I don't really care much for the idea of messing with history. Undo the Titanic disaster and you undo everything positive that resulted from it. And with the people who survive, you set in motion events that might otherwise have never happened.

A Hitler type in 1920 anyone?

Global thermonuclear war in 1940 anyone? (Assuming some Attila the Mad Scientist wannabee survives!)

Besides, I'm not sure it would do much good to try even if one could go back in time to do exactly as Sahand proposes. Think of the reception you'd get if you strolled onto the bridge or into Captain Smith's quarters with some cloud cuckoo story about how you're about the run into an iceberg and kill 1500 people.

They'ed be fitting you for a straitjacket and locking you away someplace for your own protection befor you finished the story.

 

[Steve Smith]

What would I say? How about "Hey Fleet - you have a rest. I'LL do lookout duty tonight"

 

[Jared J Lane]

If I went back, I would meet with J. Bruce Ismay and Captain Smith and show them the book I had brought which would be, The New York Times PAGE ONE 2002: The Most Notable New York Times Front Pages From 1851 to Present. I think that after looking at it they would listen to what all I had to say.

But in all truth if I had the chance to go back, and change history I would not. By changing the past you would be altering the future.

Jared

 

[Deborah Russes]

I would want to do something (and knowing me if I was there I would try) but on the other hand I agree with Jared...you really can't do anything without changing the future...and what if saying something to avert the Titanic disaster, led to another disaster that was avoided because of the sinking of the ship? There are always consequences with every action.

It's tough question. it is probably one of those where your decision is made "in the heat of the moment".

 

[April Simerly]

Wow. Interesting question. And everyone here is absolutely right when they say that altering history can have serious consequences. But if I were going to save lives, and not necessarily Titanic herself, I would approach Bride and Phillips first. They were in the best position to get help to the people on board Titanic.

I would have made certain they actually spoke to Cyril Evans instead of telling him to shut up. If he had had reason to stay on the line that night, he would have. That way when Titanic struck the iceberg, The Californian could have been there in minutes, instead of the hours it took Carpathia. The Californian was completely empty of passengers and could have easily taken Titanic's load.

April

 

[Beth Barber]

I realize that there would be several things that one could do knowing what we know now - back then. It would be hard to pick and choose what your would and would not do. I don't think that I would try to say anything that would save the ship - I really wouldn't want to alter history that way, however, I think that I would have tell tell Mr & Mrs. Allison that the nurse took their little boy and he was safe on a lifeboat.

Not to diminish the fates of any other passengers but I guess being a mother with a 3 year old daughter - I know I owuld go crazy not knowing where my baby is. - Beth

 

[Dennis Smith]

I think I would not want to change the history, because it might change the future.

Imagine this - You go back and warn them and the ship is saved - great news - and you are the one that saved the ship - Gosh I feel good. Future now changed - because the ship didn`t sink your grandparents didn`t lose a friend or relative, and because they didn`t lose this friend or relative, they didn`t "comfort each other" in bed one night, result you are not born because one of your parents wasn`t born. If you are not born then you can`t go back and warn them, so the accident happens, your grandparents have one of your parents, result you are born so you go back - ad infinitum.

GROUNDHOG DAY!!!!

All the Best

Dennis

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>The Californian could have been there in minutes, instead of the hours it took Carpathia. The Californian was completely empty of passengers and could have easily taken Titanic's load.<<

Eh...no...not really. Bear in mind that the Californian was at best an 11 knot ship, though she could make 13 if she pushed it. If the seperation between the Californain and the Titanic was 10 to 12 miles, she would still take about an hour to get from where she was to where the Titanic was. (And if she was 19 to 21 miles away as Captain Lord's supporters believe, then it would have taken closer to two hours for her to get on-scene.)

While she could conceivably have accomadated all the passengers and crew in the cargo holds (Her actual passenger capacity was 45 people), one would first have to transfer all the people from one ship to another. Doing this at sea is far from easy and would have required far greater numbers of boats then either ship had.

See All At Sea With Dave Gittins as well as The Californain Incident, A Reality Check as both go into the question of rescue in some detail.

 

[Tracy Smith]

>>Doing this at sea is far from easy and would have required far greater numbers of boats then either ship had.<<

Not to mention the time necessary to accomplish this goal, which the Titanic didn't have.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Time? We don't need no steeeenkeeeeeng time!

(And we didn't get it either

-oops.)