Bob Godfrey
Member
Close,Jim, but there's something missing. Compare with my photo of the real one.
Which tugs were used to launch The Titanic on her maiden voyage?
- Thread starter jjimm
- Start date
-
- Tags
- launch maiden voyage tugs
Bob Godfrey
Member
Great pics, Jim. Thanks for posting.
Stewart Hall
Member
Interesting article! Are the tugboat nameplates blotted out intentionally in the original film footage?
Saints Fan
Member
My grandfather worked on the Tugs in Southampton Water in the early part of the 20th century. He lived in Southampton from about 1900 until his death in 1932 . My mother was born in Southampton in 1912.
The photograph attached shows him and my mother on a tug in about 1920 – 1922 as this looks as though she was about 8 or 10 years old at the time the photograph was taken. We believe that the name of the tug in the photograph was Hercules. The H E R letters are clear. The C is obscured by the lines over the side of the vessel. We believe that this tug was one of those that helped the R.M.S. Titanic out of her berth prior to sailing on April 10 1912.
Is there any confirmation of my grandfather was in fact working on this or another tug at this time? His name was Samuel McDonald. Any information about his job at that time would be interesting to know. Any photographs of the Hercules or other details of my grandfather’s employment would help me in filling out details of his story.
The photograph attached shows him and my mother on a tug in about 1920 – 1922 as this looks as though she was about 8 or 10 years old at the time the photograph was taken. We believe that the name of the tug in the photograph was Hercules. The H E R letters are clear. The C is obscured by the lines over the side of the vessel. We believe that this tug was one of those that helped the R.M.S. Titanic out of her berth prior to sailing on April 10 1912.
Is there any confirmation of my grandfather was in fact working on this or another tug at this time? His name was Samuel McDonald. Any information about his job at that time would be interesting to know. Any photographs of the Hercules or other details of my grandfather’s employment would help me in filling out details of his story.
Attachments
Hi
I have seen many references to six steam tugboats having aided Titanic on its departure from Southampton, Albert Edward, Hercules, Vulcan, Ajax, Hector and Neptune, and I suspect that most have reiterated previously published information stretching right back to the original research. However, I have evidence of another steam tugboat called Samson (H & W 1910) (not to be confused with H & W's crane nor the Norwegian sealer of the same name) having aided Titanic during the near collision with the SS New York, but can find no reference to it anywhere, I am wondering if anyone has any knowledge of this, or if it an unrecorded / unknown part of the history of that event.
Many thanks
Chris
Ioannis Georgiou
Member
What is that evidence?
Never hear of that tug during departure. H&W 1910, you mean build by H&W in 1910? I am afraid I can not find that name on the list with ships build by H&W during that time.
Saints Fan
Member
Hi, I am new to this forum only havng discovered it a few weeks ago. I posted the material below previously but probably didn't put it in the correct space:
My grandfather, Samuel McDonald, worked on the Tugs in Southampton Water in the early part of the 20th century. He lived in Southampton from about 1900 until his death in 1935 . My mother was born in Southampton in March 1912.
The photograph attached shows him and my mother on a tug in about 1920 – 1922 as this looks as though she was about 8 or 10 years old at the time the photograph was taken. We believe that the name of the tug in the photograph was Hercules. The H E R letters are clear. The C is obscured by the lines over the side of the vessel.
Is there anyway to confirm who the crew members were on the tugs when the Titanic sailed from Southampton?
My grandfather, Samuel McDonald, worked on the Tugs in Southampton Water in the early part of the 20th century. He lived in Southampton from about 1900 until his death in 1935 . My mother was born in Southampton in March 1912.
The photograph attached shows him and my mother on a tug in about 1920 – 1922 as this looks as though she was about 8 or 10 years old at the time the photograph was taken. We believe that the name of the tug in the photograph was Hercules. The H E R letters are clear. The C is obscured by the lines over the side of the vessel.
Is there anyway to confirm who the crew members were on the tugs when the Titanic sailed from Southampton?
Thank you Ioannis Georgiou for your interest in my posting on March 4th and apologies for the delay in getting back to this forum.
You are absolutely right, I have been aware for some time that there is no reference to a tug 'Samson' of that period in the published lists of Harland & Wolff (H & W) ships, although I do wonder how comprehensive those lists or indeed the H & W records are. Another scenario of course is that a tug named Samson may have been built by another company and acquired by H & W in 1910(?)
You ask what is the evidence. This falls into two categories as follows:
1. A blog for 'Titanic Station' (Titanic Station posted )on Monday 27th October 2008 titled 'Titanic's Departure' which referred to the near collison of Titanic with the SS New York and stated that:
"Two tugs (Samson and Hercules) were able to hold the New York back".
The person who wrote the blog (Daniel, location Clute, Texas, USA) claims to have got a lot of information from books about Titanic, but I do not know where the original reference to a Samson tug may have came from.
2. Now the interesting bit - I have an old ships wheel (helm) which has professionally stamped / impressed writing in the wooden Felloe each side of the metal ring which reads:
"STEAM TUG SAMSON / BELFAST" and "H & W T6 1910".
The applied block capital stamped (impressed) writing could be easily missed, it is small (about a quarter of an inch high), discreet and worn, and needed white powder to bring it out to a be readable against the golden brown colour of the wood.
The 'T6' is interesting - I wonder what it means, could this refer to the sixth tug to be designated by H & W to aid the Titanic the construction of which was at that time underway?
Further, it has a very old distressed label glued on the axle which says (also in block capitals) in discoloured fountain pen ink:
"WHEEL FROM THE STEAM TUG "SAMSON" ONE OF THE TUGS THAT AIDED THE TITANIC".
I have no reason to doubt the age and authenticity of the wheel, the impressed writing nor the old label (all of which I have examined profusely under close magnification for the genuine characteristics of age). The wheel was found during a house clearance in a garden shed in Warwickshire, UK so appears to have no locational connection with the author of the Titanic Station blog.
So a mystery or a new revelation or both. I would much appreciate any knowledge that any member(s) of Encyclopedia Titanica may be able to provide to further research on this matter.
Many thanks all
Chris
You are absolutely right, I have been aware for some time that there is no reference to a tug 'Samson' of that period in the published lists of Harland & Wolff (H & W) ships, although I do wonder how comprehensive those lists or indeed the H & W records are. Another scenario of course is that a tug named Samson may have been built by another company and acquired by H & W in 1910(?)
You ask what is the evidence. This falls into two categories as follows:
1. A blog for 'Titanic Station' (Titanic Station posted )on Monday 27th October 2008 titled 'Titanic's Departure' which referred to the near collison of Titanic with the SS New York and stated that:
"Two tugs (Samson and Hercules) were able to hold the New York back".
The person who wrote the blog (Daniel, location Clute, Texas, USA) claims to have got a lot of information from books about Titanic, but I do not know where the original reference to a Samson tug may have came from.
2. Now the interesting bit - I have an old ships wheel (helm) which has professionally stamped / impressed writing in the wooden Felloe each side of the metal ring which reads:
"STEAM TUG SAMSON / BELFAST" and "H & W T6 1910".
The applied block capital stamped (impressed) writing could be easily missed, it is small (about a quarter of an inch high), discreet and worn, and needed white powder to bring it out to a be readable against the golden brown colour of the wood.
The 'T6' is interesting - I wonder what it means, could this refer to the sixth tug to be designated by H & W to aid the Titanic the construction of which was at that time underway?
Further, it has a very old distressed label glued on the axle which says (also in block capitals) in discoloured fountain pen ink:
"WHEEL FROM THE STEAM TUG "SAMSON" ONE OF THE TUGS THAT AIDED THE TITANIC".
I have no reason to doubt the age and authenticity of the wheel, the impressed writing nor the old label (all of which I have examined profusely under close magnification for the genuine characteristics of age). The wheel was found during a house clearance in a garden shed in Warwickshire, UK so appears to have no locational connection with the author of the Titanic Station blog.
So a mystery or a new revelation or both. I would much appreciate any knowledge that any member(s) of Encyclopedia Titanica may be able to provide to further research on this matter.
Many thanks all
Chris
Seumas
Member
I do wonder how comprehensive those lists or indeed the H & W records are.
Quite comprehensive. The law required them to be. These vessels, regardless of whether it be a passenger liner or a tug had to pass safety inspections and receive certificates to begin operating.
This tug did not slip through the net.
I have no reason to doubt the age and authenticity of the wheel, the impressed writing nor the old label (all of which I have examined profusely under close magnification for the genuine characteristics of age). The wheel was found during a house clearance in a garden shed in Warwickshire, UK so appears to have no locational connection with the author of the Titanic Station blog.
It's actually quite easy to "age" something. A friend of mine works for a company that produces chemicals for furniture manufacturers that give an aged or weathered tone to their products.
Just last week we had a thread discussing dubious Titanic or Titanic related items.
I hate to tell you this but fake Titanic ephemera is really common. The odds are strongly against your wheel having anything to do with the ship.
Steven Christian
Member
Well that sounds better than way they used to "age" counterfeit roman and other fake coins. The goose method. But back to the thread title. I thought the large liners always had tugs assist them when in port. No matter where they were.
Seumas
Member
You are right, they sure do need tugs in port.
The problem here is that the wheel is supposed to be from a tug that helped the Titanic avoid the collision with the SS New York.
This tug in question is called Samson but the identities of the actual tugs have long been established beyond doubt and none of them was called Samson.
I'm going to post a link to a thread from the ET archives for a bit of light relief. This is an entertaining thread from 2000 concerning fake Titanic items. The author of post (# 32) had some particularly amusing stories of his dealings with fake artefacts and the people pushing them. Enjoy !
Artifacts washed ashore
Steve Santini wrote: I apologize for any confusion this PUBLISHER ERROR may have caused anyone who bought my book. Hi Steve, thanks for the update on what happened with your book. between this horror story and some of the others mentioned by other authors on this site, and elsewhere, it is...
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
Steven Christian
Member
That was interesting post by Mr. Santini. Thanks. It's why I never buy trinkets when I go oversea's. Probably 99% are fakes. But not just Titanic stuff. Applies to most things. Egypt is a good example of that. Lots of treasure maps to the lost tomb for sale there...LOL. Even museum experts get tricked a lot. Phony pre columbian art out there that they've had to pull lately. Thanks for the info on the tugs. Only knew about the problems when the Titanic left the docks at Southampton.You are right, they sure do need tugs in port.
The problem here is that the wheel is supposed to be from a tug that helped the Titanic avoid the collision with the SS New York.
This tug in question is called Samson but the identities of the actual tugs have long been established beyond doubt and none of them was called Samson.
I'm going to post a link to a thread from the ET archives for a bit of light relief. This is an entertaining thread from 2000 concerning fake Titanic items. The author of post (# 32) had some particularly amusing stories of his dealings with fake artefacts and the people pushing them. Enjoy !
Artifacts washed ashore
Steve Santini wrote: I apologize for any confusion this PUBLISHER ERROR may have caused anyone who bought my book. Hi Steve, thanks for the update on what happened with your book. between this horror story and some of the others mentioned by other authors on this site, and elsewhere, it is...
Similar threads
