Why did Californian even have wireless?

[Mike Spooner]

Evans may of only been 20 years old but had six months of experience as a wireless operator on the White Star liner Cedric before moving on to Californian. The Cedric must of been a busy time for him as for on Californian long days doing very little. There is a story he or was given the wrong paper work for the Atlantic crossing. If that is the case they seem to be of a rush to set sail from London docks. So it comes back what was that cargo so important needed for America.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

Another function that is being overlooked is that many vessels, even if they did not carry passengers, were used to forward messages to/from other vessels as wireless sets had limited range. Think of it as forming part of a wireless network with moving and stationary parts.

 

[Mike Spooner]

If was the plan for wireless network between shipping companies it certainly prove it didn't work for Titanic. If only Evans got his message through to inform Titanic of the Californian position been surround in the icefield.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

wireless network between shipping companies

No. It was a wireless network of Marconi equipped vessels.

 

[Mike Spooner]

Marconi did dominate the North Atlantic business over the German Telefunken company.

 

[Steven Christian]

Marconi did dominate the North Atlantic business over the German Telefunken company.

It didn't really matter who dominated the market. The laws had been changed earlier that no company could refuse the messages of other companies. It was a case that Marconi lost.

Another function that is being overlooked is that many vessels, even if they did not carry passengers, were used to forward messages to/from other vessels as wireless sets had limited range. Think of it as forming part of a wireless network with moving and stationary parts.

Well not by everybody. See post No. 11 in this thread. Cheers all

 

[Julian Atkins]

As to the cost to the Marconi Co of employing Evans at £4 per month, a very rough approximation by me (based on messages sent by Carpathia that were charged/paid for by passengers) is that Evans would only need to send say 8 chargeable messages a month to cover his monthly salary.

 

[Mike Spooner]

OK we may have covered Evans cost. Still leaves that nagging question why they had to do the crossing in the first place, and how convenient that the manifesto was lost to. As there where still 54 crew members with the running cost of ship to be paid for.

 

[Steven Christian]

OK we may have covered Evans cost. Still leaves that nagging question why they had to do the crossing in the first place, and how convenient that the manifesto was lost to. As there where still 54 crew members with the running cost of ship to be paidcarri.

England at that time according to economists was an export economy. England exported many commedies that were in demand. Textiles, steel. Many goods. Of course that all changed with the outbreak of WW1. They became an import economy. No conspiracy with the Californian. She could have been carryring anything. Cotton sheets or one of my favorites. Lea & Perriins. Cheers.

 

[Julian Atkins]

It was very expensive to send a Marconigram message on a ship as a passenger in 1912. Even if you were a survivor of Titanic you still had to pay for what would become a telegram to loved ones that you were alive. Officer Pitman’s message “Safe Bert” cost him (sorry, but the copy in Booth p. 72 is faint in respect of the charges section on the original form) appears to be 13 shillings and 11 pence.

As an aside, in Booth ‘Titanic Signals of Distress’ we have much valuable information from original Marconigrams. One point I had never noticed previously before considering in greater detail the charges for messages today is that Cottam on the Carpathia clearly had difficulty working out the charges as they exist as ‘working out’ examples in the right hand margin in the originals in Booth. He is having difficulty adding up the charges. This strongly suggests to me primary source documentary evidence of Harold Cottam becoming absolutely exhausted a day or so into the disaster. He hasn’t even probably got his date stamp moved on correctly.

 

[Julian Atkins]

Pitman’s pithy Marconigram

 

[Julian Atkins]

At this stage Cottam on the Carpathia is using the same edition of the Marconigram pads as Evans on The Californian… top left printed “Form No. 1 - 100 - 18.5.11”

(Hint to Arun!)

 

[ProudScot]

It may have been used for the crew to send messages? Maybe they're messages were deducted from they're pay, or something like that?

 

[Mike Spooner]

I bet captain Stanley Lord wish he never had a wireless operator on board! Where he would of never get tangled up with the Titanic disaster and land up been held responsible for those died. Moral of the story don't have a wireless operator on board.

 

[Mike Spooner]

So why did Californian have a wireless operator in the first place? After all captain Lord had been successfully sailing ships for years without a wireless. Just like so many other captains to. Was this the must have technology of the day! were they didn't have the fullest amount of trust in.