Titanic A Trio of Captains: In Charge, Took Charge, Discharged

Bravery and bad judgment. Boldness and blunders. Courage and cowardice. Heroism and heartache.

Captain E. J. Smith, Commodore of the White Star Line and highly regarded as the “Millionaires Captain,” was in charge of the world’s largest and most luxurious ship. Entrusted with the Titanic’s maiden voyage, Smith soon discovered that fate intervened in the form of an iceberg, and the grand ship sat mortally wounded in the icy Atlantic.

The airwaves, alive with distress calls sent out in the hope of an at-sea rescue, reached the Carpathia. This modest Cunard passenger ship and Captain Arthur Rostron took charge of the situation. Responding to the frantic SOS messages, he and his ship sped to the Titanic’s aid, rescued the survivors, and carried them to safety.

Captain Stanley Lord and the Californian sat motionless beside the nearby ice floe. Questionable decisions and outright errors kept them exactly where they were, and the ship never came to the Titanic’s assistance. Faulted for his lack of judgment, the captain found himself discharged from his position with the Leyland Line.

A brief moment in history took a trio of captains, intertwined them, and changed their lives forever. This is their story.