Welcome Aboard the Titanic Gazette!

The TITANIC was a ship; a ship of life, and a ship of death. A ship of dreams and a ship of luxury. The most famous and beautiful ship of all time. The largest ship in the world sailing in grandeur. A masterpiece of skill, architecture, and wealth. The safest ship in the world TITANIC with 2,000 staterooms and over 50 public rooms carrying 2,200 on board struck an iceberg God-made and sank with 1,500 innocent souls still on board. Thus the TITANIC, soon to be a thing of yesterday's fame and glory, went down into immortality. And there it shall remain in the hearts and minds of future generations. Here, you'll be able to explore the ship and meet the people that were on board.

I thank you for visiting this site in commemoration to those on board, and I hope you leave a comment on how I can improve or what I can add to this blog. Furthermore, please link your blog to mine. I wish that everyone knows the true stories about this disaster, and about the 'Ship of Dreams'.

For those of you on Facebook, feel free to join my Titanic Gazette fanpage:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=104185012946518 For those that have inquired about my ebooks/unit studies on the Titanic, I have 2 of them. One is a FULL version and can last over a year long period. It covers every single thing you can think of about the Titanic and has activities, books and info for everyone, but for schools, K-12. Here's the link to download it: Titanic Full version. For those not wanting to spend as much of an indepth time as the full version, can use the "mini" version that can be done over a period of several weeks. Here's that link: Titanic Mini Unit

101 Years Ago Today: April 14

On this day, Titanic was steaming ahead.  She had church services in her respective classes and then a lovely afternoon.  At dinner, in 1st class, the Wideners held a party in the A La Carte Restaurant in honor of Captain Smith with the creme of the crop there.  At 11:40 P.M., Fred Fleet spotted the iceberg.  The crew of the Titanic tried to miss the berg, but it was too close.  She hit and damaged more watertight than she could handle.  Titanic from that point on was doomed.

101 Years Ago Today: April 12

101 years ago today, Titanic arrived at her final port, Queenstown.  She took on mostly Steerage passengers including Daniel Buckley.  It is rumored that when some salesmen came on board to sell their goods, John Jacob Astor spent a good deal on some goods.  Some people disembarked here like Father Browne with his camera and some of the only known photographs of the Titanic interiors.  Like Cherbourg, the docks in Queenstown were too small for the Titanic and so a tender had to bring the passengers, cargo, and mail on board.  At the appointed time, Titanic left Queenstown.  It was the last time that Titanic and 1,496 people on board would see land again.

101 Years Ago Today, April 10

101 years ago today, Titanic set sail from Southampton on her maiden and final voyage. Thomas Andrews and J. Bruce Ismay were the first passengers on board. Among those also boarding at were the Strauses and Archibald Gracie in 1st class, Annie Funk and Kate Bussin 2nd class, and the Deans and Goodwins in 3rd class. It was a cloudy day, but that didn't hamper the excitement much as the largest and most luxurious ship ever built set sail, bringing pride to the hearts of the British and Irishmen. As the Titanic was leaving, the suction from the enormous liner caused the SS New York's cables to snap and her stern to be drawn towards the Titanic. The collision was avoided by the will of providence and Captain Smith's quick thinking. For the rest of the voyage, the near collision was the subject of many conversations.  Afterwards, Titanic stopped at Cherbourg, France. None of the docks in that port would fit the Titanic. The passengers, mail, and cargo therefore had to be ferried on smaller boats. Among those that boarded were John Jacob Astor and his pregnant wife Madeline, Benjamin Guggenheim and his party, the Laroche family, and Margaret Brown who would later be known as the "Unsinkable Molly Brown".

Review-On Board R.M.S. Titanic: Memories of the Maiden Voyage

In late 2012, another fantastic book by Titanic historian George Behe was published called "On Board R.M.S. Titanic:  Memories of the Maiden Voyage."  The book is a collection of letters and postcards by passengers and crew written before and after the sinking of the Titanic, describing their experiences and feelings.  The letters have been preserved as best as he could, even with the spelling and grammatical errors. At the end, we can see photographs of some of the people that wrote the letters in the book and photographs of the ship itself.  Many of the photographs are from George Behe's own collection.

I cannot praise this book enough.  It is a fabulous and in fact one of the best ways to know exactly what it was like to be on board the Titanic and then see her sink.  You get to read as the passengers go on and on about their experiences and their wonder at this fantastic new ship.  Then, you get to read letters afterwards as they give their chilling accounts about Titanic's last moments.  The many of the letters are for the rare and some had never been published before.  Some were even written in other languages and then translated.  One thing I love about it is that because all the letters were copied exactly, you get truth and inaccuracies mixed in and George leaves it up to you to decide what's true and what's not.  The spirit is virtually the same though, as they recall their wonder and horror as they experience the great liner's maiden voyage and death.  It is definitely a treasure and deserves to be a staple in any Titaniac's collection.

If you wish to purchase the book, you may get it from the following links:

http://www.amazon.com/On-Board-RMS-Titanic-Memories/dp/0752483064

http://books.telegraph.co.uk/BerteShopWeb/viewProduct.do?ISBN=9780752483061

http://www.tower.com/on-board-rms-titanic-george-behe-paperback/wapi/117934294

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11386517-on-board-rms-titanic

Did The Band Play On?

In books, plays, films, and stories about the Titanic, one story is told in nearly every one of them and that is the story of the Titanic's band, bravely and nobly played "Nearer My God To Thee" as water is coming up and everyone else is struggling for survival all around them.  Did they really do this?  Did they play "Nearer My God To Thee" as many believe?  Or was it "Autumn", as some others believe.  In this post, I hope to examine and determine what happened that night to the best of my abilities.

There are some things we do know about the band.  They were actually two separate bands which played in different parts of the ship at different times.  They likely combined into one band during the sinking.  Wallace Hartley was the bandleader.  We know that they played during the sinking.  No survivor has discounted that story.  We also know that at some point, they played in the Lounge at first (Jack Thayer's account) and then moved on the Boat Deck level of the Grand Staircase where there was a Steinway piano.   Eventually, they did move outside to the Boat Deck.  Beyond that, survivor's accounts vary.  Since none of the members of the band survived, we will never know what exactly happened.  However, I will do my best to answer the questions that have been debated using eyewitness testimonies and a little speculation on my part.

The first question is, did the band play on until the bitter end?

Two detractors that I know of are 1st class passengers Archibald Gracie and A.H. Barkworth.  Gracie said in one of his speeches that he saw the band lay down their instruments.  Barkworth said in a newspaper account, "The next time I passed where the band had been stationed, the members of it had thrown down their instruments and were not to be seen. But I shall never forget the fierce jarring notes of that waltz they played.”

The supporters of the claim were Harold Bride, Helen Churchill Candee, Frank Prentice, Thomas Ranger, and Edward Brown.

Harold Bride gave an interview while he was on the Carpathia and said, "...the band was still playing. I guess all of the band went down. They were playing Autumn then. I swam with all my might. I suppose I was 150 feet away when the Titanic on her nose, with her after-quartet sticking straight up in the air, began to settle - slowly.... the way the band kept playing was a noble thing..... and the last I saw of the band, when I was floating out in the sea with my lifebelt on, it was still on deck playing Autumn. How they ever did it I cannot imagine. That, and the way Phillips (the senior wireless operator) kept sending after the Captain told him his life was his own, and to look out for himself, are two things that stand out in my mind over all the rest..." 

1st class steward Edward Brown talked about the band during the British Inquiry and said:

“There is one other matter I want you to tell us about as you were on the ship to the end. Do you know what the Band were doing at the last?”

“I do not remember hearing the band stop playing. They were playing for a long time, but I do not remember hearing them stop.”

“Where would the band be gathered; where would they play, do you know?”

“Right on the forward companion on the very top - on the boat deck forward companion.”

“Were they playing at the time when you were dealing with this collapsible boat from the top of the Officers' quarters?”

“Yes.”

“Up to as late as that your memory serves you?”

“Yes, they were playing then.”

The next question I would like to address is, what was the last song played?

Junior Wireless Operator Harold Bride said, "From the aft came the tunes of the band. It was a ragtime tune, I don't know what. Then there was 'Autumn'. Phillips ran aft and that was the last time I ever saw him." 

Barkworth said, "The next time I passed where the band had been stationed, the members of it had thrown down their instruments and were not to be seen. But I shall never forget the fierce jarring notes of that waltz they played.”

Gracie mentioned that he only heard light waltzes and ragtime. 

There are many more that said that the last song was NMGTT including Frank Prentice, Eva Hart, Esther Hart, Helen Churchill Candee, Edwina Troutt, Edward Brown, and Jacob Gibbons.

The final question I would like to address is, if it was "Nearer My God To Thee", what version did they play?

There were three versions:

"Bethany" was written in 1856 by Lowell Mason and was used in James Cameron's 1997 film.  It has been the most used version of the hymn.

"Horbury" was written in 1861 by John Dykes and was used in "A Night To Remember".

"Propior Deo" was written in 1872 by Andrew Sullivan and has never been used in any film.  It was used mainly by British Methodists and was likely sung by Wallace Hartley, the bandleader and a Methodist, while he was growing up. 

Conclusions:

The band played on.  The fact that Harold Bride was in close proximity (about 50 feet away) and he heard them when he came out at 2:17 A.M. pretty much proves that point.  Then factor in that the passengers and crew also heard them.  Titanic historian George Behe suggests that when Gracie and Barkworth saw the band put down their instruments, they may have been going down to their cabins and getting their lifebelts since it was noted by one passenger early on that they had no lifebelt and later it was noted by another passenger that they did.  They played until about 2:18 A.M. when the ship began her final plunge and water came up to where they were.  At about that point, it is likely that went their separate ways to their fates.  It wasn't as late as Bride said because they were swept away about at the same time as Bride landed in the water.  Bride may have either just not remembered or thought he heard them which really would have been the tune going on in his head.  That water was pretty cold so, who knows what Bride was thinking.  It would have diminished his senses greatly.

The question of what song they played has been the subject of much debate.  It has been suggested that since Harold Bride was in such close proximity as opposed to the others who were either watching and listening from the safety of the lifeboats or much further aft towards the stern, he must be right.  I am not so sure.  In the area where Bride was, there was much shouting and screaming as water was flooding the Promenade Deck one deck below and there were also sounds of the creaking and moaning of the ship.  It would have been pandemonium and chaos.  Bride likely heard a few notes that the band was playing clearly.  Ever since Walter Lord speculated that the Bride was really playing the ragtime "Songe d'Automne" in "The Night Lives On", many people have accepted that that is what Bride meant.  I respectfully disagree.  "Autumn" was also a popular hymn during that time.  Pretty much everyone went to church at that time and Bride would have almost certainly heard it during some of the services.  When you listen to it, the tune sounds very similar to "Nearer My God To Thee".  Since so many said that it was "Nearer My God To Thee" (even though some of them may have said that that was the last song because others said so), I believe that Bride barely heard it over the confusion and noise, would not have concentrated, and assumed that it was "Autumn".  Those in the boats, however, would have been able to concentrate on what they were hearing and seeing.  The water was pretty calm, almost like a lake.  That would have allowed the sound to carry further.  To add to the evidence of my belief that it was NMGTT, Hartley was asked shortly before he went on the Titanic if he was ever on a sinking ship, what would he play.  Hartley replied that he would play either "O God Our Help in Ages Past" or "Nearer My God To Thee" (which was one of his favorites).  It has been said that NMGTT would have caused panic, but Hartley once said, “ I know he often said that music was a bigger weapon for stopping disorder than anything on Earth."  NMGTT would have brought people to their knees as they prepared for eternity and since nearly everyone was in some way religious, would have brought comfort in knowing that they were about to meet their Savior.

The version has been confusing to me.  Honestly, I would like a scene where he played as his final song the version he heard growing up, but it wasn't a popular version.  I doubt that the other bandmembers would have known it and not as many would have recognized it.  Therefore, I believe that it was "Bethany".  It was recognized by so many people and it was such a popular version that the other bandmembers would have very likely known it. 

You may or may not agree with me, but one thing is certain.  The band played to keep the spirits of the passengers and crew up as the ship went down and the lifeboats were loaded and lowered right in front of them.  They never made an effort to enter a lifeboat and had the well being of the passengers at the forefront of their minds, even if it cost them their lives.  All of them were true heroes and deserve the honor they have gotten.

If you want to research and draw your own conclusions, I recommend the following websites:

http://home.earthlink.net/~rlbroberg/Richard/NearerMyGodToThee/TheSoundOfMusic.html

http://home.comcast.net/~georgebehe/titanic/page3.htm

http://www.allthingsstrings.com/layout/set/print/News/Interviews-Profiles/Remembering-the-Spirit-of-the-Titanic-The-Band-That-Played-On/(page)/5

http://titanicpiano.blogspot.com/2012/03/barkworth-titanics-last-waltz.html

http://www.titanicberg.com/Wireless_Operator_Harold_Bride.html

Ismay: Hero or Coward

The actions of Joseph Bruce Ismay have fallen under much scrutiny in regards to the Titanic and he has been a favorite person to be made the villain ever since the sinking by newspapers, films, and books. It is my hope in this post to uncover the truth regarding what happened and why he is hated so much. J. Bruce Ismay was the son of Thomas Ismay, one of the founders of the White Star Line (WSL) which was a ship company. The WSL was bought by J.P. Morgan who was the owner of the International Mercantile Marine which had almost a complete monopoly on all companies that were using the North Atlantic run. J. Bruce Ismay followed in his father's footsteps and eventually became the Managing Director of the WSL. The Titanic was actually Ismay's vision from the beginning. He and Lord Pirrie who owned Harland & Wolff, the ship building company that built nearly all of the WSL's ships, were talking after dinner and the two came up with a plan to construct three new ships that were bigger and more luxurious than any ship that had ever been built. Soon after that, they began making plans and Ismay ordered the three new ships. The Olympic was first built and it was very popular. Ismay went on board as the representative of the WSL for the maiden voyage as he often did and I would think was impressed with her. The Titanic came next. One thing that is not generally realized about Ismay is that he was a very shy man. He was in reality a kind and caring gentleman when you got to know him, but with WSL, he was devoted to the success of his father's company which has caused some to view him as arrogant or difficult to deal with. He may very well have been arrogant, but he pretty much had a right to be. His company was building such wonderful ships. Contrary to popular belief that the Titanic disaster forced him to retire, he put in his notice that he would resign around the time the third ship, Britannic, would launched in January of 1912, 4 months before the Titanic set sail. It is true that he had 20 lifeboats put on board rather than 64. However, you need to put yourself in his shoes. He was a man who was trying to sell passage on his ships rather than anyone else's and you had these "unsinkable" ships which even if they did sink, would have sunk so slowly that there would have been enough time to ferry people between the ships and shore or another ship. In looking back, it was a stupid move. But back then, it seemed like a good decision. When the Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912, Ismay was one of the first passengers on board, having stayed at a hotel near by and boarded at about 9:30 A.M. During the voyage, he would socialize with the 1st class passengers. Because he had sailed with many of them on previous vessels, he was one of the most well known passengers on board. He stayed in one of the best suites on board which encompassed B-52, B-54, and B-56. It was nicknamed the "Millionaire's Suite" because it included 2 bedrooms, a sitting room, and a private 50 foot long promenade deck.  It would cost $50,000 to stay in that room. It was originally supposed to be occupied by J.P. Morgan, one of the richest men in the world and the owner of the White Star Line, but he canceled at the last minute which allowed Ismay to occupy it instead. Passengers claimed that Ismay urged Captain Smith to increase the speed, which is against WSL policy. All WSL officers are required to sign a contract that they won't interfere with the way the ship is run and leave that to the captain. With this being reportedly Smith's last voyage, however, he didn't have much to lose. 1st class passenger Elizabeth Lines said that Ismay and Captain Smith were talking about it in the Reception Room. Ismay was talking loudly and Captain Smith just nodded. Ismay was reportedly urging Smith to increase the speed to get to New York early and make the headlines, adding in that he was just a passenger and that it was up to him. Such claims, I believe, are exaggerated. He admitted to asking about the possibility of increasing speed of Captain Smith and Chief Engineer Joseph Bell, but due to the policy, I think that he pushed Captain Smith to increase the speed. During lunch on April 14th, Captain Smith handed Ismay an ice warning. Ismay apparently showed it to other passengers because he was waving it in front of Mrs. Thayer and Mrs. Ryerson on the Boat Deck, explaining that they were nearing ice. Captain Smith eventually retrieved the message from Ismay. Looking back, we can easily say that it was idiocy to speed through ice. However, at that time, it was natural to try and get out of an area that had ice as fast as you could. Furthermore, you had the best and more experienced crew of the WSL. He showed it to 1st class passengers Marian Thayer and Emily Ryerson on the Promenade Deck and may have shown it to other passengers before Captain Smith asked for it back. Ismay generally ate his dinners at a table in one of the alcoves of the 1st class Dining Saloon except for the 12th in which he ate at Captain Smith's table and the 14th when he ate in one of the alcoves of the A La Carte Restaurant during a party held by the Wideners in honor of Captain Smith. He sat at the table on the Aft Starboard side. Afterwards, it is likely that he went with the rest of the gentlemen to the 1st class Smoking Room a couple of decks above for a smoke and maybe a card game. Afterwards, he retired at about 10:00 P.M. At 11:40 P.M., the Titanic struck an iceberg. The collision caused the ship caused a slight shudder of the ship, but not too bad. It was enough to wake Ismay, though. He went out and inquired about what had happened. He went to the Bridge for the first time during the voyage and saw Captain Smith. Ismay asked, "Do you think that this ship is seriously damaged?" "I'm afraid she is", was the reply. That was enough for him. The order was given to rouse the passengers and lower the lifeboats. Ismay never bothered to into something warmer. I think that as the Managing Director of the White Star Line and one of the guys that came up with the idea, he felt some responsibility. He stayed on deck, helping women and children into the lifeboats and lowering away. He got so passionate in fact, that 5th Officer Lowe, not realizing who he was, harshly rebuked him and told him to stand back. Ismay continued following the officers, often Murdoch, and helping with the loading and lowering throughout the sinking. Now we've come to the point which is most controversial, Ismay's escape. It was 1:40 A.M. and Collapsible C, the last lifeboat on the Starboard side began its descent. The details, unfortunately, are not clear. Some said that the deck was clear and that there were no other passengers. Others said that there was a lot of people and that there was panic. I have always found it hard to believe that with all these stories of panic and with so many left on board, that the deck would be empty with the lowering of the second to last boat on that side with water 1-2 decks below. Jack Thayer mentioned a mass of people around the boat and so did Hugh Woolner. I think that they are right, despite other claims including those of Ismay. There may have been no other passengers (or women or children) in sight, but I find it difficult to believe that there were NO people around the boat. They began to lower the boat and as they lowered it, Ismay and another 1st class passenger, William Carter, got in. Carter from the get go said that they were asked to get in. Ismay on the other hand didn't say so at the inquiries but did admit privately that he was asked. Rowe said he didn't see them talking with any of the officers, but with all the confusion and voices it would be difficult to hear someone at that distance unless they yelled. Lightoller said that on the Carpathia (the rescue ship), Ismay told him, "Women and children went down, I should have gone down too." With this in mind, I think we can picture the scenario. Ismay was standing there, watching the boat go with Carter right beside him. Suddenly, a voice behind them says, "There are no more women on board this ship." Carter said that Wilde told them, "You can get in if you help row." Lightoller described Chief Officer Wilde as a big, powerful chap and the type of man that didn't argue long. Ismay and Carter, believing that the men could justifiably get into the lifeboat and following Wilde's orders, got in as Collapsible C was being lowered. Ismay rowed throughout the night. He looked back once at the Titanic, but then turned away and didn't look back again. He later said at the inquiry that he didn't care to see her go down. On board the Carpathia, Ismay, who already was a sort of reclusive type person, was so shaken up by the tragedy that he was given a room and hated when anyone bothered him. He left all the decisions up to Captain Rostron. He did, however, arrange via the wireless telegraph for a ship to be ready to take the crew back to England. When he got to America, however, he was issued a subpoena and ordered to remain in America for the duration of the Inquiry. Ismay was called to testify and did on days 1 and 11 in the American Inquiry. He was in fact the first one to testify. He later testified at the British Inquiries on days 16 and 17. In America, one man ruined his reputation forever. His name was Randolph Hearst and he was the newspaper magnate. He was a man who hated Englishmen and with such a sensational story as the Titanic tragedy, Hearst couldn't help targeting the one man he could blame and not be lamblasted due to accusing a man who died a hero (like Smith or Andrews) of being at fault. That one man he could blame was J. Bruce Ismay and he did so without mercy. He even nicknamed him, "J. Brute Ismay". He was portrayed as a coward that snuck into a lifeboat like a rat. He sold many newspapers and profited off Ismay's reputation's demise. The British Inquiry and people, on the other hand, was more lenient. The British Inquiry in speaking about Ismay said that if he had died, he would have been just another name on the list of the dead. That is true, considering that he took no woman or child's place. If I may add to that, he also provided some valuable and interesting facts that we likely wouldn't have if he had died that night. Ismay, after he retired, almost never spoke of the Titanic. He did write to Marian Thayer who was also on the Titanic, but his wife prohibited the mention of the Titanic in his presence. Apparently, the tragedy had affected him so much it was better to forget it than relive it. He donated his own money to help the victims of the Titanic disaster and still led a public life afterwards, serving on various boards, but was more withdrawn. It is a mistake to assume that he became a recluse because of the Titanic disaster. He was always that way. He was forced because of his job to be more public and social. The Titanic disaster probably did probably make him more anti-social, though. My conclusion is that he was a hero. He did make a bit of a nuisance of himself during the voyage and sinking of the Titanic. However, his intentions were good. He was simply the victim of circumstance. The portrayal of him in the numerous Titanic films have all been wrong and have made him out to be a cowardly fiend and scoundrel. The Ismay I see historically was a bit of an anti-social man who hid it from public view and was genuinely a kind-hearted man when you got to know him. Because of Hollywood, I don't think Ismay's career will ever recover. However, I hope that one day more people will realize his honorable and dutiful actions during the sinking and justifiable rescue.

Wallace Hartley's Violin Found?

Well folks, the Titanic community is abuzz today with the recent announcement that Hartley's violin has been positively identified and will go on tour and eventually make its way to the auction block. The violin is expected to make record sales because of its important part in the Titanic story. Everyone knows the story of the band standing on the Boat Deck and playing "Nearer My God to Thee" or "Songe D' Autumne". However, is this story true? It has been positively identified by Hartley biographer Steve Turner and Aldridge and Sons Auction House which has been dealing with Titanic related items for years. These are very highly respected authorities on the subject. However, there are a few things that have yet to be explained. They seem to have enough evidence that it belonged to Wallace Hartley. There is an inscription on it saying, "For Wallace on the occasion of our engagement from Maria", indicating that it was an engagement from Maria Robinson to Wallace Hartley. That is pretty good evidence that it belonged to Hartley (unless it was faked by someone that knows their stuff), but not enough to show that it was on the Titanic. There are water stains and damage, but that could be anything. It was in an attic for years, so it could have been under a leak. Someone could have even accidentally spilled water on it or made it look that way. The tests show that the corrosion is compatible with saltwater, but that still doesn't prove that it was on the Titanic. It's not too hard to age and damage a violin. In fact, the violin is in pretty good condition for having been in water for 10 days. With the way lifejackets are, the bodies would have floated in a reclined position and at least part of the violin would have been underwater at almost all times. The wood is not very warped or cracked (aside from 2 cracks created by moisture), considering it was supposedly in water for 10 days. On top of that, it was in an attic for many years. When you put a probably already damaged musical instrument like that in an attic, the changes in moisture and temperature for years without it being attended to will severely damage that instrument. There is also a vasile case with Hartley's initials that the violin was in. Of course, it could have been Hartley's but that doesn't mean it was on the Titanic. It actually makes me doubt it was on the Titanic because I don't see the logic behind him bringing a large vasile bag over a smaller violin case. I'm pretty sure that he didn't know that the ship was sinking until later in the sinking (Captain Smith was hesitant to tell anyone that the ship was sinking), that supposed decision doesn't make sense. There is a letter on notebook paper is a draft of two letters asking about her fiancee's violin and then on about a month later thanking that person for his intervention. It is written in pencil with eraser marks. The pencil doesn't appear to have been sharpened between the time she made her first entry and the second about a month later. The handwriting belongs to a woman who was not educated in today's public schools. Unfortunately, this does not prove anything. It could have been written by anyone. The biggest problem many researchers and I have is that there is no mention of a violin in any official records. The description of his body mentions other things like a cigar case and watch, but no description mentions a vasile case or violin, nor does anyone mention it on the Mackey Bennett, the ship that recovered his body. It is only until recently that the story came out. I am still a little open to the possibility of it being THE one that Hartley nobly played Nearer My God To Thee on until the ship went under with the rest of the band, but until there is more conclusive evidence, I am going say that it probably belonged to Hartley, but it doesn't look like it was played by Wallace Hartley on the deck of the sinking Titanic.

The Movements and Death of Captain Smith During the Sinking of the Titanic

The death of Captain Smith has been questioned and unknown since the night the Titanic sank.  There have been many accounts which differ on what happened to him.  Like the question of the officer's suicide which I posted about earlier, we will never.  However, we can come up with a conclusion of what likely happened based on what happened that night and by common ground among most of the survivors' testimonies.

What we do know is that Captain Smith was an experienced, able captain that had been in charge of the White Star Line's biggest and best ships for a while.  If the White Star Line had the rank of "Commodore", Captain Smith, would have that rank.  He had been at sea for 39 years without one ship from sinking from under him and only a few accidents.  He was a popular favorite with many millionaires who preferred to sail under him which earned him the nickname, "Millionaire's Captain".  2nd Officer Charles Lightoller described him as a man with a commanding presence but had an unexpectedly quiet voice.  As the Titanic was passing the docks of Southampton, the stern of the S.S. New York was drawn to the Titanic by her suction and Captain Smith gave orders that prevented a collision.  It has been suggested that this was going to be his last voyage.

On the 13th of April, Elizabeth Lines said that she overheard a conversation between Captain Smith and J. Bruce Ismay (the managing director of the White Star Line).  According to Lines, Ismay pressed Ismay to speed up the ship and Captain Smith said nothing.  He merely nodded.

He usually had his dinners at a small table in the 1st class Dining Saloon but on Titanic's last night, he dined in the A La Carte Restaurant where the Wideners were having a party in his honor.  He sat in at a table towards the Starboard side of the ship in an alcove at the same table as the Wideners, Thayers, and Carters.

It is not clear where Captain Smith exactly was when the Titanic struck the iceberg.  He came onto the Bridge rather quickly asking what they had struck.  It is possible that he was in his sitting room and when the iceberg struck and when he felt the collision and rushed immediately to the Bridge.  "What have we struck?" he asked.  "An iceberg, sir," Murdoch replied.  Murdoch then gave him the brief rundown of what had just happened.  Smith rushed to the Starboard wing of the Bridge where he hoped to see the iceberg but saw nothing.  He then turned to 4th Officer Boxhall and ordered him to inspect the ship.  He also turned to Quartermaster Alfred Olliver who was on the Bridge at that time and ordered him to tell the carpenter to sound the ship.  While they were gone, Chief Officer Wilde who had been inspecting the bow came up to Captain Smith and told him what two crew members told him, that air was escaping in the Forepeak Tank (which meant that water was flooding the Tank Top).  The carpenter was already in the process of sounding the ship when Olliver got to where he was and returned to the Bridge.  As soon as he got there, Captain Smith ordered him to give Chief Engineer Joseph Bell a message which was written down on paper.  When it was delivered, Bell said that it would be done as soon as possible.  We may never know what was in that message, although I suspect that it may have been an order to put out the fires in the boilers to prevent a thermal explosion.  Olliver returned to the Bridge and delivered Bell's reply to Captain Smith and Chief Officer Wilde immediately after that ordered him to help the other crew members with the lifeboats.  Boxhall, while Olliver was delivering the message to Bell, returned to the Bridge.  Possibly feeling that the inspection was too quick, Captain Smith ordered him back down to ask the ship's carpenter to sound the ship (perhaps to make sure that the carpenter was doing his job or get another one to do the same thing).  On his way down, Boxhall ran into one of the carpenters who said that the ship was making water.  The carpenter continued his ascent to the Bridge where he reported what was happening to Captain Smith.  Boxhall continued down where he ran into one of the mail clerks (John Smith) who said that the mail hold was full and asked where the captain was.  Boxhall told him, "On the Bridge".  Boxhall then said, "Well, you go and report it to the captain and I will go down and see."  Boxhall proceeded and found the mail hold filling and the mail clerks hard at work to save the mail.  Boxhall went back up to the Bridge and reported what he found to Captain Smith.  

While he was waiting for the Boxhall and Olliver to return, J. Bruce Ismay, the managing director of the White Star Line, showed up, having been awakened by the impact of the collision.  He asked Captain Smith what they had struck and he told him.  "Do you think the ship is seriously damaged?" Ismay asked.  "I'm afraid so," said Smith.

When Captain Smith learned that water was coming in, he called for Thomas Andrews, the ship's designer, to inspect the ship.  While he was waiting for Andrews (whose cabin was just of the Aft Grand Staircase towards the stern) to get there, Captain Smith went into the Wireless Room which was down the hall from the Bridge near the Officer's Quarters and told the Marconi Operators that they had struck an iceberg and that they had better get ready to send out the call for help.  At that time, Jack Phillips was at the key and Harold Bride who had just woken up was begging Phillips to go to bed.  Andrews got to the Bridge and the two of them along with several officers went down below decks and inspected the ship.  Both of them inspected the ship for about 3 compartments and then Captain Smith went up to the Bridge while Andrews continued the inspection.  Andrews ran up the Grand Staircase upon learning the terrible fate of the ship and informed Captain Smith on the Bridge that the damage was too much for the ship to handle and that she was going down.

In and interview before the Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage, someone asked the Captain Smith if the courage and bravery of seamen in the face of death like the stories of old.  Captain Smith answered, "If a disaster like that to the Birkenhead happened, they would as those men go down."  What he said then was being put to the test now.

From that time on, Captain Smith was unusually indecisive and cautious, yet still active.  It is safe to say that he was in shock that this was happening.  He put so much confidence in these ships and was so sure of himself.  Only a few years before, he said, "I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern ship building has gone beyond that."  He was on what was said to be his last voyage before retiring.  He never had a ship sink from under him during his whole career.  Why should this voyage of all the ships and voyages he's commanded go wrong like this?
Captain Smith seems to have gone from one side to the other, initially supervising the preperation and launching of the lifeboats.

After they were done readying the lifeboats on the Port side, Captain Smith and 2nd Officer Lightoller were standing near one boat and either Smith or Lightoller made the comment that the sails and masts would have to be removed from the boats (I think this was to make more room for people).  The person speaking then turned to 1st class passenger Maj. Arthur Peuchen and said, "You might give us a hand".  Peuchen did just that.

While they were lowering Boat No. 6, Quartermaster Hichens who was in charge of the lifeboat had Lightoller who was directing everything to stop lowering the boat which at that point was almost level with C Deck.  He complained about not being able to manage the lifeboat with one sailor (Lookout Fleet).  Lightoller asked for volunteers and Peuchen stepped forward saying,  "Can I be of any assistance? I am a yachtsman, and can handle a boat with an average man."  Lightoller agreed to let him in.  At this point, Captain Smith who was with Lightoller advised Peuchen saying, "You had better go down below and break a window and get in through a window, into the boat."  Peuchen didn't think that that was feasible and so he instead swung himself down on a rope.  This advise from Smith was surprisingly bad.  It would indicate that he was in shock and not thinking clearly.

Boxhall after helping with the boats a little went and got distress rockets.  Both he and Quartermaster Rowe fired rockets, hoping to attract the attention of a ship whose lights were seen in the distance.  Boxhall pointed out the ship in the distance to Captain Smith and he remained with them throughout most of the time that they were signalling.  The steamer seemed to be coming towards them and when it looked like it came close enough, they also got out the Morse lamp and Captain Smith said to him, "Tell him to come at once, we are sinking".  All efforts to contact the ship proved fruitless, unfortunately.  When they had sent off the last rocket they would send that night, Captain Smith told Rowe to get into Collapsible C which was being loaded at that time.  He was put in charge of it.  Boxhall went over to the Port side and assisted with loading and lowering of more boats.  We next find Captain Smith standing in the entrance of the wheelhouse, apparently supervising the loading and lowering of the boats.  Boxhall went up to him and Captain Smith, referring to Boat No. 2, said, "You must get into that boat and get away."  Boxhall did as he was commanded and escaped the sinking liner.

Captain Smith seems to have gone around the ship for the last half hour to release the crew from their duties and save themselves.  He must have started with the Marconi Room.  Bride said that Captain Smith came in and told them, "Men, you have done your full duty.  You can do no more.  Abandon your cabin.  Now it's every man for himself."  

After he went out of the Marconi Room, he crossed through his quarters for the final time and came out to the Starboard side on the Bridge. On his way out, he stopped and had a final brief word with Thomas Andrews.  Mess Steward Cecil Fitzpatrick mentioned that they conversed on the Bridge while he was going help those on Collapsible A.  

He went out to where they were working on getting Collapsible A down from the roof of the Officer's Quarters.  According to Steward Edward Brown, Captain Smith told them, "Well boys, do your best for the women and children, and look out for yourselves."  

He walked across the Bridge to  the other side where he relayed the same message to the crew on the Port side where they had just gotten Collapsible B down.  Fireman James McGann said,  “I was helping to get off a collapsible boat. The last one launched when the water began to break over the bridge on which Captain Smith stood.  When the water reached Captain Smith's knees and the last boast was at least 20 feet away from the ship, I was standing beside him.  He gave one look all around, his face firm and his lips hard set. He looked as if he was trying to keep back the tears, as he thought of the doomed ship. I felt mightily like crying as I looked at him.  Suddenly he shouted: 'Well boys, you've done your duty and done it well. I ask no more of you. I release you. You know the rule of the sea.  It's every man for himself now, and God bless you'.''  2nd class passenger W.J. Mellors said, Captain Smith jumped from the Bridge and said to the officers and crew, "You have done your duty, boys.  Now every man for himself."  There are several accounts which vary on the exact last words that Captain Smith said, but they are basically the same which gives credibility to these stories and makes it almost certain that he spent his final moments on board there.

Edward Brown in his account mentioned that Captain Smith had a megaphone in his hand. It is possible that he used it on the Port side which would be why he was heard by so many there but he didn't use it on the Starboard side which would be why not as many people heard him (and the fact that they were trying to launch the a two ton boat on that possible as soon as possible).

Being so recognizable with his white beard and so famous, it is not surprising that so many people mentioned him in the last moments.  Unfortunately, we don't know exactly what happened to him.  After he released his the people on board, nearly all of the survivors' accounts say that he stayed on the Port side near the Bridge.  What happened after that is a mystery.  2nd Officer Lightoller said mentioned in the American Inquiry that he briefly saw Captain Smith cross the Bridge headed for the Port side.  Harold Bride said, "I now assisted in pushing off a collapsible lifeboat (Collapsible B), which was on the port side of the forward funnel, onto the boat deck. Just as the boat fell I noticed Captain Smith dive from the bridge into the sea."  James McGann said, "He held the child under one arm as he jumped into the sea and endeavored to reach the nearest lifeboat with the child.  I took the other child in my arms as I was swept from the bridge deck.  When I was compelled to release my hold on the child, and I am satisfied that the same thing happened to Captain Smith.  I had gone down to the bridge deck to assist in lowering a collapsible boat.  The water was then coming over the bridge, and we were unable to launch the boat properly.  It was overturned and was used as a life raft, for some thirty of us, mostly firemen, clinging to it.  Captain Smith looked as though he was trying to keep back tears as he thought of the doom of the ship."  1st class passenger Robert Daniel said, "I saw Captain Smith on the bridge. My eyes seemingly clung to him. The deck from which I had leapt was immersed. The water had risen slowly, and was now to the floor of the bridge. Then it was to Captain Smith’s waist. I saw him no more. He died a hero."

I suspect that because he was seen near the Bridge when water was coming up,  that he went down at the wheel as so many captains of sinking ships are heroically portrayed.  I don't believe that Captain Smith went down in the Bridge.  Many people that were in the area said that he leaped into the sea.  Archibald Gracie, 2nd Officer Lightoller, and Jack Thayer seem to be the main witnesses on what happened next but they didn't see Captain Smith after that.  However, Gracie's account mentions that there were men on Collapsible B that said that they saw Captain Smith in the water.  There is a story that came out afterwards that said that Captain Smith gave a baby to those on the Collapsible B and when he was offered a place, he refused and swam away.  I doubt that this story is true because it seems that the baby would have died within seconds if not a couple of minutes after being in the water because it was so cold and the baby's body would not have adjusted well to the temperatures.  Many other stories also came out.  Some even said that he committed suicide (with the good Captain being so recognizable, if he had shot himself, there would be many credible witnesses saying that he killed himself if he did).

It appears that Cameron's film got the portrayal of Captain Smith wrong (even though Bernard Hill's acting was excellent).  He was in shock, but not incompetent.  He supervised the launching and lowering of the boats and did what he could to reach another ship.  He didn't stand around and do nothing like in Cameron's film.

My conclusion is that he died like a sailor.  During the sinking, he probably was in shock that such a thing as the Titanic's sinking could happen.  When water came up, I suspect that he didn't jump as some said, but instead intended to go down with the ship but was carried up by the water washing him off which might have given him the appearance of jumping off (Bride was after all about 40-60 feet away in the midst of chaos and very little light).  I also believe that with several survivors mentioning that Captain Smith was in the water, it is possible that he was seen by survivors either on their way to Collapsible B or while they were clinging to Collapsible B.  With it being so dark and so much going on, it is understandable why not many would see him.  Either way, he died like a man and sailor.  He did his duty and attempted to save as many lives as possible that were under his charge.  For that, he deserves a lot of respect and honor.

An Officer's Suicide?

Since the Titanic sank, many experts have debated and examined accounts of the claim that an officer committed suicide.  The debate intensified when the Titanic 1996 miniseries and Titanic 1997 showed 1st Officer Murdoch shooting 3rd class passengers that were attempting to rush Collapsible A in panic and then in a knee-jerk act of desperation, shot himself.  This portrayal was viewed as showing him to be cowardly and unmanly.  While it is every Titaniac's dream to find out exactly who committed suicide, nobody will ever know.  However, we can put forward the most likely candidate by using a process of elimination and either crediting or discrediting the witnesses.  It's also worth trying to answer the question almost everyone is really asking, was Cameron's portrayal of Murdoch accurate?

There were 4 officers in the area of the suicide.  They were Captain Smith, Chief Officer Wilde, 1st Officer Murdoch, and 6th Officer Moody.  All of them have been suggested (some more than others) as the ones that committed suicide.  First, we need to look at the lives of each of these men to determine which had the most motive.

Captain Edward John Smith had led a long and glorious career as a seaman, never having a ship sinking from under him before.  He started out at sea at the age of 13 and rose the rank of Captain.  He became so well liked by the wealthy and influential that he was nicknamed the "Millionaire's Captain" and eventually started getting the command of the White Star Line's biggest and best ships.  He had previously captained the Olympic, Titanic's older sister ship.  It is said that he planned to retire after the Titanic's maiden voyage.  During the Titanic's voyage, he under the pressure of J. Bruce Ismay sped up the Titanic.  It was quite normal, however, to try and get your ship out of an ice field as soon as possible at that time.  With him being such an experienced sailor, this being his last voyage, and the Titanic being unsinkable (he undoubtedly believed that the Titanic was unsinkable), there was a very slim chance that the Titanic would sink.  When she struck the iceberg, he was in his quarters and rushed out when he either heard or felt the collision.  After learning the news an hour later that the Titanic was doomed, he was in shock until the final plunge.  However, he was still with it enough to order the evacuation and to manage the attempts to contact a rescue ship.  It is unclear what happened to him.  Some say he went into the bridge.  Others say he dived into the sea from the bridge. There is one story that says that he rescued a baby and put it onto Collapsible B but refused to get on himself.  Still others say that he shot himself.

Chief Officer Henry Tingle Wilde like everyone started at sea as a young man and rose up in the ranks an officer in the White Star Line.  In 1910, Wilde's wife and twin infant sons died probably of Scarlet Fever.  From that time on he would mention how he would like to be reunited with his wife.  However, he did have 4 children and a sister that he cared for.  Wilde was formerly on the Olympic and was probably going to stay on when Captain Smith was transferred, but the White Star Line decided to take Chief Officer Wilde on to the Titanic.  This demoted Murdoch who was going to be Chief Officer to 1st Officer and Lightoller from 1st Officer to 2nd Officer.  It also bumped David Blair who was going to be the 2nd Officer off the ship.  Before he left on the Titanic, he wrote a letter to his sister in which he stated that, "I still don't like this ship... I have a queer feeling about it".  The voyage for Wilde was uneventful for the most part.  He was relieved from being the Officer of the Watch on April 14 by Lightoller.  What he did next is unknown.  He was near the bow at the time of the collision, however, probably checking around, making sure everything was all right when the iceberg struck.  He ran into two men that said that the ship was flooding and air was escaping from the bow.  Realizing that the ship might have been damaged, he went up to the Bridge.  On his way there, he ran into stokers and firemen that were rushing up from the lower decks.  He ordered them back down.  He made it to the Bridge and he, Captain Smith, and Thomas Andrews inspected the lower decks.  Andrews afterwards explained that the ship was doomed.  Captain Smith then went up and ordered all the boats to be uncovered.  Wilde assisted in doing so.  Lightoller, having done as ordered, went up to Wilde to ask if he should swing the boats out.  Wilde said not to.  Lightoller then saw Captain Smith and asked the same question.  Captain Smith gave him the go-ahead.  Afterwards, Lightoller asked Wilde if he should load the boats with women and children.  Wilde again said no, and Lightoller again went over and asked  Captain Smith the same question.  Captain Smith gave Lightoller the go-ahead.  It is possible that Wilde thought that he thought that a ship would be coming soon and it was best not to let them freeze for a long time since the ship would probably last a long while or possibly he just wanted to prevent a panic.  The reasons will never be known.  His exact whereabouts cannot be reconstructed throughout the sinking because he is rarely mentioned by name in survivors' accounts.  It is known that he assisted in the loading and lowering of the lifeboats, however.  At one point, he stopped Lightoller where the firearms were kept.  Lightoller led him to where he stored the firearms when he was the 1st Officer.  The guns (which were Webley Mark III's)were given out to the officers.  It is very possible that Wilde seeing all these people and realizing the full reality of the situation that there simply weren't enough boats for everyone had the foresight to know that there very likely would have been a panic. He helped with the launch of Collapsible C which had Ismay and Carter, men that afterwards were branded to be cowards even though (as I will Lord willing discuss in a later post) their actions are justifiable.  Carter mentioned that both he and Ismay were told be Wilde that they could get in if they helped row and the two men got in.  Since Ismay failed to mention this, the reliability of this story is in question.  Both Gracie and Lightoller said that they last saw him working to launch Collapsible A when the water came up and swept him away.

1st Officer William McMaster Murdoch came from a seafaring family.  Both his father and grandfather were captains and William was well on his way to become one himself, following in their footsteps.  He first went to sea as an apprentice at the age of 15 and did very well.  Beginning in 1899, he served the White Star Line as an officer on their ships including the Medic, Arabic, Germanic, Oceanic, Majestic, and Olympic.  In 1903, while he was the 2nd Officer of the Arabic, a dark object loomed in the distance in front of them.  Officer Fox (a more senior officer) ordered "Hard-A-Port" and Murdoch ran in, telling him to keep on their course.  The two ships narrowly missed each other and it was said that if the Arabic which was brand new had done what Officer Fox ordered, the Arabic would have collided with the other ship.  In 1903, he met Ada Banks on the Runic enroute to Australia.  After a long distance relationship, they were married in  1907. On the Titanic, he was originally going to be the Chief Officer which was a promotion.  However, Wilde was brought on which brought Murdoch back down to being the 1st Officer.  On the night of April 14, he was the Officer of the Watch which meant that he was the most senior officer on the Bridge.  At 11:40 P.M., the bell in the crow's nest rang three times and the phone rang.  6th Officer Moody answered.  It was about this time that Murdoch saw the iceberg.  He ran in as Moody relayed the message that the iceberg was dead ahead.  Murdoch ordered Quartermaster Hichens to turn the ship Hard-a-Starboard, shut the watertight doors, and ordered the engines to be reversed.  These were the orders that Captain Smith had given before, when the S.S. New York narrowly missed the Titanic in Southampton and they worked, then.  Unfortunately, they didn't work.  In fact, reversing the engines made it worse and if Murdoch had gone straight, only one or two compartments would be damaged.  That likely wasn't on Murdoch's mind when he saw the iceberg and had to make split second decisions right then.  Captain Smith came onto the Bridge after the collision and Murdoch told him what had happened.  After it was confirmed that the ship was going down, Murdoch went into immediate action.  He helped to get the boats on the Starboard ready and then when the order was given to lower away, he worked as quickly as possible to fill and lower them.  He let men, women, and children in and didn't really enforce the "women and children first" rule strictly like Lightoller did.  He gave women and children top priority and if there was more room, men got to go.  He was more focused on filling and loading the lifeboats as quickly as possible.  Towards the end, the last lifeboat, Collapsible A, was still on the roof.  Murdoch and about 1-2 dozen men pushed the 2 ton boat off.  His last confirmed actions while he was alive was helping Wilde as the water came up to free Collapsible A from the davits.  About 2/3 of that survived owe their lives to the courage and dedication of Murdoch.

6th Officer James Paul Moody was the most junior officer on board.  He was the one that answered the phone when the iceberg was reported to the Bridge by Frederick Fleet in the crow's nest.  He helped Murdoch for most of the time during the sinking with loading the lifeboats.  The only peculiar thing Moody did that we know about was that he told 5th Officer Lowe, a more senior officer to get into a lifeboat.  It was customary for more senior officers to allow the more junior officers first dibs in the lifeboats.  He was last seen on the roof of the Officer's Quarters, helping Lightoller.  

Most of those that talk about a suicide from what they actually saw are credible and most of the accounts are from the Boat Deck, it is safe to say that an officer did indeed commit suicide despite what some have claimed.  There are two prominent accounts that attempt to discredit the suicide that are not very credible when you investigate further.  The first is from 1st class passenger Archibald Gracie.  He said in his book, "The Truth About the Titanic", "...Did either the Captain or the First officer shoot himself? Not withstanding all the current rumors and newspaper statements answering this question affirmatively, I have been unable to find any passenger or member of the crew cited as authority for the statement that either Captain Smith or First Officer Murdoch did anything of the sort. On the contrary, so far as relates to Captain Smith, there are several witnesses, including Harold S. Bride, the Junior Marconi operator, who saw him at the last on the bridge of his ship, and later, when sinking and struggling in the water. Neither can I discover any authentic testimony about First Officer Murdoch’s shooting himself. On the contrary, I find fully sufficient evidence that he did not. He was a brave and efficient officer and no sufficient motive for self-destruction can be advanced. He performed his full duty under difficult circumstances, and was entitled to praise and honor. During the last fifteen minutes before the ship sank, I was located at that quarter forward on the boat deck, starboard side, where Murdoch was in command and where the crew under him were engaged in the vain attempt of launching the Engelhard boat. The report of a pistol shot during this interval ringing in my ears within a few feet of me would certainly have attracted my attention, and later, when I moved astern, the distance was not so great as to prevent my hearing it." Gracie indicated previously that he didn't know Murdoch on sight, so that automatically diminishes his credibility on this subject.  Next, take into account that he was about 50-70 feet from the place where the shooting took place.  He was caught up in a mass of humanity which likely had yelling and screaming.  That plus the sounds of the water rushing up and groaning of the ship would have probably provided sufficient distractions that would block out the sounds of one or more gunshots.  Futhermore, Gracie relied heavily on his conversations with Lightoller (who we'll talk about next) and Harold Bride who for the most part stayed on the Port side.  

The other often cited account, that of 2nd Officer Lightoller, is the other most relied on detractor.  He was on the roof of the Officer's Quarters and helped to free Collapsible A after he got Collapsible B off.  According to him, the water rose up and swallowed 1st Officer Murdoch and Chief Officer Wilde.  He said something similar to Murdoch's widow, Ada.  Some have pointed out that Lightoller was a "company man".  It is known for certain that Lightoller lied about firing a gun in the air and possibly other things in the Inquiry.  He later admitted privately that someone he knew committed suicide.  He was good friends with both Murdoch and Wilde, having served with them before on previous vessels.  He was very loyal to his company and friends and a suicide in that society might have been viewed as cowardice which would give Lightoller enough motivation to adamantly deny a suicide in front of everyone at the Inquiries and comfort Murdoch's grieving widow.  However, his being adamant about Murdoch not committing suicide may suggest that he saw nothing and was too busy with everything to notice.  The sounds would have carried over the roof and he may have heard a gunshot, but not seen who did it.  His letter to Ada Murdoch indicates that he saw Murdoch trying to free Collapsible A from the davits, but didn't watch him for all that time.  I think that it is possible that he heard a gunshot but didn't see who it was which would lead him to believe that a friend (either Wilde or Murdoch since he indicated that he saw both working together) committed suicide but didn't know who did it.

Considering the facts, now let's eliminate the least likely candidates until we come up with one left.

There were several passengers that insisted the it was Captain Smith that committed suicide.  However, the people on the Boat Deck that claimed to see Captain Smith in his final moments said that Captain Smith was near the Bridge and some even said that he dived into the sea.   I will Lord willing talk about his death in a later post.  Needless to say, the reports that it was Captain Smith mostly came from those that were observing from some distance away.  It is safe to assume that it was not Captain Smith who was very recognizable with his white beard.  1st class passengers and crew would instantly recognize Captain Smith because he was such a popular figure and there would be more accounts from those that were actually on the Boat Deck that he shot himself if he did.  Instead, those that claimed it was Captain Smith must be assuming but due to the poor lighting and chaos all around which would have been a distraction, they must have assumed that it was Captain Smith.

6th Officer Moody almost certainly did not have a firearm in his possession unless he brought a personal one like 5th Officer Lowe did.  There is absolutely no motive that I can find for Moody to commit suicide with him doing his duty to fullest and not having anything that we know of that he did wrong.  Furthermore, Moody, according to Lightoller, was working on the Officer's Quarters which was not where the suicidal officer reportedly was.

Chief Officer Wilde is one of the more likely because of his wife and twins' deaths.  It is possible the Titanic disaster pushed him over the edge.  However, why would he willingly leave 4 children without someone to care for them?  Such a question continues to plague my mind when I think of him.  He was a dutiful and conscientious man who was level headed and clearly thought things through.  He showed that to be the case when he denied Lightoller permission at first to load and launch the boats probably because it might start a panic and had Lightoller get the guns which likely meant that he was anticipating people to rush the lifeboats.  Such contrary evidence largely eliminates Wilde from the equation.

This leaves 1st Officer William McMaster Murdoch as the officer that committed suicide.  Most survivors that mention the suicide and identify the shooter say that it was Murdoch.  Even those that say it was a Chief Officer may have meant that he was wearing a Chief Officer's uniform considering the fact he was demoted just before the voyage.  He had the motive.  He had a wife which I believe he did love.  However, there was the pressure of the moment.  I believe he did blame himself.  He was faced with the launch of Collapsible A which was 2 tons and he just pushed it off the Officer's Quarters.  2nd Officer Lightoller had fired shots minutes before with a rush of 3rd class passengers that had just gotten to the Boat Deck and were trying to rush Collapsible D.  He ordered everyone to the starboard to even out the ship which was listing about 9-10 degrees.  It didn't do much good, but some people apparently did go over to the Starboard side such as Archibald Gracie and Clinch Smith.  He by all accounts was working near the edge of the Boat Deck on te falls which would allow some of those in the boats to see him kill himself.  Now water was close to the Boat Deck and Collapsible A was the last lifeboat on the Starboard side.  It is understandable that the 3rd class passengers would have rushed the boat.  I would be surprised if the 3rd class passenger did not rush Collapsible A with most of the boats being gone, the spot where they were standing about to go under, and them just getting up from the lower decks.  Murdoch did have a gun.  He was handed one when Smith, Wilde, Lightoller, and Murdoch met for the guns to be dealt out.  I don't doubt that he shot his gun when passengers tried to rush Collapsible A.    Some said he shot at people who were trying to rush Collapsible A.  Then, with water coming up, Collapsible A in the care of Wilde, him likely blaming himself for the deaths of the people around him, and facing possible ruin, I do believe he pulled the trigger on himself.  Does that make him a coward or anything less than a hero?  No.  Do I think he was human with failings and misunderstandings?  Yes.  Murdoch's work towards getting as many people as possible off the ship was honorable.  He was a true man and gentleman with a sense of duty and responsibility.  As the grandson and son of captains, he knew full well the duty of a captain which I believe was likely instilled into him as a child.  If he blamed himself, it was misplaced.  He was not responsible for the death of the other 1,495 people that died that night.  However, this is us looking back at history.  Murdoch didn't have that advantage.  He acted on what he believed happened at that time.  He did his duty as set before him and with him being human, the stress and pressure likely got to be more than he thought he could bear and then he shot himself.  Murdoch was a hero for all he tried to do and did.  He is an inspiration to me for his dedication, heroism, and selflessness.

If you would like to examine the facts for yourself and draw your own conclusions, I recommend the link below which provides all the accounts mentioning and not mentioning an officers' suicide.  What I believe happened is the conclusion of myself and many researchers based on the accounts on this website:

http://wormstedt.com/Titanic/shots/shots.htm

In conclusion, was Cameron's portrayal of Murdoch accurate?  My answer is yes and no.  His portrayal was unfortunately misinterpreted and Cameron could have done better in his portrayal of Murdoch.  Cameron intended to show Murdoch as a hero that blamed himself, the same conclusion that I have drawn.  The bribe was misinterpreted as showing Murdoch as a person that cared about money.  He didn't.  It was supposed to show him being too busy to respond.  Furthermore, Cameron's apology to Murdoch's family and hometown has been viewed by some to mean that they willingly showed him to be a selfish coward.  Considering the facts above, I don't believe that.  I believe that it was just something to ease the tension and outrage the film's portrayal caused.  So many people like to rely on emotions and not on facts in interpreting history.  They want their hero to die launching Collapsible A and not shooting himself.  I'm not saying Murdoch's action was right.  I'm simply attempting to look at the facts without emotions tugging me one direction or the other.  What we want people to do and what they actually did is often times very different.  Cameron has made it obvious that he has great respect for Murdoch.  Every time he visits the wreck, he pays homage to Murdoch at Lifeboat Davit No. 1 where Murdoch died.  If he did it once, I'd say it was probably something to sooth the tension and anger over his portrayal of Murdoch.  But no.  He insisted of paying homage to Murdoch every time he visited the wreck.  May his courage, duty, and dedication never be forgotten.

I think Charlotte Colyer's words about Murdoch best describe him when she said, “He (Murdoch) was a masterful man, astoundingly brave and cool.  I had met him the day before, when he was inspecting the second-cabin quarters, and thought him a bull-dog of a man who would not be afraid of anything.  This proved true; he kept order to the last, and died at his post.  They say he shot himself.  I do not know.”