Cunard vs. White Star Line

For years, the Cunard and White Star line have gone head-to-head. The Cunard Line was started by Samuel Cunard and after his first ship, he built more and more putting others out of business. The White Star Line was started by Pinkerton and Trelfall and the company was given to many other business-men including J.P. Morgan. The two companies were trying to make their ships bigger, faster, and more luxurious ships. At one point, Cunard built the Lusitania and Maurentania which became the fastest (setting a record time across the Atlantic Ocean), largest, and most luxurious ships ever. That fame and glory lasted only two years when the White Star Line built three ships far bigger and more luxurious than the Lusitania and Maurentania. The three ship's names were the Olympic, TITANIC, and Gigantic. The Olympic was built and became world-famous. The TITANIC was built but as you know, she sank on her maiden voyage. The White Star Line renamed it's final sister Britannic. The Britannic was being constructed and the paneling was just beginning to be installed when his majesty's royal navy pressed the ship into military service. The Britannic was made a hospital ship. On it's 6th voyage, the Britannic struck a mine and sank. The White Star Line lost it's credibility and soon, the Cunard Line won. The White Star Line became Cunard-White Star Line. The Olympic remained in the fleet and was retired and scrapped. The Cunard-White Star Line went out of business and later, Cunard was bought out by the Carnival Line which currently owns all of the ship companies. There remains today, one White Star Line ship as far as we know.

Joseph Boxhall

Joseph Groves Boxhall was born on March 23, 1884 in Hull, Yorkshire. He was the second child of Captain Joseph and Mariam Boxhall. He had three sisters (one of whom died in infancy. His father was a respectable man of the Wilson Line. Boxhall only had only 4 years as apprentice before he was a full fledged sea-man. On June 2, 1899, he was on his first ship for the William Thomas Line. He did quite well and in 1907, he joined the White Star Line. He served on the Oceanic and the Arabic before being transferred to the TITANIC as the fourth officer at the age of 28.

Boxhall assisted in the TITANIC's sea trials of which took place on April 4, 1912. He was considered a junior officer so he assisted passengers and crew when he could and was sometimes even at the wheel. The only officer known to him prior to thw TITANIC was 2nd officer Lightoller from the Oceanic. Boxhall was off-duty when the iceberg struck. He heard the bell from the crow's nest struck three times which means that something is in the way of our course. He got to the Wheelhouse just after the collision and Captain Smith was already there. He ordered Boxhall to take a look at the damage. He found none but while in the Mail-room, he said that he could hear water flooding but couldn't see it so he reported to the Bridge. After that, he went and told Lightoller and 3rd officer Pitman to report to the bridge. Soon, the carpenter and mail-clerk reported flooding. They all now realized that the ship was doomed. Boxhall took charge of the distress rockets and morse lamp signals. He also calculated the ship's position for the wireless telegraph. He was in the chart room when he saw J. Bruce Ismay standing in the door way. Boxhall walked up to him and Ismay asked him why he hadn't gotten into a lifeboat. Boxhall replied by saying that he had not been ordered to enter a lifeboat. Boxhall went to the port side and watched Chief Officer Wilde lowering a boat. Captain Smith came up to him and ordered him to get into the boat. Boxhall stepped in and was put in charge of Boat No. 2 which was only about 2/3 full. He is depicted in the movie as saying "Bloody pull faster and pull!" as the stern rises. Boxhall never saw the TITANIC sink. He wanted to go back and rescue those in the water but he was immediately over-ruled by the 20 passengers in his boat. He later came aboard the rescue ship Carpathia and after being set ashore, was very informational in the U.S. Senate Inquiries and the British Inquiries.

After getting back to England, he was fourth officer on the Adriatic but that was short lived because he joined the Royal Navy Reserves. He was later a sub-lieutenant and was then promoted to Lieutenant after WWI. He married Marjory Beddells in 1919 and unfortunately never had a child. He was later a merchant and then joined the Cunard Line and he rose in rank to Chief Officer but was never captain. He served as Chief Officer on the Berengaria, Auquitania, Ausonia, Scythia, Antonia, and Franconia.

After retiring 1940 after 41 years at sea, he served as technical advisor for the movie A Night to Remember. He also had close friends that were officers aboard the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. Joseph Boxhall died on April 25, 1967 at the age of 84 on Cebral Thombrosis. Upon his last request, his ashes were scattered over where he calculated the TITANIC was on that fateful night.

Competition

The Lusitania was built by Cunard and was sure that this ship would put the White Star Line which was the company that the TITANIC. It was completed on June, 1906 along with it's sister ship, Maurentania. The Lusitania was christened by lady Inverclyde because Lord Inverclyde, (the ship's owner) died earlier that morning. They were the biggest, grandest, and fastest ships afloat and even set a record across the Atlantic Ocean carrying the Blue Riband . The ships had all of the latest technology and the most famous people on board.

The Germans were beginning to attack English ships and sinking them with submersibles. This was often a very common threat. The Maurentania was transformed into a army transport and was rented by the Royal Navy for 150,000 english pounds. The Royal Navy also paid the Cunard 64,000 english pounds to use the Lusitania as a mail transport. There was a submarine (U-20) spotted off the coast of the English Channel, headed straight for the Lusitania.

The Lusitania was told that a submarine was in the area but the wireless operator ignored the message and it didn't go to the bridge. It was 30 miles off the coast of Clear Sound Island. It was May 7, 1915 the passengers were just sitting down to breakfast when a huge explosion erupted. Then, there was a second explosion. Immediately, water started coming into the hold. The order was given by Captain Turner to begin to lower the lifeboats but the crew was already loading and lowering. The lifeboats were lowered so quickly, that some of them were flipped over dumping the passengers into the sea. The Lusitania sank in 18 minutes. On the way down to the bottom, most of the boilers exploded causing great damage to the ship. 1,198 people died out of the 1,959 on board.

The bodies that were not recovered on the shore of Queenstown, Ireland were more than likely trapped in the wreck. Mrs. Stephens was one of the bodies recovered and on the way to America, the ship carrying
her remains was sunk by U-20: the same submersible that killed her on the Lusitania.
Today, the wreck is barely distinguishable except a few bones and personal belongings.