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.

100 Years Ago Today-April 13, 1912-2012

‎100 years ago today, the Titanic made 519 miles in 24 hours. She also received more ice warnings by wireless telegraph and Morse lamp. One story says that Ismay pressured Captain Smith to go faster over lunch, but there is only one account that says that it happened and so it's not known whether or not it's true. At 11:00 P.M., the Wireless Telegraph broke down. The operators weren't supposed to fix it, but did anyway. If they hadn't and had gone on battery power, they would've had less range. This action definitely helped Titanic the next night when they called for help in an effort to save the people on the Titanic. Unfortunately, only one survived out of the two in the room.

100 Years Ago Today-April 10, 1912-2012

100 years ago today, J. Bruce Ismay woke up in his hotel room and saw the very thing he envisioned, Titanic, sitting in her berth in Southampton. That berth was built specifically for the new Olympic class liners because the other ones were too small. Nearly most of Titanic's crew came from Southampton and this was the time to board for both crew and passengers. Despite what the movies may show, the day was overcast and cloudy but that didn't cause the people's spirits to be down. At noon with the gangways pulled up and the gangway doors closed, the Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage amongst the cheers of well-wishers. As the Titanic was passing the New York attached to another ship in her berth, the Titanic's enormity caused suction that caused the New York's stern to break her cables and swing towards the Titanic. The New York barely missed the Titanic and the Titanic sailed on.

After the Titanic set sail from Southampton, the ship made her way to Cherbourg. She arrived at 6:30, an hour late because of the near collision with the New York. The dock was too small for the Titanic and so passengers had to be ferried out to the Titanic. Some of of the Titanic's most famous passengers came aboard her including the Astors, Benjamin Guggenheim, and Molly Brown. 90 minutes after the Titanic arrived, she disembarked for her next and final destination, Queenstown, Ireland. Today, one of the ships that ferried Titanic's passengers in Cherbourg is still in existence. The Nomadic is the last of the White Star Line ships that is in existence above water.

Titanic/Tower of Babel Comparison

The Titanic was the largest structure on the ocean. The Tower of Babel was the largest structure on land.

Titanic was built by Joseph Bruce Ismay, and the Tower of Babel was built by King Nimrod.

Titanic was built basically to show that man was greater than the elements (some even thought God couldn't sink her), and the Tower of Babel was man's defiance against God for nations to come together and show themselves basically greater than God (they were going to use the Tower of Babel as a stairway to heaven).

Titanic struck an iceberg made by God and sank, the people building the Tower of Babel was struck by God.

The people on the Titanic were of different tongues, and the Tower of Babel was of the same language until God struck them.

The people on Titanic were separated, and the people building the Tower of Babel were scattered.

Titanic is now at the bottom of the ocean decaying. The Tower of Babel more than likely fell apart after everyone stopped building.

Know Your Stuff! 5

Q. Who survived the Titanic and 4 other predicaments before dying of Renal Failure?

A. R. Norris Williams

B. Joseph Bruce Ismay

C. Gus Cohen

D. Helen Bishop


Q. What school teacher wrote a famous account of his experiences on the Titanic?

A. Annie Funk

B. William T. Stead

C. Charles Lightoller

D. Lawrence Beesely


Q. What was the first recognizable thing seen that identified the last resting place of the Titanic?

A. Boiler

B. China

C. Bell

D. Railing


Q. What man that died on the Titanic was supposed to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery?

A. John Jacob Astor

B. Archibald Butt

C. Benjamin Guggenheim

D. Isador Strauss


Q. What type of car was on the Titanic?

A. Ford Model T

B. French Renault

C. Hupp-Yeats

D. Mercer

(The answer is in the post, "Titanic Automobile")


Q. Who was the only man that was colored (black) on board the Titanic?

A. Shine

B. Fredrick Douglas

C. Joseph Laroche

D. Martin King


Q. Who wrote the electrifying account of the Titanic in a book called "A Night To Remember"?

A. Archibald Gracie

B. Lawrence Beesely

C. Walter Lord

D. Stanley Lord

(Answer these questions by clicking on the links provided)

The Author of a Legend

Walter Lord was born on October 8, 1917 in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1939, he graduated from Princeton University and tried to get into Yale, but he joined the army after Pearl Harbor. He was made a code clerk in London, and graduated from Yale with a degree in law after WWII ended. Lord wrote 13 bestselling books. They were Day of Infamy, Incredible Victory, A Time to Stand, Peary to the Pole, Good years from 1900 to the First World War, The Past that would not Die, his greatest work A Night to Remember, and The Night Lives On. From what I know, Walter Lord after writing A Time to Stand about The Alamo, he actually discovered the long lost flag from the battle in the Mexican archives. While writing about A Night to Remember and The Night Lives On about the Titanic, he tracked down 63 living survivors in order to get their stories of the sinking and afterward. In 1958, William McQuitty decided to do a movie using A Night to Remember's name and facts. It tells the story minute-by-minute through the eyes of Kenneth More playing 2nd Officer Charles Lightoller, and going through the bravery of Thomas Andrews, Captain Smith, the true story of Ismay, the Strausses, and many others. The sets were built using the original blueprints and designs, and they had survivors including Lawrence Beasely, and Edith Russell. It remains to this day as the most accurate movie today. Walter Lord acted as technical adviser along side with survivor 4th Officer Joseph Boxhall. Walter Lord became known also for is vast collection in things that survivors from the Titanic had given him, and original pictures. Among those things was a musical toy pig from Edith Russell that she played in the lifeboat in order to comfort the children. In 1997, after years of speaking and signing autographs, he helped James Cameron in his movie, Titanic. Walter Lord died on May 19, 2002 at the age of 84 after battling Parkinsons for years. He was buried in a family plot in Green Mountain Cemetery.

When Weather Changed History

Video

This movie talks about the sinking of the Titanic, as told through accounts. It also goes through the iceberg, and how they're preventing another Titanic disaster.

TITANIC in Court

Click HERE to read all that transpired at the inquiry.

When word reached Washington D.C. that the TITANIC sank, they decided to have an inquiry to make some sense of what happened that night. A couple of nights before the Carpathia was to arrive with the TITANIC survivors, a telegram was sent to the White Star Line office in New York to have a ship ready to take him and the crew to England after they land. It was signed, Yamsi. It doesn't take a mad scientist to figure out that this is the name Ismay spelled backwards. Senator William Smith of Michigan came out to New York and decided to hold the inquiry the day after the Carpathia landed. As soon as the Carpathia landed, a warrant was issued for some certain passengers and crew to appear at the Astoria Hotel for questioning. However, Ismay the owner of the ship was met by the senator and other men and escorted by car to the Astoria Hotel where he would stay the night and appear in the lobby the following morning. The inquiry lasted 18 days and some witnesses were recalled two or three times. All the officers, some crew-members, Ismay, and some of the most important men and women were called up to the stand. The newspapers published the dirt about everyone and mostly Ismay. When the American Inquiry was done, the British set up an inquiry of it's own and nearly all of those that returned to England, were called up to another stand. That lasted 36 days! Each day had a new questioner or examiner. The inquiry has helped greatly. Without those testimonies, there would still be a lot of questions unanswered.

What would have happened?

Here is what might have happened if the TITANIC had not sunk:

TITANIC
The TITANIC would have gone into military service during WWI and would have either become a troop ship (like the Olympic) or had her fittings taken out and become a hospital ship (like the Britannic). After the war, she would resume as a passenger ship. She would have been scrapped after the Cunard merged with the White Star Line.

Joseph Bruce Ismay
Ismay would have been chairman until he retired at an old age. He died in 1937.

Thomas Andrews
Andrews would have gone on as chief designer for the White Star Line and would have become chairman of the Harland and Wolff ship-yards after his uncle Lord Pierrie died.

Captain Edward John Smith
Smith would have finished his career and retired after the TITANIC's maiden voyage.

1st officer William Murdoch
Murdoch would have soon been Captain of some other ship and had a nice career such as Capt. Smith.

Jack Phillips
Phillips would have gone into service during WWI on one of the Royal Naval Ships as wireless operator. He would have more than likely spent the rest of his days in Ireland.

The White Star Line
White Star would have not lost regular travelers that usually booked passage on the White Star Line ships. They would have probably gone out of business anyway.

Steerage
The Steerage/3rd class would have left the ship in the New World and many would have prospered.

Herbert Pitman

Read Herbert Pitman's testimony to the British Inquiry HERE.

Herbert John Pitman was born on November 20, 1877 in Somerset, England. His father was a farmer but died when he was only three leaving Herbert, his mother, his siblings, and a 112 acre farm to care for. In 1881, he was living with his older sister of whom was recently widowed. When Herbert was 18, he went to sea in the merchant's navy. He mastered in navigation in technical college during a shore part. After 4 years of training, he spent 6 1/2 years as a deck officer. Then, he joined the White Star Line where he was 4, 3, and 2 officer on the Dolphin and Majestic and 4 officer on the Oceanic. Then, he was transferred to the TITANIC as third officer.

There, he would assist the officers in their duties, stand at the stern bridge, or stand at the compass tower making sure that the ship was on course. When the TITANIC struck an iceberg, he was getting dressed for his watch on the bridge when 4 officer Boxhall came and told him that the ship had struck an iceberg. He went to investigate where he found chunks of ice and explored the forcastle deck but found no damage so he went to the bridge. He was then ordered to uncover and lower the boats. He waited for Captain Smith to give the orders to load and lower Boat No. 5. J. Bruce Ismay came up and insisted that they load and lower the boats. Herbert didn't know him so he said "Just awaiting order from the commander sir." Then, it dawned on him that this might be Mr. Ismay due to descriptions given to him. He went to the captain and Captain Smith said "Carry on." While loading the boat, Ismay encouraged those who wanted to stay, to get into a lifeboat. Just before lowering Boat No. 5, 1st officer Murdoch ordered Pitman to take charge of the boat. Just before entering, Murdoch shook his hand and said "Good bye; Good luck." Murdoch ordered Pitman to stand by for passengers to enter through the gang-way doors but it wouldn't open so he had to continue down. As the boat continued down, Ismay tried to take charge of the lowering but 4th officer Lowe would hear none of it and embarrassed Ismay in front of the passengers. When the lifeboat was 400 yards away, he realized that the ship was going to founder. When the TITANIC had slipped beneath the waves, he looked at his watch and announced that it was 2:20 A.M. There was the screams of the passengers and Pitman wanted to go back for those in the water but those in the boat was almost in a mob when they found out his intentions so he decided not to. That decision would later haunt him. Later, Boat Nos. 5 and 7 lashed each-other together. He was rescued by the Carpathia and was brought to New York. There, he testified all that he knew to the U.S. inquiry and did the same to the British inquiry in which he was asked 393 questions when he got back to the U.K. In both, he testified that the ship did not break in two.

He was sent to the Oceanic again and then to the Olympic. However, due to a decline in eyesight, he was moved to Purser on the Olympic. He married in the 1920s. He also served during WWII as purser on the S.S. Mataroa. He retired in 1946 after 60 years at sea. Herbert Pitman died on December 7, 1961 because of a subarachnoid hemorrhage at the age of 84. He now rests in the vault of a Parish church in Somerset.

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.

My Review on Ghosts of the Abyss

Ghosts of the Abyss was filmed ironically in September of 2001 and in fact was still at sea during 9/11. The movie is great to watch for the whole family. The only trouble is that Bill Paxton uses swear words a little bit and the ghosts may give the little ones bad dreams. The movie basically takes you to the TITANIC and you're able to see what the Reception Room, Ismay Suite, and other things inside the TITANIC that have not been seen since April 14/15, 1912. The ghosts are basically just images that walk down the decks or look at a mirror or other things to show you a comparison of what the ship looked like then and now. It stars Bill Paxton, James Cameron (whom directed the famed blockbuster film TITANIC), and Ken Marschall taking these two robots and exploring places that no-one else has seen in over 96 years. What's really cool is that in the end, one of the bots' string gets severed and they show you it getting rescued. There's so much seen in there like these windows in the Reception Room, the A-Deck sign, wooden and brass beds, the remains of tables, medicine bottles, a cup where someone had last left it, and other spectacular things.

Gentlemen of Today

Most the men on the TITANIC were gentlemen not just because they were forced to act like they did, but because they were natural gentlemen. During the Edwardian Age, boys were trained intensely to act that way by their parents. They were trained to let women go first, protected women traveling alone, acted with the most sincere kindness, never spoke nor acted rudely towards women nor children, tried to make life better for others, and stayed away from those whom did not act this way. On the TITANIC, most men let women live and died in their place. Mr. Astor the richest man in the world gave up his seat and hope of survival to a washerwoman and her child which was one of the lowest possible people in that age. Today, this form of manners is almost gone and we are mostly Ismays and get into the lifeboat leaving other women and children to die and most of us are "every man for himself." I admit that I have sometimes acted that way but in order to preserve this form of manners, we must train ourselves and then train our children. You can start by opening doors for people behind you more often and pulling out chairs for women at the dinner table. Today, some people say comment after comment about you children when you say "excuse me" or open the door for others. For more on living like this, there are speakers like Doug Phillips of Vision Forum or Voddie Bochumm. They can help you get started. Another thing is that what you teach your children may be passed down for generations. Think about it like this, what would normal people of the world do if they were on the TITANIC today ?

The TITANIC of San Fransisco

The Palace Hotel was built in San Fransisco and opened on October 2, 1875. Due to the recent earthquake in 1869, the Palace Hotel was made both earthquake-proof and fire-proof with steel framework and stone exterior. It was the largest hotel in the world with 775 rooms. It was later considered the safest place in San Fransisco and was named the Jewel of San Fransisco. In 1906, it was early morning and many in the Palace Hotel were asleep. Suddenly, there was great shaking and you heard the sounds of windows and glass breaking and things falling over. The Mayor of the city whom was ripping people off with taxes was staying at the Palace Hotel and he ran out of the building and sprinted towards his office. There was a fire storm raging and those suspected of looting were shot on sight. Eight hours after the earthquake, the Palace Hotel crumbled to the ground. How is this like the TITANIC ? The Palace Hotel was the largest and most beautiful hotel in the world and the TITANIC was the largest and most beautiful ship in the world. The Hotel sank to the ground and the TITANIC sank into the sea. The Hotel was destroyed in 1906 and the TITANIC sank in 1912. The Hotel had the Mayor of the city there and TITANIC had it's owner and architect on board. In my mind, nearly all disasters have a TITANIC in them at some instance if we just use our imagination.

What Would You Do ?

What would you do if you were on the TITANIC and knew that the ship was going to sink ? Most say that they would stay and some say that they would get into a lifeboat. Right now, just close your eyes and envision yourself on the tilting decks and think about your character and let it take hold of your imagination. You see the water getting closer people are starting to panic as people realize that they are doomed. Soon, you see the water getting steadily nearer and creeping up the decks. And you see the last lifeboat being loaded. What would you do ? If you are a woman or child, I'd advise that you get in but if you're a man, you should stay, pinpoint the location of a lifeboat and then get in the water and swim straight towards it. Almost none of you will face this decision but think about it like this, if God told you that you have an hour and a half to live, what would you do ?

John Harper led many others on board to Christ; Joseph Bruce Ismay the owner of the ship helped others into the lifeboats and then got into a lifeboat himself leaving 1,500 people to die. Benjamin Guggenheim dressed in his best suit and went down like a gentleman; Captain Smith gave his last command saying "Be British". Thomas Andrews helped women and children into the lifeboats and then stared at his creation as it was being destroyed under his very feet; Mr. Carter stepped into a lifeboat half an hour before his family was able to get into their's. Mrs. Strauss refused to leave her husband and they died together; Mr. Spedden said that they were going for a boat ride to convince his wife to get in. There were Gentlemen and Cowards; which would you be ?

C for Coward

Chief Purser El McRoy was in charge of loading collapsible C. When loading the boat, men jumped into the boat nearly tipping it over! Mr. Carter got in while his wife and children were sill on board(they later divorced). A man whom had Mrs. Astor's shawl passed as a woman. As the boat was lowered, Mr. Ismay got in. There were other cowards like Sir Cosmo Gordon whom got into other boats and those trying to get into Collapsible D. There were many others like a steward that used a child to get into a boat. If you were there, would you be a coward and get into a lifeboat using any means available? Would you go before the other women and innocent children and remember it for the rest of your life? Or would you be a gentleman and be brave? Think about it.

Joseph Bruce Ismay

Joseph Bruce Ismay was born on December 12, 1862 to Thomas Henry and Margret Bruce Ismay. His father was the part owner of Firm of Ismay Imrie which started the White Star Line, Asiatic Steam Navigation Company and other companies. He went to study in Estree School Harrow, France and was an apprentice to a ship building company for 4 years and then took an around the world trip for a year. When he came home, he married Julia Florence in 1888 and two sons and two daughters. They moved to England
in 1891. In 1899, Thomas Ismay died leaving all the companies to Joseph. One day at a dinner party, J Bruce Ismay and a friend Lord Pirrie got an idea to build three huge ships. But when they looked for a shipbuilding yard, they could not find one big enough, so they had to build a shipbuilding yard and named it Harland and Wolff. The work started on the Olympic, then a month later the Titanic, then a year later the Britannic.
J. Bruce Ismay went on the Olympic and made it to New York, then Titanic which was going to reach New York early and surprise everyone, but she struck and Iceberg. As he was sinking, J Bruce Ismay, saw no women or children, so he got into a lifeboat, when he arrived in New York, he became a scapegoat for the public, because he was the owner of the ship. Ismay was able to keep his job until Britannic was built and launched. He was forbidden to speak about the Titanic after he went before an inquiry. He died a broken man in 1937.