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It was not until weeks later, when the hastily convened Senate investigation in the United States and the Board of Trade report in England had been completed, that the whole story was told. The Senate investigating committee, under the chairmanship of Senator Smith, who was attacked in both the American and the British press as a “backwoods politician,” brought out numerous pertinent facts, though its proceedings verged at times on the
farcical. Senator Smith was ridiculed for his lack of knowledge of the sea when he asked witnesses, “Of what is an iceberg composed?” and “Did any of the passengers take refuge in the watertight compartments?” The senator seemed particularly interested in the marital status of Fleet, the lookout, who was saved. Fleet, puzzled, growled aside, “Wot questions they’re arskin’ me!”
The report of Lord Mersey, wreck commissioner in the British Board of Trade’s investigation, was tersely damning.
The Titanic had carried boats enough for 1,178 persons, only one third of her capacity. Her sixteen boats and four collapsibles had saved but 711 persons; 400 people had needlessly lost their lives. The boats had been but partly loaded; officers in charge of launching them had been afraid the
falls would break or the boats buckle under their rated loads; boat crews had been slow in reaching their stations; launching arrangements were confused because no boat drill had been held; passengers were loaded into the boats haphazardly because no boat assignments had been made.
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But that was not all. Lord Mersey found that sufficient warnings of ice on the steamer track had reached the Titanic, that her speed of twenty-two knots was “excessive under the circumstances,” that “in view of the high speed at which the vessel was running it is not considered that the lookout was sufficient,” and that her master made “a very grievous mistake”—but should not be blamed for negligence. Captain Rostron of the Carpathia was highly praised. “He did the very best that could be done.” The Californian was damned. The testimony of her master, officers, and crew showed that she was not, at the most, more than nineteen miles away from the sinking Titanic and probably no more than five to ten miles distant. She had seen the Titanic’s lights; she had seen the rockets; she had not received the CQD calls because her radio operator was asleep. She had attempted to get in communication with the ship she had sighted by flashing a light, but vainly.
“The night was clear,” reported Lord Mersey, “and the sea was smooth. When she first saw the rockets, the Californian could have pushed through the ice to the open water without any serious risk and so have come to the assistance of the Titanic. Had she done so she might have saved many if not all of the lives that were lost.
“She made no attempt.”
Making Meanings
R.M.S. Titanic
Reading Check
a. What caused the Titanic to sink?
b. Why didn’t the closest ship rush to the rescue?
c. Why weren’t the lifeboats full?
d. Cite two heroic acts and two cowardly acts that took place aboard the Titanic.
First Thoughts
1. The Titanic sank a long time ago, and most of its survivors have since died. How did you feel about all the people involved in the disaster?
Shaping Interpretations
2. Baldwin uses numbers as headings to organize his text. Briefly summarize what is covered in each numbered part. Why are these divisions logical?
3. Find as many examples of irony—both dramatic and situational—in the story of the Titanic as you can. Which instance of irony do you think is the most incredible?
4. Baldwin spent hundreds of hours sifting through reports of the sinking, the records of other ships, eyewitness accounts (see Connections), and court proceedings. How objective (strictly factual) or subjective (based on opinions, feelings, and biases) do you think his report is? Explain.
5. Baldwin returns many times to the music played by the ship’s band. What moods are suggested by the music? What other examples of repetition can you find, and how do these repeated details affect your feelings?
Connecting with the Text
6. What more recent events remind you of this old tragedy at sea? Did any survivors of those events behave heroically or selfishly? What were the causes of those disasters?
7. After reading about the events on board ship, how do you think (or hope) you would have acted if you’d been a passenger? a crew member? Look back at your Quickwrite to see whether you’ve changed your mind about how you’d behave in a catastrophe.
Extending the Text
8. What, if any, truths about human nature can you infer from this story and from the survivors’ eyewitness accounts (see Connections)?