Officers, Passengers, and Crew Members on-board the RMS Titanic by Benedict Rome Co Tila

Hello fellow Titaniacs! Today's post is all about the captain of the RMS Titanic, Mr. Edward John Smith. Edward John Smith RD, RNR was a British naval officer. He served as master of numerous White Star Line vessels. He was the captain of the RMS Titanic, and perished when the ship sank on its maiden voyage. Raised in a working environment, he left school early to join the merchant navy and the Royal Naval Reserve. Born: 27 January 1850 Died: 15 April 1912 Raised in a working environment, he left school early to join the merchant navy and the Royal Naval Reserve. After earning his master's ticket, he entered the service of the White Star Line, a prestigious British company. He quickly rose through the ranks and graduated in 1887. His first command was the SS Celtic. He served as commanding officer of numerous White Star Line vessels, including the Majestic (which he commanded for nine years) and attracted a strong and loyal following amongst passengers. In 1904, Smith became the commodore of the White Star Line and was responsible for controlling its flagships. He successfully commanded the Baltic, Adriatic and the Olympic. In 1912, he was the captain of the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912; over 1,500 perished in the sinking, including Smith, who went down with the ship. For his stoicism and fortitude in the face of adversity, Smith became an icon of British "stiff upper lip" spirit and discipline.

Titanic Events for April 18-19, 1912

by Terri Bey

April 18, 1912- The RMS Carpathia arrives in New York City with the 712 Titanic survivors along with her own passengers. At about 8:50 pm, the Carpathia drops off the RMS Titanic's lifeboats that the Carpathia had on board at Pier 59, the very pier Titanic would have arrived at, had the disaster not occurred. The RMS Carpathia then travels to Pier 54, the pier for Cunard, and sails right by a ship with reporters shouting questions to the Titanic survivors on the Carpathia. At 9:25 pm, the 712 Titanic survivors disembark the Carpathia in front of hundreds of people, who were shocked to see that only about one-third of the RMS Titanic passengers survived. Reporters started interviewing survivors. High-ranking officials like White Star Chairman J. Bruce Ismay were given subpoenas to appear before the United States Inquiry in New York.

The Titanic's Lifeboats at Pier 59. What is left of the great liner. Photo: Getty Images.

April 19, 1912- The United States Inquiry into the sinking of the RMS Titanic begins at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, which ironically was owned by RMS Titanic First Class passenger Colonel John Jacob Astor, who died in the sinking. Later on, the hotel was demolished and moved to a new site. The Empire State Building now stands where the famous hotel once stood. United States Senator William Alden Smith (R-MI) leads the Inquiry, which eventually does move to Washington, D.C., and lasts until May 25th.

The first witness of the Inquiry was Chairman J. Bruce Ismay. One highlight from his testimony is that he "did not see her [the Titanic] go down. Other witnesses were the Titanic's surviving officers, such as Second Officer Charles Lightoller, the highest-ranking officer to survive the sinking. Fifth Officer Harold Lowe was the lowest of the Titanic officers to survive as unfortunately, Sixth Officer James Moody did not survive. Also testifying were the two lookouts, Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee, Quartermaster Robert Hichens, who was at the Wheel on that fateful night, and many others.

First Day of the U.S. Inquiry into the Sinking of the RMS Titanic.

Contact: Alydace@yahoo.com

RMS Titanic Events for April 16-17, 1912

by Terri Bey

April 16, 1912- The news of the RMS Titanic's sinking is breaking all over the world. The New York Times's famous headline states "TITANIC SINKS FOUR HOURS AFTER HITTING ICEBERG." In London, newspaper boy Ned Parffet is seen with the famous "Evening News" poster screaming, "TITANIC DISASTER GREAT LOSS OF LIFE." However, in several other papers, there were reports which stated that all passengers were saved and the ship was being towed to Halifax. There were some papers that didn't believe the New York Times report, hence these conflicting reports. The RMS Olympic was being used as a relay station to send messages, so getting the real story out concerning the tragedy was difficult. Even Philip Franklin, President of the White Star Line Offices in New York was optimistic that everything was fine concerning the Titanic until he finally got the tragic news. Franklin said, "I thought her unsinkable and I based my opinion on the best expert advice. I do not understand it."

As the news broke, crowds gathered in front of the New York and Southampton offices of the White Star Line for news of survivors. On the Carpathia, Margaret Brown and several other passengers were collecting funds for passengers.

April 17, 1912- Bruce Ismay's message confirming the disaster reaches the New York offices two days after he sent it. The Carpathia continues to send messages about survivors. The Carpathia encounters fog. The Mackay-Bennett, hired by the White Star Line leaves Halifax, Nova Scotia to pick up bodies. In America, United States Senator William Alden Smith (R-MI) gets approval from a Senate Committee to start an inquiry into the disaster and authorization to subpoena those people who he felt necessary for the inquiry.

Contact: Alydace@yahoo.com