Author Archive

WHITE STAR LINE Routes & Services in April 1912

April 9, 2012

WHITE STAR HOUSE FLAG

The following White Star routes were operating in April 1912:

  1. Southampton – Cherbourg – New York via Queenstown [Westbound] Plymouth [Eastbound]
  2. Liverpool – New York via Queenstown
  3. Liverpool – New York [Freight]
  4. Liverpool – Boston via Queenstown
  5. Liverpool – Quebec – Montreal
  6. Liverpool – Australia via South Africa
  7. Liverpool – Australia [Freight]
  8. Liverpool – New Zealand [Freight]
  9. London – New Zealand via South Africa
  10. New York – Mediterranean via Azores
  11. Boston – Mediterranean via Azores

Poem ‘THE WRECK OF THE TITANIC’ by William McGonagall

April 2, 2012

The Wreck of the Titanic

While on her way to America in April 1912

by William McGonagall, Poet and Tragedian

 

O beautiful ship Titanic

Of the White Star Line,

Your tragic tale shall be remembered

For a very long time.

 

Twas in the Month of April,

on the Fourteenth day,

That a disaster happened

Which took more than fifteen hundred lives away.

 

They were heading t’wards Americ’s shore

In the middle of the night,

When the lookout spied an iceberg,

Which gave him quite a fright.

 

They turned the wheel hard to Port,

And then again to Starboard,

But they hit the iceberg anyway.

The hull was rent like cardboard.

 

They tried to make the passengers

Get into the lifeboats,

But they said that it was too cold,

To be outside without their coats.

 

But Mr J Bruce Ismay of the White Star Line,

Persuaded them, because

He got into a lifeboat,

To show how safe it was.

 

And Mr Guggenheim was there,

With his valet by his side.

They both wore Evening Dress,

For to drown while badly dressed

they could not abide.

 

They tried to make Mrs Strauss,

Get into a lifeboat,

But she wouldn’t leave her husband.

They will never be forgot.

 

Joughin, the Ship’s Baker,

Had imbibed the Demon Drink,

He jumped into the water,

He was lucky not to sink.

 

But they pulled him in a lifeboat,

And he survived the night,

But he signed the Pledge when he got home,

‘Cause he got such a fright.

 

The hero of the hour

Was Second Officer Lightoller

And I think that his example

We should all be sure to follow.

 

He did his duties bravely,

Though people swore and cursed,

Enforcing the Rule of the Sea,

‘Women and Children first’

 

A wave washed him from off the deck,

Into the icy brine,

But he survived to tell the tale,

And defend the White Star Line.

 

At last the great Leviathan,

Slipped down below the water.

The Engineers stayed at their posts,

They never once did falter.

 

And Captain E.J. Smith,

On the bridge until the last,

Might not have hit the iceberg,

If he hadn’t gone too fast.

Final Report on the Loss of RMS Titanic

April 2, 2012

British Wreck Commissioner’s Inquiry

Report on the Loss of the “Titanic.” (s.s.)

 

THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ACTS, 1894 TO 1906.

IN THE MATTER OF the Formal Investigation held at the Scottish Hall, Buckingham Gate, Westminster, on the 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th May, the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 21st, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th June, at the Caxton Hall, Caxton Street, Westminster, on the 1st and 3rd July, and at the Scottish Hall, Buckingham Gate, Westminster, on the 30th July, 1912, before the Right Honourable Lord Mersey, Wreck Commissioner, assisted by Rear Admiral the Honourable S. A. Gough-Calthorpe, C.V.O., R.N.; Captain A. W. Clarke; Commander F. C. A. Lyon, R.N.R.; Professor J. H. Biles, D.Sc., LL.D.; and Mr. E. C. Chaston, R.N.R., as Assessors, into the circumstances attending the loss of the steamship “Titanic” of Liverpool, and the loss of 1,490 lives in the North Atlantic Ocean, in lat. 41 deg; 46′ N., long. 50 deg; 14′ W. on the 15th April last.

REPORT OF THE COURT.

The Court, having carefully inquired into the circumstances of the above mentioned shipping casualty, finds, for the reasons appearing in the annex hereto, that the loss of the said ship was due to collision with an iceberg, brought about by the excessive speed at which the ship was being navigated.

Dated this 30th day of July, 1912.
MERSEY.
Wreck Commissioner.

We concur in the above report.

ARTHUR GOUGH-CALTHORPE,
A. W. CLARKE,


Titanic Last Wireless Message 1912

April 1, 2012

TITANIC LAST WIRELESS MESSSAGE 1912

Titanic – Final Letter to Frank 11th April 1912

March 28, 2012

Dear Frank,

I hope that you got to Belfast all right and started work on time; I got your wire from Liverpool.

We have made a good run from Southampton everything working A1, we nearly had a collision with the New York and Oceanic when leaving Soton, the wash of our propellers made the two ships range about when we were passing them, this made their mooring ropes break and the New York set off across the river until the tugs got hold of her again, no damage was done but it looked like trouble at the time. Keep well and be a good lad.

Regards to *Mrs. Johnston, Your loving father. J. Bell.

*The Bell family in 1911/12 were living with Mrs Johnstone, a widow, as boarders in Belfast.

A scan of the last message from the Titanic, a PDF, click to view

Joseph Bell Letter From Titanic 6th April 1912

March 23, 2012

Letter reads:  Sir, In reply to your letter of the 5th April.  We beg to point out that personal applications only are entertained for the position you seek.

Yours,

J Bell Chief  Engineer

per WSL

Joseph Bell letter
dated 6th April 1912

TV NEWS ‘SAVING THE TITANIC’

March 20, 2012

Tile Films : ‘SAVING THE TITANIC’

The Tile Films film ‘Saving the Titanic’ (website here) will have its UK premiere showing on the UK History Channel at 18.00  on the eve of the centenary, the 14th of April ’12.  Programme schedule as below:

“Heroes Of The Titanic 1
[Sat 6:00 PM] 120mins

Gripping drama-doc revealing the unsung heroism of the Titanic’s boilermen and engineers. Below deck, they gave their lives to power the sinking ship as its passengers struggled to safety. …”



St Faith’s Act of Remembrance for Titanic Centenary

March 14, 2012

St Faith’s Church, Waterloo, Merseyside,  will hold their regular Sunday morning Solemn Eucharist at 11.00 a.m. on April 15th.   This  will include an Act of Remembrance for the 100 years anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

The choir will sing an anthem by the Acting Director of Music, Mr Daniel Rathbone, entitled “They that go down to the sea in ships”, in memory of Joseph Bell, Chief Engineer of the Titanic.

Joseph and his wife Maud attended St Faith’s, and a plaque is to be seen in the church placed there by his wife in his memory.

St Faith’s Seviice Register


New amazing Titanic images

March 10, 2012

Take a look at the selection of photos here they are a good selection:

Joseph Bell Family Biography Added

February 29, 2012

I have just added a family biography written by Ann Freer the present occupier of the Bell family home in Farlam.  The biography can be found here.