Titanic Video

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Historical Information

The Sinking
Titanic carried more lifeboats than was required by the law of the day and exceeded board of trade requirements by 17%. However, in reality this proved totally inadequate. The total of 20 (16 regular boats and four canvas collapsible boats) lifeboats could carry a maximum of 1,178 people, less than half the 3,547 passengers and crewmembers on board.

Confusion reigned. The crew, unfamiliar with ship procedures, began to lower the lifeboats and passengers were reluctant to leave the warm, well-lit, ship for the small boats. On the post side, only women and children were allowed into the boats with men and boys being turned away, often by gunpoint. However the boats on the starboard allowed men to board from the beginning of the evacuation.

Poor planning and communication coupled with crew uncertainty meant that most boats were lowered whilst less than half full and, once lowered, most boats did not heed the instructions to stay nearby to pick up more people. Lifeboat 1 with its 40-person capacity actually held just 12, of which seven were crewmen.

At 1.10 a.m. with the ship clearly sinking, panic took hold. Many third class passengers found the way to the upper decks barred and could do little more than huddle in prayer.

At 1.15 a.m. the bow plunged below the water and, by 2.00 a.m., the water had reached within 10 feet of the promenade deck. All this time those left on board struggled to reach the lifeboats.

At 2.17 a.m. the Titanic's huge stern heaved up into the air and the propellers could clearly be seen as the ship became vertical in the sea. The lights flickered and went out. Suddenly Titanic broke apart and began to plunge to the ocean floor.

The lifeboats departed with only 650 passengers and crew leaving 1,558 on the decks of the sinking liner. Those in the lifeboats fearing being swamped, refused to pick up the thousand people freezing in the waters nearby and some occupants took to singing in an attempt to drown out the agonising cries of the drowning people.

Only another 55 people survived the icy waters, bringing the total number of lives saved to 705. Amongst the survivors was one J. Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star line.

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