A Night to Remember *Coach Masson
What message did Benjamin Guggenheim send his wife? What was Benjamin wearing as the Titanic sank?
"tell my wife I've done my best in doing my duty"; wearing a tuxedo; his butler was also dressed his best and they both sat down and drank whiskey until the ship sank
What do you think you would have done if you were a passenger in the 3rd, 2nd, or 1st class?
(opinion)
Where was the Californian? What did the Californian witness?
10 miles away; the lights and flares going off (did not react to the flares)
As lifeboat #1 was lowered into the ocean how many people aboard? How many could it hold?
12 were on board and it could hold 40 people
How many lives were lost when the Titanic sank? How many people survived?
1502; 705
What types of passengers make up the manifest of the Titanic?
1st class (rich and wealthy), 2nd class (middle class), 3rd class (poor)
How were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class passengers treated differently when it came to the use of lifeboats?
1st class were given priority (men did not get on until 2nd class women and children were on the boat); 2nd class women and children were next; third class passengers would not be allowed on a boat until all first class passengers and all 2nd class women and children were on a boat
What do some of the passengers and crew compare the striking of the iceberg to? What did the crew think the noise was?
1st class: slight vibration, nothing major, didn't care 2nd class: felt it a little more, more concerned, started to ask questions 3rd class: felt the most vibration, most concerned, water got into some cabins Crew: propeller broke off
When the Titanic struck the iceberg, how many days out of New York was it?
2
When the Titanic ran into the iceberg, how fast was it moving?
22 1/2 knots (26mph)
How cold was the ocean? What did swimmers do after the Titanic sank? How were the swimmers treated by those in lifeboats?
28 degrees; tried to get to the lifeboats; hit the swimmers with the oars because they thought more people would capsize the lifeboat
How many survivors did Lowe's boat save?
4
How many survivors were pulled out of the sea by the 18 lifeboats?
4
How many women in each class perished?
4 of 143 first class women; 15 of 93 second class women; 81 of 179 third class women
How many watertight compartments did the iceberg tear through?
6
What strange cargo items was the Titanic carrying the night of the disaster?
800 cases of shelled walnuts; huge anchor chains; 30 cases of golf clubs and tennis rackets; tons of coal; 30,000 fresh eggs; 5 grand pianos; shuffle board sticks; 8 dozen tennis balls; ice making machine; new english automobile
When was the iceberg first seen? Who saw it? Where?
April 14, 1912; 11:40 pm; Frederick Fleet; Northern Atlantic Ocean near Newfoundland
Who was the first person pulled onboard the Carpathia?
Elizabeth Allen
How do some passengers react to the ship hitting an iceberg? What about the crew?
First class: calm, made jokes, and there was nothing to worry about; Second class: concerned and asked more questions about what was going on; Third class: freaked out because the water started to come in; Crew: concerned that they dropped a propeller or something broke on the ship, they thought it would take them longer to get to New York
Who was the first person to see the iceberg approaching? Where was this person sitting? How did the bridge react to this person's warning?
Frederick Fleet; crow's nest; calm, no sense of urgency
Why doesn't the Californian immediately react to Titanic's dangerous situation?
Titanic's radio people were rude to them
How fast is the ship sinking?
about 2.5 hours
What were J. Bruce Ismay's behaviors and actions aboard the Carpathia?
asked for a room and did not want to be disturbed; did not eat anything until they got back to New York
What distinguishes this book from other stories about the Titanic?
based on factual evidence (court documents, eye witness accounts, etc)
What is most of the space at the "bottom-deck" used for?
boiler room; 3rd class (steerage); storage
What actions and deed were performed by crewmembers on rescue ships that assisted survivors?
brought blankets, coffee, food; had a doctor to look at all the passengers
What does "CQD" mean?
come quick danger
How did the world react to the sinking of the Titanic?
did not believe it; questioned the press; wanted to know answers about what happened
How was smoking a controversial issue among the survivors on the lifeboats?
did not want to smoke; should not smoke in the lifeboat
What does it mean when the captain says, "It's every man for himself..."?
find a way to survive; the crew is released from duty
Why didn't people care much about the third class passengers?
first class passengers are more important; cater to those who have money because they thought they would pay to cruise on their ships again later; their interviews did not happen because they were thought of as uneducated
What was Thomas Andrews doing as the Titanic was sinking?
he realized he should have slowed down when he heard about the icebergs; stopped talking to people; accepts his death
What were the fears of the Carpathian crewmembers before reaching the Titanic?
if they would be able to accept everyone onboard; if they had enough supplies; if they had enough food
Was evacuation onto the Titanic lifeboats organized or chaotic? Why?
in the beginning it was organized, but it was slow; when the second class and third class passengers began boarding, it was more chaotic because there was no practice for emergency
How did the press react to the sinking of the Titanic?
interviewed only 1st and 2nd class passengers; put false information (ex. all people on the Titanic survived); did not give the survivors any rest; press found out before the Carpathia got back to shore; press did not believe the ship sank
What was the response by the U.S. and Britain to the sinking of the Titanic?
interviewed people and created new laws
What are some of the differences between the way "lower-level" passengers and "VIP" passengers experience and deal with the impending disaster?
lower class were rushed to get out of their cabins and were told to stay down stairs, passengers freaked out and panicked; VIP passengers were calm and thought it was a drill
How did Captain Rostron prepare his ship to help the Titanic?
moved a few people around to make space for the Titanic passengers; made coffee; set out mattresses
What song did the band play as the Titanic sank?
nearer my God to thee
Did the bridge react quickly enough to the emergency?
no; if they listened to Frederick Fleet they would have been able to turn more quickly
What do we learn about the number of lifeboats in relation to the number of passengers?
not enough lifeboats
What was the confusion other ships had in assisting the Titanic?
other ships did not believe the Titanic; ignored the Titanic, but the Carpathian signaled back to the Titanic that they were on the way to help, but they were 4 hours away
How many people remained to use the last lifeboat?
over 1500
What is meant by, "a curious calm came over the Titanic..."?
people realized that they were going to die
What were the dangers faced by Captain Rostron's ship in rescuing survivors of the Titanic?
running into icebergs
Why didn't the lifeboats go back for survivors in the ocean?
scared that it would capsize the lifeboat; not enough room
What was Captain Smith thinking about as the Titanic continued to sink?
send distress signals; told people that it is "every man for himself"
What mistakes could have been avoided with greater forethought and planning?
should have had more lifeboats; gone over the evacuation plans; waited to long to get the people into the lifeboats; they ignored the warnings of the icebergs in the area; slow the ship down
What heroics were performed to save other people? How did the third class deal with disaster?
some crew members stayed shoveling coal so that the passengers could see and get off the ship
According to the story, "No men were allowed in these boats until the women are loaded first." Was this a "fair" way to evacuate the Titanic? Why, or why not?
the children were put with their mothers because mothers took care of the children while the fathers worked; the men wanted to be gentlemen
What is the most disturbing part of this book according to Nathaniel Philbrick?
the idea that there were thousands of people that were thrown into the ocean and thousands of people ended up dying even though there was a ship only 10 miles away (they could have been saved if the ship did not ignore the distress signal)
What did the officer Victor Groves of the Californian see April 14th at 11:10 am?
the lights of the Titanic speeding by
Why did some passengers refuse to get into lifeboats?
the women did not want to leave their husbands
What "crime" did Officers Phillips and groves commit in the wireless shack just before they fled?
they beat a man
What first group of passengers play with the ice aboard the Titanic?
third class
What did Mr. Thayer think about as the Titanic sank?
thought about the past and everything that he would miss in the future
What were the people's feelings about the seriousness of the impending disaster?
thought it was a joke
What did the Carpathia's passengers think was happening?
thought they hit an iceberg; thought there was a fire on the ship
What messages do some of the husbands share with their wives?
to get on the lifeboat and they would see them soon
As lifeboat #1 was waiting for help, what kind of atmosphere was there aboard?
upset about the death; quiet; no one is talking; peaceful
When the passengers knew the Titanic was sinking, what did they take with them as they for the lifeboats?
valuables; money; pets; clothing
What was the action of Officer Evan and 3rd Officer Groves aboard the Californian?
wireless operators (send signals to other ships); Evans was in charge of the radio system and he turned it off after frustration with the Titanic
Why do some passengers refuse to wear life vests or get into lifeboats?
women didn't want to leave their husbands; it clashed with what they were wearing
