Titanic: A Very Deceiving Night by Maltin Tim

Author:Maltin, Tim
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Malt House Publishing
Published: 2012-09-04T04:00:00+00:00

The fact that the Californian was off Titanic’s port bow after Titanic had come to a stop, meant that Titanic therefore presented only her port bow towards the Californian after her collision:

Titanic leaving Southampton on her maiden voyage at 12.15am on Wednesday 10th April 1912

© Science Photo Library

…and not her full broadside, which would have been much more distinctive:

Postcard of Titanic at Cherbourg, 8pm Wednesday 10th April 1912. This artist’s impression shows more lights than were in fact visible on Titanic at night.

© Author’s Private Collection

Furthermore, as well as many of her stateroom, cabin and public room lights being put out due to passengers going to bed, we know that Titanic’s bow would have appeared particularly dark that night, because earlier in the evening First Officer Murdoch, in charge on the bridge of Titanic at the time of the collision, had ordered lamp trimmer Samuel Hemming to make sure it was as dark as possible in order to give Titanic’s watch officers and lookouts the best chance of spotting icebergs from the bridge and crow’s nest, respectively:

17704 Do you remember reporting to Mr. Murdoch, the First Officer, that all the lights had been placed? – Yes.

17705 About what time was that? – I think about a quarter past 7.

17706 Do you remember what he said to you after that? – Yes.

17707 What did he say? – I was walking off the bridge, and he called me back, and he said:

"Hemming, when you go forward, get the fore scuttle hatch closed, there is a glow left from that, as we are in the vicinity of ice, and I want everything dark before the bridge."

17708 Where is the fore scuttle hatch? – On the forecastle head.

17709 Did you carry out those orders? – I closed it myself.

All of these factors tended to make Titanic look very unlike the Titanic, from the Californian, and this is proved in the following conversation between Groves on the Californian - who saw Titanic approaching near the Californian before her collision – and Captain Lord, who only joined him on the bridge moments after Titanic’s collision, when she was then heading more towards the Californian:

Groves: 8197. - When he came up on the bridge he said to me, "That does not look like a passenger steamer." I said, "It is, Sir. When she stopped her lights seemed to go out, and I suppose they have been put out for the night."

8203. (The Commissioner.) You said something about the lights of the ship going out. When did they go out?

- At 11.40

8204. Was the Captain standing with you?

- No, my Lord.

8205. At that time?

- No, my Lord.

8206. Had he gone away?

- He had not been on the bridge again since about 10.35.

Ironically, had Captain Lord returned to the bridge a moment earlier, he would possibly have recognized her as being the Titanic.

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