Well, I have just joined and this was the first post I read, I am so glad you all put her straight, please tell me that she is a one off!
I want to join a forum where people take this terrible yet important part in history serious.
Surley she cant be serious!!!!!!!!

Anyway;

On that "Fateful Night" at 11.39 p.m.Captain Smith was awakened by the collision with the iceberg and rushed to the bridge. He received the report of the accident from First Officer Murdoch and then ordered a quick inspection of the ship by Thomas Andrews - Titanic's designer - and John Hall Hutchinson - Titanic's Carpenter.


He is told that water had poured in and risen 14 feet in the front part of the ship and that the Titanic can only stay afloat for a couple of hours.


He immediately ordered the lifeboats prepared but wavered when it came to giving the order to load and lower them. Second Officer Lightoller had to approach him for the order which he eventually gave.


Surprisingly little is known about Captain Smith's actions in the last two hours of the ships life. His legendary skills of leadership seem to have left him, he was curiously indecisive and unusually cautious.


He was last seem in the bridge area having given the final order to abandon ship.
He appears to have made no attempt to save himself. His body was never recovered.

Some Titanic survivors reported that Smith arrived at a lifeboat, though not rescued, some reported that he rescued a baby.
Walter Lord mentioned in A Night to Remember that one passenger heard a swimmer cheering on and encouraging those struggling to survive the freezing night. Then the unknown swimmer died. That passenger always thought Captain Smith was the man who urged him to live.


It is not that Captain Smith was to blame for the disaster. It is clear he was confronted that he wasn't prepared for by emotion, experience, or training to handle. If Captain Smith was overwhelmed by the circumstances it is something he should be pitied for, never condemned.

Which of us could have handled it any better ? ? ?

Quote:

Very true about the turning of the ship. The center screw was driven by a steam turbine powered by the main engines' exhaust steam. The turbine had no reverse mechanism, so in reverse, it's service was lost. The center screw provided a slipstream to the rudder, which gave the ship more turning power. With the engines in reverse and the center screw disengaged, the rudder was too small to turn the ship quickly enough to avoid the berg.

Daniel

yea however had murdoch reversed only the port side engine n let starboard engine remain at full ahead Titanic might have been able to avoid the iceberg or at least cause lesser damage, hopefully not lethal damages

This question is irrelevant tough. Why did he let it sink? He really didn't let it sink. There was just nothing he could have done. No one could have. If you are asking why did he sail at 23 knots into an ice field? I still don't know, no one does. Could have been peer pressure by other employee, wanted to make headlines....etc.

perhaps cuz Mr ISmay was like 'we must must make headlines!' n he wanted the newspapers to marvel at her speed instead of her size.

captain smith did not let the ship sink as it was out of his hands the ships bulkheads were filling up faster then they were been empted by the pumps. resent everdence as shown that the titanis keel was ripped off by under water ice so water was getting in quicker then it was ment to. captain smith was last seen heading towards the bridge about 10 minntues before the bridge went under the water so may be thats is were captainsmith died inside the bridge holding the actural stering coloum for the rudder. recent evedence has also loacated a part of the keel 10 miles away from the actyral wreck site so they is proof that the ship carried on sailing for a few minntues or o in which helpofthe vessekl actuaral sink even quicker.it is also said that thomas andrews pronionced the ship dead and for suire she founded to the bottom of the northatalkntic and ismay was said to have tried to make headlines to give the press something nwe but you got to rember the titanic was not built for speed but luxury so i seriouslty diout the ship was speeding as she was last reported doing 22 knots and speeding up which is common for captains to do in ice regins to get out of them as quick as possible which this is now class as dangeous to do . as titanic was not desined to turn on a dime at all

He didn't let it sink, it was already out of his hands.He could do nothing but order the wireless opperaters, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, to send distress messages and have rockets fired to get helpfrom a mystery ship nearby(most likely ship:The Cunard Liner Californian).

Umm it was the Californian.