Can anyone, guess the distance to the Ice berg when it was first sighted by Fredrick Fleet, the lookout on the Crow's nest.

Chandra

Best estimates, considering the amount of time it took to make the call to the bridge and turn the ship before impact, are from 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile - .8 to 1.2 kilometers

At the US Senate inquiry, Fredrick Fleet, said he immediatly struck 3 bells to indicate an object right ahead, then he rang the bridge.
Robert Hitchens, the helsman at the time of collision confirmed above.
Hitchens also said Chief Officer Murdock rushed from the bridge wing, then Hitchens heard the telegraph ringing. At the same time wheel was ordered "Hard to staboard". 6th Officer repeated the helm order. Hitchens said at this time he could hear the grinding noise of ship's bottom.

Given considerations to all above, the apparoximate time taken from the time ice berg was sighted to the collision could be approximately 20 seconds. At this time Titanic was making about 21.5 Knots. Therefor, my best guestimate is 225 metres.

It took some time for the ship to hit the berg - and a ship that large does not immediately respond to commands. Further, Fleet and Lee discussed what they were seeing - I'll look it up in the AM but it's in Lord's [i:1f96b94589]The Night Lives On[/i:1f96b94589].

Good day Teamtunafish

I may be wrong, but I could not remember Fleet and Lee discussing before reporting anywhere. Also, it appears that commands given had no effect prior to collision. Telegraph was rung to stop and then Full astern and only the engine room repeater would have shown the orders. Enginners did not have time to stop prior to collision. Helm was ordered to hard to stbd but just as the order was repeated the collision took place. Under those circumstances it was probable following sequence of actions took place one after the other without delay.

1 Three gongs by lookout Fleet
2 Telephone bridge by Fleet
3 Telegraph and helm order simultaneously

CG

Yes, you are correct, that is precisely what he said in testimony - which was what made this little bit so intriguing. It was a little throwaway comment of Fleet's years later directly to Walter Lord. I am combing both books as I [i:5dfe020336]know[/i:5dfe020336] it is in there somewhere, and I'll get back to you with chapter and verse the second I find it. The comment was something like "We discussed what we were seeing, then I rang the bell" - which indicated the iceberg was a bit farther away then normally thought when first sighted. It made more sense when appended to his size estimations at the Senate hearings.

[quote:bd5250b746="cgodakanda"]Can anyone, guess the distance to the Ice berg when it was first sighted by Fredrick Fleet, the lookout on the Crow's nest.

Chandra[/quote:bd5250b746]

about 500 feet away from them :wink:

[quote:b756370f1d]It was a little throwaway comment of Fleet's years later directly to Walter Lord. [/quote:b756370f1d] It's not in Lord, but I will continue looking - I [i:b756370f1d]know[/i:b756370f1d] it's around somewhere, but with the number of books and tapes I have it's sometimes difficult to find stuff. I will, though, promise.

With my luck, probably sometime in 2005.

Here's something:
"With the rudder hard over....Titanic began her slow turn to port. The ship turned two points of the compass, or 22.5 degrees...."

"Some 37 seconds ticked off the clock from the time Fleet first spotted the iceberg until it passed the crows' nest position. During those few seconds Titanic traveled about 446 yards, or 1,338 feet."

(1912 Facts about Titanic pg.131)

I found it - it was not in Lord but in Leslie Reade's [i:1d84ff7a94]The Ship That Stood Still[/i:1d84ff7a94], Chapter 2, page 24:
[quote:1d84ff7a94]It was more than 50 years after the sinking, when I had a long talk with the old man about his experience. He was then almost 70..."It was the beautifullest night I ever seen," he began. The stars were like lamps. I saw the black thing looming up; I didn't have any idea what it was."
"[i:1d84ff7a94]I asked Lee if he knew what it was,"[/i:1d84ff7a94] ( emphasis Reade's)said Fleet, [i:1d84ff7a94]He couldn't say[/i:1d84ff7a94]. I thought I had better ring the bell. I rang it three times."
How long did this interval last while Fleet questioned Lee? Half a minute-? Only a few seconds-? Whatever it was, there had never previously been a hint of any pause between Fleet'ssighting and the ringing of the bell.
It seemed to me that he was telling the truth in this new, and slightly different, but perhaps important, version. He did not realize the possible signifigance of what he was saying, but the impression he made throughout was that of an honest man.....
"We watched the thing. It had a pointed top. We didn't like the look of this thing. I said to Lee, 'You better go down, there'sno sense the two being up here, if we strike' He didn't want to go. 'I can't do that,' he said. But I made him and he went down the ladder."
That, also, was new, though not unimportant. I asked himif he was alone then up there when they hit the iceburg,
"No, he climbed up back. We was up there together."[/quote:1d84ff7a94]

How long did it take? I'm not sure, but this does make it possible that the iceberg was farther away then generally thought when first sighted.