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 ? ? ?