Andrews establishes the ship cannot float
Having inspected the damage with Captain Smith, Thomas Andrews explained the arithmetic: the bulkheads stopped short of the decks above, so as the bow settled water would spill over each one in turn. Titanic could survive four flooded compartments; six were open. He gave her an hour, perhaps two. The order followed to uncover the boats and rouse the passengers.
Historical — it happened, and the record is settled.
Subjects
- RMS Titanic · vessel · not located
- Thomas Andrews · person · not located
- Captain Edward John Smith · person · not located
Evidence
Verified — Every field is supported by a cited authoritative source.
Report on the Loss of the S.S. Titanic — British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry
Found the loss due to collision with an iceberg brought about by the excessive speed at which the ship was navigated; recorded the ship's particulars, the voyage timings, the ice messages received and the lifeboat complement; held that Titanic exceeded the Board of Trade requirement; found the Californian could have reached her; concluded (incorrectly) that the hull sank intact.
Wreck Commissioner's Court / Board of Trade, London · 1912-07-30 · Verified
Lord Mersey presiding; 36 sitting days, 97 witnesses
Recorded on RMS Titanic
- Keel of yard number 401 laid at Harland and Wolff
- Titanic launched at Belfast
- Sea trials in Belfast Lough and delivery to White Star
- Maiden voyage departs Southampton
- Titanic anchors in Cherbourg roadstead
- Titanic sails from Cherbourg for Queenstown
- Titanic anchors off Roche's Point, Queenstown
- Titanic sails for New York — last sight of land
- Baltic's ice warning handed to Ismay and pocketed
- Mesaba reports heavy pack ice and bergs directly ahead
- Californian's ice message cut off — 'keep out, I am busy'
- Iceberg sighted and struck
- Andrews establishes the ship cannot float
- First distress call transmitted — CQD, later SOS
- First lifeboat lowered; first distress rocket fired
- Last boat launched from the davits
- Lights fail and the hull breaks in two
- Titanic founders
- Carpathia reaches the boats and begins the rescue
- Cable ship Mackay-Bennett sails from Halifax to recover the dead
Related
Related because they share a subject in the Atlas — never because the text looks similar.
- Wreck located by the Argo camera sled · 1985-09-01
- Cable ship Mackay-Bennett sails from Halifax to recover the dead · 1912-04-17
- First distress call transmitted — CQD, later SOS · 1912-04-15 00:15
- First lifeboat lowered; first distress rocket fired · 1912-04-15 00:45
- Last boat launched from the davits · 1912-04-15 02:05
- Lights fail and the hull breaks in two · 1912-04-15 02:18
- Titanic founders · 1912-04-15 02:20
- Carpathia reaches the boats and begins the rescue · 1912-04-15 04:00