Captain Edward Smith
It is said that Captain Edward John Smith was drunk and ignored several icebergs warnings on the night when the iceberg struck the ship.
Were the captain's poor decisions the cause of why the RMS Titanic sank?
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Who is Captain Edward John Smith?
Who is Captain Edward John Smith?
Captain Edward John Smith was captain of the R.M.S. Titanic during her maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.
Source #1:Titanic: Sinking the Myths
Source #1:Titanic: Sinking the Myths
By Paul Louden-Brown, BBC
Researched by Jade Jaurigue
Revised by Tory Yetter, 2018
Captain Edward John Smith.
Citation
Citation
Text: “Titanic: Sinking the Myths”, BBC, March 3, 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwone/titanic_01.shtml
Image: “Edward Smith (Sea Captain).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Nov. 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Smith_(sea_captain)
Abstract
Abstract
Paul Louden-Brown believes that captain Edward Smith was to blame for the sinking of the RMS Titanic, and his article gives many reasons to support his theory. For example, Louden-Brown claims that Captain Smith ignored the many iceberg warnings he received. He also says that captain Smith was going 23 knots (1.15 mph=1 knot), which is far above the speed he should have been travelling, and he did not slow down when he received iceberg warnings. Finally, Louden-Brown states that captain Smith did not fill the lifeboats to full capacity.
Notable Quotations
Notable Quotations
"Smith failed the passengers and crew of the Titanic. He failed to heed ice warnings, did not slow his ship when ice was reported directly in his path and allowed lifeboats to leave the sinking ship partially filled" (Paul Louden-Brown, p17).
"If Smith had not failed in his duty, all these lifeboats could have been loaded to their stated capacity in time, or even with many more, for the numbers reflected shipyard workers, not women and children. In the flat calm conditions that night, the first boat to leave Titanic's side, with a capacity of 40, contained just 12 people" (Paul Louden-Brown, p19).
Captain Smith communicating with another captain before the departure of the RMS Titanic.
Citation
Citation
Text: “Titanic Fast Facts.” CNN, Cable News Network, 29 Mar. 2018, www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/us/titanic-fast-facts/index.html
Image: Encyclopedia Titanica. “Edward John Smith : Captain of RMS Titanic (EJ Smith).” Encyclopedia Titanica, Encyclopedia Titanica, 26 Aug. 2017, www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-victim/edward-john-smith.html
Abstract
Abstract
The facts that this article presents shows that the captain did not consider the ice warnings, thinking that the “unsinkable ship” was perfectly safe. As a result, he was speeding in dangerous waters with icebergs and no source of light to see the icebergs, which could lead to many dangerous events, as what happened that night. Captain Smith should not have been speeding throughout the whole trip, especially within dangerous surroundings.
Notable Quotations
Notable Quotations
“The abundance of icebergs that year would also be something the Titanic's experienced captain, Edward Smith, would not have predicted. He'd been sailing the North Atlantic for 26 years and had not reduced the Titanic's speed despite receiving warnings of bergs ahead of his ship” (Titanic, p10).
"Investigations at the time blamed Captain Smith for going too fast in dangerous waters, initial inspections that had been done too quickly, insufficient room in the lifeboats for all passengers, and a nearby ship's failure to help, according to Britannica.com" (Titanic, p12).
Source #3 : The Captain of the Titanic: Edward John Smith
Source #3 : The Captain of the Titanic: Edward John Smith
By Ultimate Titanic
Researched by Jeremy Estrella
Revised by Mattia Pelissero
Captain Smith and his loyal Irish Wolfhound- name unknown.
Citation
Citation
Text & Image: “The Captain of the Titanic.” Ultimate Titanic, 2012 www.ultimatetitanic.com/the-captain-of-the-titanic/
Abstract
Abstract
This article gives us more evidence supporting the opinion that Captain Smith mainly contributed to the sinking of the Titanic. Studies show that Captain Smith was not very cautious with his duties as captain. According to the article, the captain did not bother to make sure that the Titanic was safe and up to the correct precautions, and even slept while operators were sending him messages about dangerous icebergs. While he was sleeping and doing other tasks, he left the radio operators to manage the ship. When the captain lowered the lifeboats, he only filled the lifeboat to half of its capacity, which led to many people without a lifeboat, which left many unnecessary deaths.
Notable Quotations
Notable Quotations
"Captain, Edward J. Smith, had been napping in the chart room after leaving the orders: 'If it becomes at all doubtful let me know at once'" (The Captain Of The Titanic: Edward John Smith, Paragraph 6).
"Minutes later, Captain Smith was all too aware of the fate of his ship, and equally aware of the fact that his ship's lifeboat accommodations were far fewer than the number of passengers and crew on board. Smith would now for the first time in nearly 40 years at sea, give the orders to abandon ship" (The Captain Of The Titanic: Edward John Smith, Paragraph 9).
Source #4 : Exploring the Titanic
Source #4 : Exploring the Titanic
By Robert D. Ballard
Researched by Jeremy Estrella
Revised By Tory Yetter, Renee Modina
Captain Smith (far right) stands with three other captains.
Citation
Citation
Text: Ballard, Robert D. Exploring the Titanic. Toronto, Ont., 1988. (also available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IrR9seSzUdyjUXgn-2wdGckqJFXEMzPI/view
Image: “Edward Smith (Sea Captain).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Nov. 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Smith_(sea_captain)
Abstract
Abstract
This article stated how Captain Smith influenced the sinking of the Titanic because of all of the iceberg warnings he ignored. The captain of the ship didn’t pay any attention to the warning at all and possibly didn’t care about the ice presented in his path. This shows us that the captain of the ship is being overconfindent about his massive ship being “unsinkable”, therefore ignoring ice warnings leaving his passengers vulnerable to ice fields. A lot of people on the ship thought the RMS Titanic was unsinkable, as well, and making them think that they are safe and do not have to take necessary precautions. Captain Smith felt especially comfortable with the safety of the ship, therefore making him make irrational/ignorant decisions, which was a contributing factor of the sinking of the Titanic.
Notable Quotations
Notable Quotations
"At 7:30 p.m., the radio room received three more warnings of ice about fifty miles ahead. One of them was from the steamer Californian reporting three large icebergs. Harold Bride took this message up to the bridge, and it was again politely received. Captain Smith was attending the dinner party being held for him when the warning was delivered. He never got to see it. Then, around 9:00 p.m., the captain excused himself and went up to the bridge. He and his officers talked about how difficult it was to spot icebergs on a calm, clear, moonless night like this with no wind to kick up white surf around them. Before going to bed, the captain ordered the lookouts to keep a sharp watch for ice" (Exploring the Titanic, Paragraph 29).
"On his way back to the radio room, Bride thought the captain had seemed quite unconcerned by the message ” (Exploring the Titanic, Paragraph 25, Line 5).
By Daily Mail Online
Researched by Elle Jensen
Revised by Alejandra Padilla
A quote from Captain Edward Smith, featuring a photo of him in his younger days.
Citation
Citation
Text: Gayle, Damien, “Was the Captain of the Titanic Drunk on the Night the Ship Struck an Iceberg? Letter Written by Survivor Claims Skipper Was in Saloon Bar before Liner Sank.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 9 Mar. 2012, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2112124/Letter-claims-Titanics-captain-Edward-Smith-drunk-night-ship-sank.html.
Image: “TOP 5 QUOTES BY EDWARD SMITH.” A-Z Quotes, www.azquotes.com/author/41602-Edward_Smith
Abstract
Abstract
A letter sent by one of the survivors claims the captain was drinking hours before the sinking. Emily Richards claims she saw the captain in the saloon before the ship struck the iceberg and that his choices may have been under estimated due to the influence of the immense amount of drinking. Mrs. Richards and her two sons survived and were rescued by the lifeboats, but her brother George unfortunatly died in the Atlantic’s icy waters along with the other 1,522 people. Some may argue she was just trying to find someone to blame for the loss of her brother, though most could agree she is a firsthand witness.
Notable Quotations
Notable Quotations
"Captain Edward Smith was apparently seen drinking in the saloon bar of the doomed ship in the run-up to the catastrophic collision" (Was the Captain of the Titanic Drunk on the Night the Ship Struck an Iceberg? Letter Written by Survivor Claims Skipper Was in Saloon Bar before Liner Sank, Paragraph 2, Line 1).
"'She would have wanted someone to blame and clearly she blamed the captain.' 'As far as we know there are no other witness reports that put the captain in the saloon drinking on the evening of the sinking.' 'So Emily Richards's account is not consistent with the dozens of others that exist'" (Was the Captain of the Titanic Drunk on the Night the Ship Struck an Iceberg? Letter Written by Survivor Claims Skipper Was in Saloon Bar before Liner Sank, Paragraphs 16 - 18)
Source #6 : Captain Smith’s Decisions
Source #6 : Captain Smith’s Decisions
By Titanic: The Whole Iceberg
Researcher Elle Jensen
Revised by Ivan Delgado
A picture of captain smith aboard the RMS Titanic.
Citation
Citation
Text: “Captain Smith's Decisions.” Titanic: The Whole Iceberg, autumnmccordckp.weebly.com/captain-smiths-decisions.html
Image: Archives, The National. “Africa through a Lens | The National Archives.” The National Archives, The National Archives, 1 Mar. 2012, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/titanic/stories/edward-john-smith.htm
Abstract
Abstract
This article shows how the captain ignored about seven iceberg warnings from his crew. The captain had gone to a dinner party during a crucial part of the voyage. When he went back to the bridge, he decided not to slow down the ship even though there were warnings of ice. The ship was going 21-22 knots at the time. The captains excuse was that the weather was clear and that he had no reason to. By the captain not taking necessary precautions, he cost thousands of people their lives.
Notable Quotations
Notable Quotations
"Captain Edward James Smith was 62 years old when he sailed on the Titanic, which would be his last voyage (“Captain Edward John,” ). Smith had been commodore of the White Star Fleet since 1904 (“Captain Edward John,” ) and had over 40 years of sailing experience (Wilkinson & Hamilton, 2011). With those 40 years it would seem that he would not ignore the warnings of ice that were coming in" (Captain Smith's Descisions, Paragraph 1)
"On the night of April 14, 1912, Captain Smith also decided to leave the bridge to attend a dinner party during the most crucial part of the voyage (Wilkinson & Hamilton, 2011). He normally took meals in the dinner saloon in his cabin, but since he was retiring after this voyage, George Widener held a dinner party in his honor, with guests representing the cream of 1912 society (“Captain Edward John,” ). He left the party early to talk to Lightoller at the bridge, then retired to his cabin at around 9:20 pm, again leaving the bridge during an important part of the voyage, at night, with warnings of ice (Barratt, 2010). Compared to the disaster of the Titanic, in 1911 Captain Smith was in charge of the Olympic when it collided with the HMS Hawke while leaving the Southampton harbor (Wilkinson & Hamilton, 2011). Unlike the Titanic, the ships did not sink but they did incur more damage than the near miss the Titanic had with the New York in the Southampton harbor on her maiden voyage (Barratt, 2010; Wilkinson & Hamilton, 2011)" (Captain Smith's Descisions, Paragraph 3)
Captain Smith aboard the RMS Olympic- another large ship, sister of the Titanic
Citation
Citation
Text: “How Did the ‘Unsinkable’ Titanic Sink?” Wonderopolis, https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-did-the-unsinkable-titanic-sink
Image: CafePress, https://www.cafepress.com/+captain_edward_john_smith_18501912_large_poster,663908790
Abstract
Abstract
What is portrayed in this article is that Captain Edward Smith was sailing the RMS Titanic too quickly through the Atlantic Ocean and because of this, the ship had very little time to turn and avoid contact with the iceberg as soon as Fredrick Fleet, the ship's current lookout, spotted it. Captain Smith is also said to have ignored or pay very little attention to the radio system and the warnings. He also did not give binoculars to any of the lookouts on board, and henceforth, they could see very little out in the Atlanic Ocean.
Notable Quotations
Notable Quotations
"For example, experts believe the ship was sailing too fast for the icy conditions. Moreover, they think Captain Edward J. Smith paid too little attention to iceberg warnings that had been received" (How Did The "Unsinkable" Titanic Sink?, Paragraph 11, Lines 1 - 2)
“Finally, the crew members watching for icebergs from the crow's nest didn't have binoculars” (How Did The "Unsinkable" Titanic Sink?, Paragraph 11, Line 4)
Source #8: "Titanic: Captain Edward John Smith's Legacy"
Source #8: "Titanic: Captain Edward John Smith's Legacy"
By BBC News
Researched By Ivan Delgado
The statue of Captain Smith located in Beacon Park, Lichfield, Staffordshire, England
Citation
Citation
Text: Kasprzak, Emma. “Titanic: Captain Edward John Smith's Legacy.” BBC News, BBC, 15 Apr. 2012, www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-17181461
Image: “Edward Smith (Sea Captain).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Nov. 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Smith_(sea_captain)
Abstract
Abstract
This article talks about how many different people can be blamed for the titanic but more specifically how Captain Edward John Smith is responsible. The BBC does a very good job on giving lots of information and many useful reasons to why captain Edward John Smith is the reason the titanic sank. This source states that Captain Smith ignored serveral ice warnings, and he "registered rather than reacted to", which means that Smith didn't prepare the passengers or issue warnings to the crew and instead posted a notification on the bulletin board, which did not prove to be effective.
Notable Quotations
Notable Quotations
"Among the many myth surrounding, the captain perhaps the most famous and ominous is that he ignored the ice warnings" (Titanic: Captain John Smith's Leagacy, Paragraph 17)
"However, ice warnings were just that, simply warnings that ice was seen at X co-ordinates at a certain time, which Smith may have registered rather than reacted to" (Titanic: Captain John Smith's Legacy, Paragraph 17)
If you have any questions, concerns or feedback about Captain Edward John Smith's association with the RMS Titanic and/or this Hicksapedia page, contact:
Renee Modina, Manager, Editor, Visual Artist, Grammer Police, Researcher of Source 7
Tory Yetter, Researcher of Sources 1 & 4
Alejandra Padilla, Visual Artist, Researcher of Sources 2 & 5
Ivan Delgado, Visual Artist, Researcher of Sources 6 & 8
Mattia Pelissero, Researcher of Sources 1 & 3
*Researcher = Notable Quotes, Abstracts
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