RMS Titanic

Class Distinction on the RMS Titanic during the sinking

The photo to the right shows the British and English speaking Goodwin family (minus the youngest Goodwin baby) before the Titanic disaster. The reason there is no family photos after the sinking is because the entire Goodwin family perished on the Titanic. The fact that they all died gives lie to the idea that so many Third Class passengers perished because they couldn't understand English. Fredrick Goodwin was a 42 year old electrical engineer from Fulham in Britain, who was taking his entire family to Niagara Falls, NY where he would work with his brother. Goodwin was not an immigrant who didn't understand what happened around him, so blaming the Goodwin's death on being ignorant immigrants won't cut it.

On April 15, 1912, at about 2:20am, the RMS Titanic sank beneath the icy waters of the North Atlantic. At the British Inquiry, Mr. W. D. Harbinson, the official representative of the Third Class people, or steerage passengers, had this to say:

"I wish to say distinctly that no evidence has been given in the course of this case that would substantiate a charge that any attempt was made to keep back the third class passengers. There is not an atom or a tittle of evidence upon which any such allegation could be based (Lord, Walter; The Night Lives on, PG 93)

Before both the American and British boards of inquiry, The White Star Line's company standard was essentially the same; that the only rule was "Women and children first;" there was no distinction between classes. The problem with this assertion is that the numbers of saved do not agree with Harbinson, as I believe I will show in this article.

I will evaluate the argument that class distinction did indeed affect the number of Third Class passengers saved from the sinking Titanic. To get us started, consider this; 53% of first and Second Class passengers were saved, but only 25% of Third Class. Of the First and Second Class women and children, 94% saved, but only 42% of those in Third Class. Only one child in First Class was lost-while in Third Class, 52 out of 79 children were lost. (Lord, Walter, "The Night Lives On," PG 94)

I know the argument many will put forth; that the numbers themselves are what count, not the percentages, but that is erroneous. Because there were more Third Class passengers, more should have been saved. And spare me the weak assertion that steerage passengers weren't kept below decks.

Third Class passengers were use to doing what they were told by their "betters" it was almost second nature, even if it did grate on their collective nerves. It is almost certainly what took place aboard Titanic. They were told to wait, and they did, until the slant of the deck and the cacophony of noise told them that their time was fast running out. Then the men began to get antsy and demanded to be released to the boat deck.

Almost immediately after brushing against the iceberg, unmarried Third Class men, housed in the bow of the ship, began to get wet and knew something was wrong with the ship. Because Third Class passengers were prevented from entering either First or Second Class sections of the ship by locked barriers, these men had to re-route, thus taking them farther away from where they needed to go. The barriers proved to be the death of almost four hundred men as they eventually drowned as the ship sank beneath them. For more in depth analysis of this, check out this link: David Gleicher

Third Class survivors Carl Jansson and Bernt Johannesen's stories are typical of several Third Class men from the bow who survived to tell them. Jansson later related his story: "Then I run down to my cabin to bring my other clothes; watch and bag but had only time to take the watch and the coat when water with enormous force came into the cabin. I had to rush up to the deck again where I found my friends standing with life belts on and with terror painted on their faces. What should I do now, with no life belt, no shoes, and no cap?
Bernt Johannesen also had a story to tell: "We were in the cabin where we undressed. Then we heard something like a vibration in the ship. I dressed, and went upstairs. On the other deck, I met a mate who told me that we had struck an iceberg, and boats were being put out as a matter of precaution. It was nice, quiet weather that evening, so I thought I would walk to the cabin to get a coat. However, at the fourth deck I was stopped by an officer who told me that I could not get any further. The seawater had got into the cabin. (Gleicher, David: The fatal journey of Third Class Men on Titanic) David Gleicher

Third Class passengers "congregated at the Third Class stairway" (Lord, Walter, "The Night Lives On," PG 96) located on E Deck. Why didn't they go all the way to the boat deck to get into the boats? While lifeboats were being lowered to the Frigid North Atlantic, Third Class passengers were below decks and had no idea that their only safe way off the ship was rowing away. The truth is, there were stewards posted down in E Deck with the Third Class passengers, a few minutes before 1:00am, instructions finally came to "pass women and children up to the boat deck." Assuming Third Class passengers were not being withheld from the boat deck, would it be necessary to pass (another word for allow) the women and children?
Steward John E. Hart testified that he escorted two groups (thirty & twenty-eight respectively) of Third Class women and children to the boat deck.

By the time he came back for the second group things down below had taken an ugly turn. Third Class men were now demanding to be allowed up on deck. Steward Hart's testimony was heavily relied on by the White Star Line, but Hart's testimony clearly showed that the men in Third Class (steerage) were held back and the women had what amounted to an hour's handicap in the race for the lifeboats. (Lord, Walter, "The Night Lives On," PG 115)
The White Star Line explanation that the language barrier kept Third Class passengers from understanding instructions from the crew impressed the court; in fact, the court accepted all of White Star's "lines"; Third Class passengers were reluctant to leave the ship, they were reluctant to leave their luggage, and it was difficult to get them up from their quarters. The problem with the first two of these excuses is that they were true of all passengers. As for getting them up from their quarters, they were all told to get their life belts on by at least midnight, and the fact that there were so many at the Third Class stairway proves this theory, at best false and at worst, misleading on their part.
At the British Inquiry, one member of the crew after another assured the court that there was no discrimination whatsoever- but not a single Third Class passenger was called as a witness. Further more, to debunk the theory of the language barrier, the Goodwin's, an entire family of eight, never made it off Titanic, and they were British. Taken all together, or piece-by-piece, the evidence clearly shows that, though no one, both then or now, want class distinction to actually be a cause of death to any passengers, the opposite is true.

According to Douglas W. Phillips, the idea of class distinction was a fallacy, based on numbers of First Class passengers saved as opposed to Second and Third. Third Class passengers vastly outnumbered both First and Second Classes, so based on this and the number of men saved from Third (75) as opposed to Second Class, (14) the idea of class distinction is wrong.

All this proves is that more Third Class men were saved than Second Class men... period. Consider the opposite by this standard, since 387 Third Class passengers perished, as opposed to 154 for Second, that means twice the amount died from Third Class than Second. Phillips also tries to use the vast amount of crew that died as a comparison to Third Class. This will not wash, as crew are supposed to die as opposed to passengers, though it is preferable that no one is lost.

This evaluation demonstrates that class distinction was almost definitely an issue on board RMS Titanic. The lack of lifeboats for all passengers created the necessity for class selection, and the location of steerage made it obvious as to who would be held in check where possible. Most steerage passengers were uneducated, heading to the New World for a better life, and the fact that they could not speak English only made them that much easier to exploit.

To assume that those in authority would not use these circumstances against those in steerage is naive and unrealistic considering human nature or the alternative, which would be survival of the fittest; riots, and death to even greater numbers due to the chaos that would have reigned on the sloping deck.

With 2201 souls on board, and lifeboats for only 1178 Captain Edward J. Smith did not even bother with boat drills and/or boat assignments for either crew or passengers. The resulting confusion caused by complacency and disaster left room for what passed as natural selection during the Edwardian Era.

Although David Gleicher has an interesting, brilliant, and convincing argument that explains much of what steward Hart said, and didn't say. One can not explain away everything that adds up to one thing; there is a reason, or are reasons, why too many Third Class passengers didn't make it to the life boats. Numbers and percentages will only tell us so much as well. When it comes right down to it, Social status was the ticket off Titanic.

In his nearly sixty years at sea, Charles H. Lightoller seen and been through all a seaman could possibly live through, and live he did. After his return from his first shipwreck (of which he survived 4) he told his very worried sister Janie, "Don't you bother, the sea isn't wet enough to drown me. I'll never be drowned!" And he was right!

Captain Edward John Smith enjoyed the respect and love of his crew and passengers alike, and rightly so. With more than 40 years at sea, he had commanded seventeen White Star vessels, including the Adriatic in 1907 on her maiden voyage, which was uneventful.

After that, he had the honor of commanding the brand new sister ship of Titanic, the Olympic, which proved far more trouble some than the old sea dog would care to admit. Twice the Olympic was involved in collisions (and another time run aground) which were directly related to her size, and the inexperience of her crew. Both times Captain Smith escaped culpability, but he knew his days at sea were near an end. He would retire after his return voyage with the new ship Titanic, after her maiden run.

With all his years at sea, and all his experience and knowledge of what can happen while at sea, and the unpredictability of the ocean, Captain E.J Smith said something after the maiden run of the Adriatic that, frankly, shocks me. Considering what was to happen in his near future, and I think he of all people should have known it could happen at anytime while at sea under certain conditions, why would he utter the words that would ultimately follow him to the bottom of the North Atlantic?
"I have never been in an accident of any sort worth speaking about. I never saw a wreck and have never been wrecked, nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort..."I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that."

Like I said; the good captain spoke those fateful words after the run with Adriatic, so he had every right to feel and be confident. But as a sea captain, he knew the history and violence of the sea. Even during his time, he must have known that compared the ocean, the Adriatic or Titanic, or any ship man could devise would prove inconsequential compared to the awesome power of the ocean.

Benjamin Guggenheim slept through the Titanic's collision of the ice berg, but was awakened just after midnight by his mistress, Madame Léontine Aubart, and her maid, Emma Sagasser. Sagasser later quoted Guggenheim's valet, Victor Giglio, as saying, "Never mind, icebergs! What is an iceberg?" But they never the less persuaded Guggenheim to wake up and get dressed.
Later, on the boat deck, as the two ladies were reluctantly getting in lifeboat No.9, Guggenheim, speaking in German, told the maid, "We will soon see each other again! It's just a repair. Tomorrow the Titanic will go on again."

But a short time later, as he realized that not only was the situation much worse than he implied, he saw that he was not going to be rescued, he returned to his cabin with Giglio and the two men changed into evening wear. He was later heard to remark the quote most remember from the movie;"We've dressed up in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen." What the movie did not include was the message he gave to a passenger for his wife: "If anything should happen to me, tell my wife I've done my best in doing my duty."

The wealthiest passenger on the ship was John Jacob Astor IV. There is unsubstantiated rumor that, after the Titanic struck the berg he quipped, "I asked for ice, but this is ridiculous."

A written quote, by Colonel Gracie of the U.S. Army, a passenger of the Titanic, survives to tell the heroics of Charles H Lightoller "Lights." It cannot be overstated enough that Lightoller was one of the unsung heroes of Titanic, even though the ship was ultimately doomed. "For what he did on that night" wrote Colonel Gracie "he is entitled to honor and the thanks of his own countrymen and us Americans as well."

While the Titanic was slowly cruising out of Southampton (Above Photo), she was gliding past a much smaller, and lighter, American liner, the New York. The shear weight and mass of Titanic caused New York to break her ropes, and get pulled toward Titanic.

With the help of the tug boats working on New York, Captain Smith was able to avoid a collision with the smaller American ship.

In retrospect, it would have probably been better for all involved if that particular collision had taken place. For, maybe the far more deadlier one, wouldn't have happened.

Letter written by first class bedroom steward, Richard Geddes to his wife. (He did not survive the more tragic collision.)

"My dearest Sal,

We got away yesterday after a lot of trouble. As we were passing the New York and Oceanic, the New York broke her ropes and very nearly ran into us but we just happened to avoid a collision, I could see visions of Belfast. It must have been a trying time for the Captain. Now I hope you're feeling good and not worrying because I think you needn't. How is my little sweetheart getting along, I guess she misses me a wee bit, what do you think? The ship is going to be a good deal better than the Olympic, at least I think so, steadier and everything up to now. I will close now. Haven't any news, I'm feeling pretty good.

With fondest love and kisses to my dear wife and kiddies,

Your affectionate husband

Dick"

On that dreadful night in April 95 years ago, Bruce Ismay made a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his life. While aiding one of the crew getting people into the boats, it is said Bruce could not resist taking one of the available seats in collapsible lifeboat C. According to another passenger, Mr. W. E. Carter, of Philadelphia, who was also helping out, and got into the boat along with Ismay, there were no more women or children in the vicinity. Since most of the lifeboats were not filled to capacity, it is doubtful that Mr. Ismay took a seat that was meant for another passenger.

On 23 April 1912 the London Times published Ismay's personal statement cabled from New York: ...Captain Smith gave the order to clear the boats. I helped in this work for nearly two hours as far as I can judge. I worked at the starboard boats, helping women and children into the boats and lowering them over the side. I did nothing with regard to the boats on the port side. By that time every wooden lifeboat on the starboard side had been lowered away, and I found that they were engaged in getting out the forward collapsible boat on the starboard side. I assisted in this work, and all the women that were on this deck were helped into the boat. They were all, I think third-class passengers.

As the boat was going over the side Mr. Carter, a passenger, and myself got in. At that time there was not a woman on the boat deck, nor any passenger of any class, so far as we could see or hear. The boat had between 35 and 40 in it; I should think most of them women. There were perhaps, four or five men, and it was afterwards discovered that there were four Chinamen concealed under the thwarts in the bottom of the boat. The distance that the boat had to lower was, I should estimate, about 20 ft. Mr. Carter and I did not get into the boat until after they had begun to lower it away.

When the boat reached the water I helped to row it, pushing the oar from me as I sat. This is the explanation of the fact that my back was to the sinking steamer. The boat would have accommodated certainly six or more passengers in addition, if there had been any on the boat deck to go.

To say that Bruce Ismay got a bad-rap from history would be an understatement. It would have made no sense, at that point in the disaster, for Ismay to stay on the ship. All that would have happened would have been another senseless death in an already unbelievably horrible disaster. But because his name was Brice Ismay, he was branded a coward. And who was most responsible for this branding? Why, none other than William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate, and one of the richest men in America. He and Ismay had met years earlier, when Ismay was White Star's agent in New York. The two men took an instant disliking toward each other and Bruce made the fateful decision of being uncooperative with the press which infuriated Randolph. He took his revenge by using the power of the press, riding the unbelievable emotional wave that resulted in the sinking, and terrible loss of life by branding Ismay a coward for getting into that boat.

You can read the entire story for yourself by clicking on the above link, which will take you to the Titanic Historical Society, Inc.

I believe the tale of the Titanic will never fade, even as history takes those who survived that night (one survivor remains alive) the story itself is far too big for anyone to let go. Thankfully Dr Robert Ballard found Titanic before she could completely disintegrate.

I'm thankful we have photos and paintings like the one above and the ones below. Besides the picture to the right will forever be the most famous sunken bow.

But did you know?

Robert Ballard is the great-grandson of the legendary old west lawman Bat Masterson? Well, I didn't know either until I looked it up on Wikipedia.

Other Ballard Discoveries

German Battleship-Bismarck in 1989: Sunk by the British on May 27 1941.

American Aircraft Carrier-USS Yorktown in 1998: Sunk by the Japanese at the battle of Midway in 1942.

He most recently discovered the wreck of John F Kennedy's PT-109 in 2003. In addition he visited the Solomon island natives that saved the PT's crew.