HOLLYWOOD has clouded the true story of the Titanic but a new book gives the story back to the people caught up in the horror.
Titanic on Trial, edited by Nic Compton (Bloomsbury £8.99) is a collection of the statements given by survivors and experts to the two inquiries into the disaster.
The first, in America, began on April 19 1912 just four days after the Titanic sunk.
Eighty-six witnesses gave testimony.
The second took place in the UK when the British Wreck Commission’s took place over 36 days starting on May 2. Ninety-five people testified.
The inquiries centred on key questions, some of which are still debated today: l Why did the Titanic ignore warnings from nearby ships and continue to steam at full speed into an ice zone?
• Did Bruce Ismay, managing director of the White Star Line that owned Titanic and travelling onboard during its maiden voyage, exert pressure on Captain Edward Smith to maintain speed to gain publicity?
• Did she have enough lifeboats? She was carrying 20 with a total capacity of 1,176 people. Yet about 2,200 passengers and crew were on board. Just a few of the 20 lifeboats were fully laden and only 706 people saved.
• The US inquiry questioned 21 passengers... but no Second Class and just three Third Class passengers were called.
The British inquiry questioned just three passengers in total. An excessive proportion of Third Class passengers were among those lost but neither inquiry concluded they were treated unfairly.
Other questions examined by the inquiries included: l Why weren’t more people rescued from the water by the lifeboats; did one millionaire bribe a crew to row away from drowning men?
• Was the nearby ship the Californian negligent in not immediately going to the rescue?
• Was the Titanic on the correct course?
• Did the officers, crew and passengers behave correctly?
Those questions may have been answered to the satisfaction of the inquiries... but they have never gone away.
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