Loading summary
Transcript17 lines
- [00:00]
Advertiser Host
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com it's.
- [00:25]
Lindsey Graham
Noon on April 10, 1912, aboard the RMS Titanic in the port city of Southampton, England. Captain Edward J. Smith gives the order for the world's largest passenger ship to depart on her maiden voyage. Her horns can be heard all across the city. Smith looks on as tugboats ease the ship into the channel. He grins as the band on board strikes up a tune to the cheers of the crowd gathered on the docks. Once the tugboats clear the way, Captain Smith orders slow ahead and the Titanic's engines roar to life. As the ship pushes further into the channel under its own power, Captain Smith suddenly hears a strange sound, almost like gunshots echoing in the air. He looks on in horror as an empty ship docked in the channel, the SS New York, breaks from its moorings and drifts towards the Titanic. The cheers from the crowd turn to screams as the two ships head for a collision. Smith barks orders to his crew, hoping to stop an impending disaster. He instructs an officer to call out to one of the tugboats for aid. Smith watches as the tugboat captain pushes his vessel to full speed. Smith holds his breath as the crew of the tugboat cast over a line to the SS New York with the aid of another tugboat, pull the drifting vessel away from Titanic's path. The crowd's panic turns again to cheers as the Titanic narrowly avoids colliding with the SS New York. Smith's ship is safe, but now he's an hour behind schedule. Still, with the crisis averted, the passenger ship can finally begin its voyage across the North Atlantic to America. The launch of the Titanic is an international phenomenon. The ship is said to be the most luxurious passenger vessel on the scene. Some of the wealthiest people in the world are on board for the ship's well publicized maiden voyage. But the journey across the Atlantic got off to a nearly perilous start. It's said that only four feet separated the Titanic and the New York from crashing into each other. Many on board the Titanic will brush off the incident and enjoy all the amenities the ship has to offer. But others will come to see the near collision as a bad omen. Because just days later, the Titanic will collide with something else, then sink slowly into the cold Atlantic waters, killing over 1,500 people in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912.
- [02:51]
Advertiser Host
History Daily is sponsored by Express Pros. Managing your workforce can be exhausting, and if you're tired of a costly and lengthy hiring process, simplify and speed up your recruitment. With one connection, the experts at Express Employment Professionals reduce time to hire, cut down on interviews, and lower your recruitment costs. Visit ExpressPros.com today. Express is more efficient than hiring on your own. Check out ExpressPros.com to see how Express employment professionals can take care of your hiring.
- [03:21]
Capital One Advertiser
Here's a tip for growing your business get the VentureX business card from Capital One and start earning unlimited double miles on every purchase. That's right, with unlimited double miles, the more your business spends, the more miles you earn. Plus, the venturex Business Card has no preset spending limit, so your purchasing power can adapt to meet your business needs. The VentureX business card also includes access to over a thousand airport lounges. Just imagine where the VentureX business card from Capital One can take your business. Capital One what's in your wallet? Terms and conditions apply. Find out more@capitalone.com venturexbusiness.
- [04:05]
Lindsey Graham
From Noizr and Airship, I'm Lindsey Graham and this is History Daily. History is made every day on this podcast.
- [04:28]
Advertiser Host
Every day, we tell the true stories.
- [04:30]
Lindsey Graham
Of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is April 15th, 1912. The Titanic sinks. It's the morning of April 14th, 1912. In the Marconi Room. On board the Titanic, Senior wireless officer Jack Phillips takes his post at the Telegraph. Jack is exhausted. He spent most of the night awake repairing a broken transformer. He's been kept from his regular work and he knows he's going to spend the whole day playing catch up. In 1912, the wireless telegraph, or radio telegraph, is one of the technological marvels of its age. It has transformed ship to shore communication. While developed independently by several people. Italian electrical engineer Guglielmo Marconi is most closely associated with the invention and the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. Has provided the equipment and employees to handle wireless communications aboard the Titanic. Jack Phillips, the senior wireless officer on board, works for Marconi Wireless. His loyalty lies with the company and the wealthy passenger he's been tasked with serving. Jack's job is to relay messages from Titanic's first class passengers to their friends and loved ones back on shore. But at 9am Jack receives a message not meant for one of the first class passengers. It's incoming from a ship that's also making its way across the northern Atlantic. Jack translates the message from Morse code. It reads westbound Steamers report bergs, growlers and field ice. Jack jots down the specific coordinates relayed in the message. But Jack isn't panicked. Reports of ice are common in this part of the ocean. But while Jack's main job is to relay personal messages, he is also required to pass on any pertinent information to the ship's captain. So Jack leaves the Marconi room, finds Captain Smith and delivers the message. Captain Smith quickly charts the location of the ice and Jack gets back to work. Jack is not the only one on board whose main duty is to cater to Titanic's first class passengers. In fact, everything about the Titanic seems dedicated to providing the rich with a lavish journey across the ocean. The ship was built by the White Star Line shipping company to outshine their closest rival, the Cunard Line. Cunard helped revolutionize passenger travel years earlier when they introduced their luxury ocean liner, the RMS Lusitania. But with the Titanic, the White Star Line shipping company has become the envy of the industry. This new ship has been called a floating palace and it's attracted notable passengers like John Jacob Astor iv, one of the richest men in the world who is traveling back to America with his 18 year old pregnant wife. Madeline. Astor and other first class passengers spend the day enjoying fine dining, taking dips in the ship's pool, exercising in the state of the art gymnasium, or sipping champagne and cocktails. First class male passengers can even retire to the Titanic's Turkish baths for a bit of relaxation. And as an added perk, the wealthy can conduct business or personal communication back to shore via the wireless Telegraph. So on April 14, Jack Phillips and his assistant Harold Bride spend much of the day preparing for the onslaught of passenger messages that they know will arrive later that evening. Tonight, the Titanic will come within telegraph range of Cape Race. Located off Newfoundland, Cape Race is home to a Marconi station that will allow passengers aboard the Titanic to relay messages to America for the first time on their journey. But as Jack and Harold go about their work, they receive several more messages regarding ice in the area. At 11:40am, a message stating much ice reported with specific coordinates is relayed to the Titanic. Two hours later, a Greek steamer in the northern Atlantic reports passing icebergs and large quantities of field ice. Jack once again delivers these messages to Captain Smith, but for some unknown reason, the captain doesn't chart the the ice. Then, as night falls on April 14, the Titanic comes within range of Cape Race. And just as Jack predicted, passenger messages intended for America pile up fast. He works quickly to send them all out, but grows irritated as More incoming messages hinder his progress. At 10.55pm, a telegraph from a ship called the Californian arrives. We are stopped and surrounded by ice. This communication is blocking Philip's outgoing transmissions and he wants no part of it. So he responds, keep out. I'm working Cape Race. But soon, Jack, like everyone on board the Titanic, won't be able to ignore the warnings about ice any longer. Before long, the ship's lookout will spot an iceberg in the Titanic's path. He'll sound the alarm, but it will be too late.
- [09:10]
Advertiser Host
History Daily is sponsored by indeed. One thing I've noticed in my business is that by the time a problem reveals itself, it's already too late. You might say we need help now.
- [09:20]
Lindsey Graham
But it's more like we needed help.
- [09:22]
Advertiser Host
Six weeks ago, but we are only just figuring that out. And if the help you need is a new hire, well, get ready for more waiting. Unless you turn to Indeed. How fast is Indeed? Well, in the minute I've been talking to you, 23 hires were made on Indeed according to Indeed data worldwide. Plus with Indeed sponsored jobs. There are no monthly subscriptions, no long term contracts, and you only pay for results. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. Listeners of History Daily will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility@indeed.com onthisday just go to indeed.com onthisday right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com OnThisDay Terms and Conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.
- [10:11]
Sarah Gibson Tuttle
Raise your hand if you want your nails to look perfect all the time. Me too. I'm Sarah Gibson Tuttle from Olive and June. And this is exactly why we created the Mani system. We wanted to make it possible for everyone everywhere to give themselves a beautiful manicure at home with our tools and our long lasting polish. Each manicure with our mani system comes out to just $2. That's right. $2 no more. 30, 40, $50 manis no more that you get at a salon and they take hours. Now you can paint your nails on your time and love them more than ever. And by the way, when people ask who did your nails? Where did you get them done? You're going to proudly say I did them myself. Get 20% off your first mani system with code freshmani20@oliveandjune.com freshmani20 that's code freshmanny20 for 20% off at oliveandjune.com freshmanny20 let's get you nails you can brag to all your friends about. Shall we?
- [11:19]
Lindsey Graham
It's April 14, 1912, in the Crow's Nest of the Titanic. One of the ship's lookouts, Frederick Fleet, shivers in the cold night air as he stands high above the deck, port side, staring out into the ocean. The sky is dark and Frederick struggles to get a clear view of what lies ahead. While Frederick keeps watch, several first class passengers smoke cigars and laugh over drinks. Some second class passengers, mainly middle class travelers, head to their ornately designed smoking room, one that rivals first class accommodations on most ships. Then on the lower level of the Titanic, third class or steerage passengers. Passengers congregate in the general room or shuffle off to their crowded bunks to get some rest. But as much as Frederick might want to sleep himself, he knows he has to suffer the cold until he's relieved of lookout duty at midnight. But 20 minutes before then, at around 11.40pm, Frederick spots an iceberg in the Titanic's path. Frederick frantically rings the bell in the crow's nest three times, grabs the nearby telephone and calls down to the bridge. He warns First Officer William Murdoch, right ahead. William, who is in charge while Captain Smith sleeps, orders the engines to be reversed and for the Titanic to turn. He feels these maneuvers will steer the Titanic away from the iceberg. But he miscalculates. The starboard side of the Titanic strikes the iceberg below the surface, puncturing watertight compartments near the bow of the ship. Crew members working in the lowest depths of the ship feel the force of the collision and they know something catastrophic has happened. Third class passengers are tossed in their beds, but those above and first class feel only a little movement, nothing out of the ordinary for ocean travel. Most passengers are unaware they're in danger, but communication between the crew happens fast. Captain Smith is woken up and he quickly makes his way to the bridge. Once he's caught up to speed, he joins the Titanic's principal designer, Thomas Andrews, and the two men rush to get a clearer picture of what the ship is facing. It's worse than they imagined. At 11:50pm, 10 minutes after the collision with the iceberg, the Titanic has already taken on 14ft of water. The ship has started to list forward. Thomas Andrews tells Captain Smith he believes they will sink within two hours. The captain tries to remain calm, but he knows they are in grave danger. Just after midnight on April 15, 1912, Captain Smith finds Jack Phillips and Harold Bride and then orders the Marconi operators to send out a distress signal. The captain tells the men to find any ship in the area and summon it to the Titanic. At 12:05am Captain Smith orders the Titanic's lifeboats to be prepared. Women and children will board the lifeboats first, as is the custom at sea at the time. As the lifeboats are readied, Jack and Harold desperately try to reach any vessel that can possibly come to the titanic's aid. At 12:25, the cunards line Carpathia answers the call almost immediately. The Carpathia sets a course for the sinking Titanic, but The ship is 58 miles southeast and will take several hours to arrive. Jack and Harold continue to send their distress signal, but soon Captain Smith realizes many of his passengers will die before help ever arrives. The relative calm that remained after the Titanic first struck the iceberg descends into chaos. No lifeboats are stored on the lowered steerage level, so the third class passengers are forced to wend their way through corridors and upstairs to potentially save themselves. Less than a quarter of them will survive. And while passengers on the lower decks struggle to get to safety, most in first and second class are now fully aware of the danger they're in. Soon it becomes clear that there are not enough lifeboats to accommodate everyone. Anxious to get his pregnant wife off the ship, John Jacob Astor IV escorts Madeline to a lifeboat. He asks a ship's officer if he can accompany her because she's pregnant. The request is denied as men are not yet permitted to board. John Jacob allegedly takes the denial calmly and is last seen smoking a cigarette on the deck. Madeline will survive and John Jacob Astor IV's body will be found at sea. At 12:45am the first lifeboat safely pushes away from the Titanic. As the ship tilts further into the water, Captain Smith and his crew continue to try to save as many people as they can. But time is running out.
- [15:49]
Audible Advertiser
Craving your next action packed adventure, Audible delivers thrills of every kind on your command. Like Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir where a lone astronaut must save humanity from extinction. Narrated with stunning intensity by Ray Porter from electrifying suspense and daring quests to spine tingling horror and romance in far off realms, unleash your adventure aside with gripping titles that'll keep you guessing. Discover exclusive Audible originals, hotly anticipated new releases and must listen bestsellers that hook you from the first minute. Because Audible knows there's no greater thrill than the one that speaks to you. Discover what lies beyond the edge of your seat. Start your free 30 day trial at audible.com wonderyus that's audible.com wonderyus Ryan Reynolds.
- [16:39]
Mint Mobile Advertiser
Here from Mint Mobile with a Message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying. No judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment.
- [17:00]
Lindsey Graham
Of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full terms@mintmobile.com It's 2:17am on April 15, 1912, in the Marconi Room of the Titanic. Jack Phillips and Harold Bride furiously tap on the wireless telegraph. The Carpathia is the only ship that has answered their call, but they're still trying to reach anyone they can. At 2:05am the last lifeboat was lowered from the Titanic. Jack and Harold know there's little hope for those left on board if no one else responds. Soon, Captain Smith enters the Marconi Room and he relieves the men of their duty. Jack and Harold take their life jackets and rush out of the room as water rises up around their ankles. Once outside, Jack and Harold see the Titanic tilting deeper into the sea. Unable to keep their grip on the listing ship, passengers plummet into the frigid water and within minutes, Jack and Harold too will both end up overboard. Harold will survive, but Jack will perish. As the Titanic continues its dives into the ocean waters, Captain Smith declares it's every man for himself. Some survivors will say the captain patiently waited to go down with his ship, while others will claim they saw him leap into the Ocean. Either way, Captain Smith's body will never be recovered. At 2:20am those safely in the lifeboats watch as the bow of the Titanic splits apart from the stern. The noise is deafening, but that sound is soon replaced by screams of people desperately fighting to survive. As the ship's stern turns upright, submerges and the Titanic fully sinks. At 3:30am Rockets from the Carpathia fire into the air, letting those on the lifeboats know that help is finally coming. Forty minutes later, the Carpathia picks up the first lifeboat and for the next several hours, people are rescued from the water. At 8:50am with no more passengers left to save, the Carpathia sets its course for New York with 705 survivors on board. Though the dead will far outnumber the living, an English inquiry into the disaster will list the number of lives lost at 1,503. Their American counterparts will claim that 1,517 people died in the sinking. Over time, the Titanic grows into a symbol of hubris, an unsinkable ship that plunged to the bottom of the sea. Captain Smith once said in an interview, shipbuilding is such a perfect art nowadays that absolute disaster involving the passengers is inconceivable. Claims that the ship was advertised as unsinkable at the time have been widely debated by historians and since the sinking of the Titanic, has inspired novels, television shows, a Broadway musical, and one of the highest grossing Hollywood films of all time. These works often delve into the class distinctions that were made on the ship and how those divisions made it far more difficult for poorer passengers to survive. In fiction, the Titanic is usually rife with heroes, villains and cowards aboard its decks, but even the bravest had no zeal for being there that day. The real life stories passed on by those who survived reveal a kaleidoscope of human behavior, but mostly the terror of those people who were on board the Titanic when it sank on April 15, 1912. Next on History Daily 4-16-73 CE the.
- [20:33]
Advertiser Host
Fall of the Fortress of Masada brings.
- [20:35]
Lindsey Graham
An end to the first Jewish Roman War. From Noiser and Airship this Is History Daily. Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing and sound design by Molly Bond Music by Lindsey Graham. This episode is written and researched by Michael Federico. Executive producers are Steven Walters for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.