RMS Titanic the White Star Liner with Captain Edward J. Smith in command, steams into the English Channel on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, bound for New York City.
12 April 1912
Titanic steams westward on a calm and sunny sea but around sunset a wireless message comes through from the French Liner, La Touraine, with warnings of ice ahead.
13 April 1912
Late into the night of the 13th April Titanic and the Rappahannock pass each other within signalling distance, the Titanic is warned of the ice danger ahead.
14 April 1912
The wireless crackles with fresh warnings reporting bergs, growlers and field ice in 42 degrees N from 49 degrees to 51 degrees W, throughout the day further warnings continue to be received and at 1.42 p.m. the White Start Liner Baltic reports icebergs and large quantity of field ice in 41 degrees 51'N, 49 degrees 9'W about 250 miles ahead.
Further messages come through and finally at 9.40 p.m. the Atlantic Transport Liner Mesaba reports at Latitude 42 degrees N to 41 degrees 25'N, Longitude 40 degrees to 50 degrees 30'W heavy pack ice, large icebergs and field ice.
Titanic is already within the rectangle marked out by this warning. All six messages put together indicate an enormous belt of ice stretching 78 miles across Titanic's path, but the six messages are not consolidated due to a lack of communication, and to complacency.
And on a starlight but moonless night in calm weather and calm waters, just before midnight Titanic collides with a 15,000 year old iceberg, ninety percent of which is below the water level, with no wave action around the base offering a possible early warning.
15 April 1912
Titanic carrying 20 lifeboats - only enough for about half the passengers and crew - sinks at 2.20am.
NEWS FOR FAMILY HISTORIANS
Ancestry have recently added The Titanic Collection consisting of:
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, RMS Titanic Fatality Reports, 1912
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, RMS Titanic Graves, 1912
Titanic Survivors, Carpathia Passenger List, 1912
UK, RMS Titanic, Crew Records, 1912
UK, RMS Titanic, Deaths at Sea, 1912
UK, RMS Titanic, Outward Passenger List, 1912
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