A Californian VoyageA Californian VoyagePart 2 of 3Part 2 of 3

A Coherent and Comprehensive Analysis of the Movements and Locations of the

SS Californian 14-15 April 1912

CONTINUED FROM PART 1

by Samuel Halpern

Secrets of an Ice FieldSecrets of an Ice Field

ON THE EASTERN SIDE"And about two or three miles from the position of the Titanic’s wreckage we saw a huge ice-field extending as far as we could see, N.W. to S.E." - Capt. Rostron speaking about conditions on the eastern side of the pack ice at daybreak, 15 April.

ON THE WESTERN SIDE"I steered away to the south-southeast true, because I thought the ice appeared thinner down there, sir." - Capt. Moore speaking about going down along the western side of the ice pack at 5 AM.

"He was running along parallel with the ice, apparently trying to find an opening...He was running about south-southeast, when I saw him, coming away from the northwest." - Capt. Lord speaking of seeing the Frankfurt after he came out of the pack ice on the western side near noon, 15 April.

Geometry of the Ice Field and the Path of the Geometry of the Ice Field and the Path of the CalifornianCalifornian

"I made from 6 until half-past anything between S. and S.W. I was pushing through field ice...Two or three miles." - Capt. Lord.

"She was then about five to six miles distant, bearing W.S.W. true, and steaming towards the Carpathia." - Capt. Rostron

"This pack of ice between us and the Carpathia, it was between 5 and 6 miles." - Capt. Moore

Note: The wreckage was 2 to 3 miles from eastern edge of ice field according to Rostron.

We will treat all angles and distances as variables and see what results we obtain.

Geometry of the Ice Field and the Path of the Geometry of the Ice Field and the Path of the CalifornianCalifornian

If the Californian ran more to the S or S by E when it went down the western edge of the ice field, it would mean a shorter distance between her stopped position and the wreckage at 6 AM.

Geometry of the Ice Field and the Path of the Geometry of the Ice Field and the Path of the CalifornianCalifornian

angle angle angle angleg a c y45 22.0 65.00 22.00 degrees

0.785 0.384 1.134 0.384 radians

d1 d2 D L Travel2 5 9.1 7.0 14.02 6 11.6 9.3 17.32 7 14.2 11.7 20.72 8 16.7 14.0 24.0

3 5 7.2 4.6 12.63 6 9.7 6.9 15.93 7 12.3 9.3 19.33 8 14.9 11.6 22.6

the generic solution

Geometry of the Ice Field and the Path of the Geometry of the Ice Field and the Path of the CalifornianCalifornianSeparation Distance for the Situation at 6 AMSeparation Distance for the Situation at 6 AM

Did the Distance Between Californian and Carpathia Increase Before 6 AM?"We moved the engines first at 5.15 on the 15th of April, full ahead...The chief officer came back some time after...I suppose 15 to 20 minutes…He said, ‘There is a ship sunk.’" - Lord.

Full ahead at 11 knots for 15 minutes is almost 3 miles of steaming. Which way? NW or SE? Clear water was seen to the west of the icefield. They didn't cut across the ice field till 6 AM, and the ice was wider to their south.

Applying a Little Geometry at 5 AMApplying a Little Geometry at 5 AM

Separation solution between Carpathia and Californian for 5 AM is 10.6 miles using a 6 mile wide ice field, and 12.5 miles using a 5 mile wide ice field.

Capt. Lord estimates stopped steamer with yellow funnel to the southward seen about 5 AM in early morning light was about 8 miles off.

Capt. Rostron estimated that the four-masted steamer with one funnel seen at about 5 AM to the northward was about 8 miles off.

Californian and Carpathia were both on the eastern side of the ice field at 5 AM.

Mount Temple (buff colored funnel) was stopped until about 5:10 AM on western side of ice field before backing out to go southward.

Ice field estimated at 5-6 miles wide by Capt. Moore of the Mount Temple, and 5 miles wide by Capt. Lord of the Californian.

Sunrise was at 5:31 AM at wreck site on April 15th 1912.

Likely Situation by 6:30 AM on 15 April 1912Likely Situation by 6:30 AM on 15 April 1912

"As I was going to the north the Californian was passing from east to west. He was then north of the Carpathia, and he must have been, I suppose, about the same distance to the north of the Carpathia as I was to the westward of her." - Capt. Moore of the Mount Temple.

Agreements and DifferencesAgreements and DifferencesA Comparison of MAIB Views Regarding SightingsA Comparison of MAIB Views Regarding Sightings

Appointed Inspector

Thomas Barnett

Deputy Chief Inspector

James De Coverly

Titanic was seen by Californian and kept under observation from about 23:00 14 April until she sank.

A ship was seen by Californian and kept under observation from about 23:00 14 April until she disappeared.

There is an extent of coincidence between what was sewn from the Californian and what is known of Titanic's movements.

Two possible explanations for what Californian saw:

1. A third ship came in between the two.

2. Titanic was seen but at a far greater range due to super refraction

De Coverly's Objections to De Coverly's Objections to CalifornianCalifornian Having Seen Having Seen TitanicTitanic

1. At 23:00 hrs Titanic would have been 20 miles away which a very long way off to be seen.

2. Titanic went to port at time of collision and her red sidelight would not be seen.

3. No ship was seen by Titanic until well past midnight.

4. 2/O Stone noticed a change of bearings before the other ship disappeared.

First SightingsFirst Sightings

"About 11.10, ship’s time, I made out a steamer coming up a little bit abaft our starboard beam... At that time we would be heading N.E. [by compass] when I saw that steamer first...When I saw her first I did not pay particular attention to her, because I thought it might have been a star rising...I went down to the lower bridge, which is part of the saloon deck....when I went down to him it would be as near as I could judge about 11.30...He said, 'Call her up on the Morse lamp, and see if you can get any reply.'...I was actually Morsing when he came up...Well he said to me, 'It does not look like a passenger steamer.' I said, 'Well, she put her lights out at 11.40' - a few minutes ago that was." - 3/O Groves (BI 8135-8217).

6771. When did you notice the other steamer was stopped? - [Lord] About half-past 11.

NOTE: Titanic ATS would be about 11-12 minutes ahead of Californian ATS

TitanicTitanic Went to Starboard After the Collision Went to Starboard After the Collision"I know the orders I heard when I was on the bridge was after we had struck the iceberg. I heard hard aport, and there was the man at the wheel and the officer. The officer was seeing it was carried out right." - QM Olliver

"I saw the berg that was going away...on the starboard quarter, off the stern." - Fireman Shiers

"Under port helm. Her stern was slewing off the iceberg. Her starboard quarter was going off the iceberg, and the starboard bow was going as if to make a circle round it." - AB Scarrott

"No, her head was facing north." - QM Rowe.

"No; we started right off from the port side of the boat directly straight off from her about amidship, on the port side, right directly north, I think it would be, because the northern lights appeared where this light we had been looking at in that direction appeared shortly afterwards." - Maj. Peuchen

"It was in the direction the Titanic’s bows were pointing before she sank. I see now that we must have been pointing northwest, for we presently saw the Northern Lights on the starboard, and again, when the Carpathia came up from the south, we saw her from behind us on the southeast." - L. Beesley

Why Californian May Not Have Been Noticed Why Californian May Not Have Been Noticed Until Well After MidnightUntil Well After Midnight

• Californian's masthead lights and sidelights would have been shut out to Titanic when the collision occurred. • 3/O Groves said Californian's head was pointing NE about 11:25 PM and was swinging. • When Groves left the bridge at 12:15 AM her head was pointing ENE and the steamer was dead abeam. • Titanic ATS was 11-12 minutes ahead of Californian ATS based on respective noon longitudes on April 14th.

Stone's Changing BearingsStone's Changing Bearings"But that I could not understand why if the rockets came from a steamer beyond this one, when the steamer altered her bearing the rockets should also alter their bearings." - 2/O Stone (BI 7922)

Gibson saw a red sidelight till after the 7th rocket.Stone's account just doesn't hold up.

Ladies and Tramps in the NightLadies and Tramps in the Night

Both ships present slightly oblique views to the observer here. Both are showing their port sidelight. The tramp steamer is less than half the distance closer to the observer. Can you distinguish which is which in the night views?

"No, you could not see where the horizon in the sky finished but you could see stars right down as far as the sea. " - 2/O Groves.

"We could not distinguish where the sky ended and where the water commenced." - Capt. Lord.

"She Shut In Her Red Light""She Shut In Her Red Light"

"Nothing then happened until the other ship was about two points on the Starboard bow when she fired another rocket. [the 7th rocket observed.] Shortly after that, I observed that her sidelight had disappeared, but her masthead light was just visible." - Gibson (written statement to Capt. Lord 18 April 1912).

Height of eye (HE) on Californian was about 45 ft above water.

Last socket signal fired from Titanic about 1:45 AM. Titanic was down by the head about 5° to 6° between 1:30 AM and 1:45 AM. She also carried a list to port of about 10° by 1:40 AM. ("Angles of Trim and Heel," by this author, THS Commutator, No. 174.)

The height of Titanic's red sidelight (HL) works out to be about 15 ft above the water when list and trim are taken into account.

Extreme range table gives:

1.17 × [ sqr(HL) + sqr(HE) ] = 12.4 nautical miles.

CONTINUED IN PART 3CONTINUED IN PART 3