The Ice Warning Titanic Sent Into the Dark

Name: The Ice Warning Titanic Sent Into the Dark
Genre: Documentary

Before Titanic struck an iceberg, a warning about dangerous ice passed through its own radio room—and the ship relayed it onward.

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Transcript

The Amerika ice report went through Titanic's radio room.
The British liner left Southampton for New York on April 10th, 1912.
It was the largest, most sumptuous liner afloat, touted as unsinkable.
Before April 14th, 1912, ice reports were issued daily to the maritime world.
Ice had been reported near the future disaster site on several preceding days.
Then the German steamer Amerika reported passing two large icebergs.
The Senate later took testimony about these ice warnings.
James Cameron wrote that Senate records provided exact words spoken by bridge officers before the collision.
Titanic transmitted by radio the report of the iceberg that caused its sinking.
Technology could carry danger across darkness, but it could not force attention.
The Hydrographer later said Titanic transmitted the report of the iceberg that caused its sinking.
The Hydrographer wrote that heeding the warning probably would have saved Titanic.
The office's Daily Memorandum recorded a bow seriously damaged, extent unknown.
On the fourth day of its maiden voyage, Titanic struck an iceberg.
About four hours later, Titanic was simply gone.
More than 1,500 people died; GovInfo reports only 703 were rescued.
At 2:20 a.m. on April 15th, Titanic disappeared into the North Atlantic.

But the ice warning was only half the mystery—the ship carrying it had been promoted as nearly unsinkable.

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