On Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:27:10 -0500, "HeyBub"
wrote:



In retrospect, the crew COULD have over-loaded the lifeboats. On a calm sea,
surely you wouldn't need the same freeboard as in 12-foot swells.
Particularily since the crew knew, or should have known, that help was only
a few hours away.

In a practiced situation there would have been a lot of things done
differently. There was probably no lifeboat drill like you have today
(even that regulation was changed just a few months ago due to the
Concordia). It was the first time for the crew on the ship and some
confusion and panic on what to do with the boats.

The RMS Carpathia acknowledged Titantic's distress call at 12:11 a.m. and
made maximum speed (17 knots) from 58 miles distance. The captain of the
Carpathia rousted a second black gang to stoke his boilers and turned off
all heating and hot water on the ship to conserve steam. The Titanic sank at
2:20 am. The Carpathia arrived on the scene at 4:00 a.m., one hour and forty
minutes too late.

The California was even closer, but the Marconi operators on the
Titanic told the Marconi operator on that ship to STFU as he was
interfering with their transmission. He shut down for the night after
issuing a warning just before the Titanic hit the berg. Today, that
would not happen that way, there would be radio contact.