Robert Walker - Titanic 2012

April 19 to May 25: Inquiry into the Titanic disaster undertaken by United States Senate Inquiry, headed by Senator William A. Smith. Eighty-two witnesses are called.

April 22: White Star sends the Minia out from Halifax to help overtaxed Mackay-Bennett, which has picked up 306 bodies. The Minia finds only a mere 17 after a week-long search.

David put aside his K6 Kindle reader, saddened once again at the plight of those on board the sinking ship that night. What made Titanic ’s fate so tragic and heart-wrenching was the certainty of all those aboard thinking themselves in a safe place of warmth, lights, beautiful finery, and grace—like the house of the gods. Like a great, gilded floating terra firma below their feet. Everyone had been lulled into believing that they were in a sense on solid ground in a place where no harm could come to them aboard a well-lit, warmly heated, comfortable and lovely ‘unsinkable’ ship. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. Especially if it was an inside job.

Anything manmade had the potential for disaster. Why hadn’t they been keenly aware of this during these years of the great Industrial Revolution that coincided with the Gilded Age? That fateful night everything that could have gone wrong simply did. Perhaps some things unseen… some things no one to this day would believe had hastened this fate—indeed had shaped this fate. Alastair Ransom, Declan Irvin, and Thomas Coogan had also shaped this fate, as had Captain Smith, Murdoch, Lightoller, and no telling how many others. Perhaps it was Titanic ’s destiny from the beginning. Or was it? What could they’ve done? What could any one of them have done?

And how did that dog get off the ship when so many people could not get off Titanic in any safe manner?

Trinity came in sight of Titanic at anchor offshore at Cherbourg, France, a beautiful cove bathed in morning light on April 12 of 1912. As there was no pier large enough to accommodate the ship of ships gracing the harbor, boarding passengers must transport themselves and their bags via shuttle by boat-trains that were being de-boarded directly onto Titanic .

Once again, those aboard Trinity saw the familiar sight of four smokestacks as they approached. With Titanic at anchor, with waters as still as glass, and what with the boat- trains coming and going from Cherbourg pier to the giant ship, Ransom and the others were more hopeful this time of getting aboard and stating their case for quarantine before Titanic set sail for America.

Once again the beautiful schooner caught the attention of people aboard Titanic , and a wave of excitement filled the air as Trinity lowered her sails and came rushing at the monster ship under the deft hand of Captain McEachern, who this time brought her alongside Titanic only so far, not about to make the same mistake as before.

Ransom rushed to McEachern and pleaded, “Why have you stopped?”

“Can’t you feel that? Underfoot, man? Under your toes, man?” asked the captain.

Ransom, indeed, everyone aboard Trinity felt vibration created by the displacement of water—a kind of underwater shock wave that amounted to a huge draught shuddering through the schooner and the boat train. This even as Titanic sat in an idle position, all engines stopped. She still displaced a huge amount of water, enough to scuttle the schooner that was dwarfed before her.

Captain McEachern refused to go any closer to the massive ship and instead made for the piers at Cherbourg. Once docked, McEachern pointed to an enormous tender that had obviously been busy boarding goods and more passengers. “We’ll get you aboard the tender, and from there you’re on your own, Constable, and this voucher you gave me—” he waved the IOU overhead—“better be good in Belfast! Else I’ll send some men around to find you, sir.”

“I assure you—Chief Constable Reahall will honor your bill for services rendered, Captain.”

It took but little time for the gangplank from the schooner to make connection with the pier, and even here at the docks with Titanic hundreds of yards off and looking like a behemoth from Greek mythology sitting atop the ocean, the schooner was being sucked in and out and rammed against the boards. Crewmen worked to place cushioning rubber tires between the dock and the rails of Trinity to absorb the impact while Ransom, Declan, and Thomas rushed to get aboard the tender preparing to make its way out to Titanic .

“How will we gain access to the tender, much less Titanic ?” asked Declan, panting as they rushed through the throng of people who’d come out to simply look at Titanic .

“I pray the French authorities will respect the badge!” he held up his Belfast shield, asking people to move aside as the three pounded their way to the tender which amounted to a large, floating pier stacked high with goods from French companies—some labeled for New York from Paris.

A large contingent of ticket-holders also filled the spaces of what appeared a hundred yard square platform about to ferry everyone and everything out to Titanic . While goods appeared to be loaded at one end, a queue with a gatekeeper and ticket puncher held up the final line of boarding passengers.

“Follow me, boys,” Ransom said to the young interns.

He pushed his way through the final crowd and flashed his badge at the gatekeeper and ticket man. “It is imperative I have a few minutes with your Captain Smith aboard Titanic . We have sent him messages and chased his ship all the way from Belfast. There is a murderer aboard and my two deputies and myself are here to apprehend him and take him off at the scheduled stop at Queenstown. We need your cooperation, sirs.”

“Murderer indeed, sir?”

“Aye—killed many a man this villain has. Will you help us to end his career? He could end the life of anyone here you are now boarding.” Ransom swept a hand in the direction of the men, women, and children in line. “Think of the loss of humanity should a bomb be placed aboard that monster ship of yours.”

The two men at the gate exchanged a look at one another, eyes wide, exaggerating their response moments before they both broke out laughing at Ransom. One commented on the youth of his deputies and the other the lengths to which people will go to get aboard Titanic . “Thought we’d heard it all, eh Wally?” said one to the other.

In the end, they were barred from the tender when the gatekeepers began calling for an armed guard who was nearby.

“All right… all right,” Ransom said, hands held high. “When murder occurs aboard that ship, sirs, it is on your head then. Come along, men!” Ransom led Declan and Thomas off.

“We might’ve shown them the pictures!” Declan said, slapping his leather bag beneath his armpit.

“Those two weren’t going to be moved,” replied Ransom, “but I think others will be. Come along.”

Ransom led them to where the goods were being loaded, and there he found the man in charge, and as it turned out, it was a fellow in uniform—an officer from the Titanic who’d earlier come over by life boat with the crew that now worked to get all the necessary goods aboard not just for the trip to New York but for the trip back.

“Sir, a word with you, sir.”

“Can you not see, I am hard at it, sir, and time is of the essence?”

Alastair Ransom introduced himself, again flashing his badge in the sun, its reflection blinding the officer, “And I must speak face-to-face with Captain Edward Smith to impart facts of a highly confidential nature.”

“What is your concern, Constable?”