Unsinkable: A Wallace Hartley Story

Demise

"Many brave things were done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea. The music they played served alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recalled on the scrolls of undying fame."

Titanic Second Class Passenger
April 15, 1912

R.M.S Titanic
North Atlantic Ocean
April 14, 1912
11:39 P.M

"It's bloody cold out here, isn't it?" Fleet said as he looked out into the vast, dark horizon. And faintly, blending in with its surroundings, was a large object obstructing the beautiful horizon ahead.

Frederick Fleet and his co-lookout, both looked out into the distance. Without having their binoculars equipped on them, it made seeing the object very, very difficult.

"You see that?" Fleet asked. He lifted his arm out and pointed out into the front of the ship. "Look right there," Fleet continued. "What is that?"

The two lookouts squint their eyes, trying to figure out what it was that was lurking in front of Titanic. Then it hit them.

"Iceberg!" Fleet said as he quickly turned around to dial the Bridge. He needed to warn them of the impending doom ahead. The phone began ringing. Another thirty seconds went by before anyone answered.

"Hello?" Third Officer Pitman said as he answered the call from the lookouts nest. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Without hesitation, Fleet responded "Iceberg. Right ahead!"

"Thank you for this information," Third Officer Pitman said as he hung up the phone. And as he did that, First Officer Murdoch came running onto the Bridge. He gave his first, of series, order.

"Hard to Starboard!" Murdoch yelled as the helmsman quickly began turning the wheel to the left as fast as he could.

Murdoch then ran to the telemeter to send a full astern to the engine room. He pulled the golden lever back to "Full Astern" and pulled it forward again. The change of speed request was sent.

Once the wheel was hard over, the helmsman responded "she's hard over sir." He was holding the wheel in place with all of his might.

Murdoch ran back outside to see if his ship would miss the iceberg. Titanic slowly began turning to its left as fast as she could.

He gripped the railing and watched the ship slowly begin her turn away from the impending doom just hundreds of feet ahead.

The telemeter dinged back, indicating the engines were now going full astern. Murdoch looked back at the Bridge. Third Officer Pitman, Helmsman Hitchins, and Second Officer Lightoller were all standing in silence waiting to see Titanic dodge her first Iceberg.

With the engines full astern and the rudder hard-over to Starboard, there was simply no way the ship would hit the iceberg—head on at least.

She got closer and closer. Murdoch was sweating, with sweat pouring down his face like a dripping faucet.

"Come on, come on!" He said as the bow nearly missed the iceberg. Then the ship struck the iceberg, with it scraping down her starboard bow.

The entire ship began shaking, and it could be felt everywhere. Helmsman Hitchins was gripping the wheel as it shook violently.

First Officer Murdoch stood staring out into the distance. He had realized that he had just possibly sealed the Titanic's fate. Murdoch then ran back to the bridge and gave his second order. "Hard to Port!"