The 15th April 2012 is the hundredth anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. This event has become an iconic symbol of the hubris of mankind against nature, her owners claiming that she was ‘practically unsinkable’. However, it also had an important effect on the advancement of communication technology.
Marconi and Wireless Telegraphy
Wireless telegraphy was still in its infancy in 1912. Only five months before the disaster, New York had received the first wireless transmission from Italy and for many years Marconi had been working to improve the range of his transmissions.
Ten years previously had been the first trans-Atlantic transmission and, in the following years, Marconi had set about improving their strength and reliability, and was doing all he could to commercialise the technology. By the end of the nineteenth century its ship-to-shore utility was well established.
Wireless Technology and Titanic
The use of this technology by the distressed Titanic brought it firmly into public consciousness as well as bringing lucrative returns into the pockets of those ready to exploit such technology for commercial aims.
On the Titanic, radio operators employed by the Marconi Company worked in the Marconi room where the signalling equipment was placed. Two operators were on duty on the Titanic – Jack Phillips and Harold Bride. The risk of ice that night was well known on board ship because of numerous wireless transmissions – the Titanic had received several ice warnings on the 14th.
About twenty minutes after the collision, Titanic’s wireless operators were ordered to start distress transmissions. A nearby ship, only twenty miles away according to the enquiry, was the Californian. As wireless rooms were not necessarily manned round the clock, Californian’s only Marconi operator had gone to bed just minutes before the Titanic was struck and did not receive the distress transmissions with tragic consequences.
The Carpathia was fifty-eight miles away and was the first to arrive by which time the Titanic had sunk and she was only able to pick up survivors that had been in the lifeboats. The wireless station at Cape Race also heard the distress signal and alerted ships. The British Court of Enquiry records sixteen ships picking up the distress signals although the list is not exhaustive as there were some unidentified ships in the area.
The US Senate Enquiry in to the Titanic Tragedy
The US Senate Inquiry began in New York on the morning of 19th April and lasted eighteen days. It was convened quickly to prevent the British witnesses leaving the country before their testimony had been taken.
The wireless operators on the Titanic were praised by Senator Smith in his closing speech for their devotion to duty and their refusal to leave their posts.
The tremendous luck that the wireless operator on the Carpathia, already getting undressed for bed, caught the distress signal just five minutes before turning off his apparatus was not overlooked by the enquiry and continuous manning of the wireless offices as well as a rise in pay for the operators was a major recommendation.
Senator Raynor made the point in his report to the enquiry that there should be a statute ensuring that ships should be supplied with wireless and that they had authority to enforce this on ships using US ports.
The British Wreck Commissioner’s Enquiry into the Titanic Tragedy
The British Court of Enquiry was convened on 2nd May after the conclusions of the American Enquiry were already known, with the Right Hon. Lord Mersey presiding. Lord Mersey appointed the Attorney General, Sir Rufus Isaacs, as the leading council for the Board of Trade. Isaacs and his brother Godfrey were directors of the Marconi Company.
With regard to wireless telegraphy, the British enquiry concluded ‘That in all such ships there should be an installation of wireless telegraphy, and that such installation should be worked with a sufficient number of trained operators to secure a continuous service by night and day’.
The Marconi Scandal and Insider Dealing
In March1912, Marconi had won his contract to link the British Empire by wireless and Godfrey Isaacs, along with other senior politicians in government, had bought shares in an American subsidiary in advance of the contract. Godfrey then offered to sell shares to Rufus and their other brother Harry before the stock exchange was due to start trading them on 19th April.
Rufus originally refused but changed his mind on the day that the loss of the Titanic was confirmed. That day he also gave 1000 shares each to Lord Murray, the Treasurer of the Liberal Party and Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George. Rufus Isaacs made a handsome profit as the shares were boosted by the usefulness of Marconi technology during the disaster.
Insider dealing in Marconi shares became known as the Marconi Scandal which a House of Commons select committee investigated in May that year. Their fellow liberal members of the committee exonerated those accused whilst the others considered them guilty of ‘grave impropriety’. However, there were no great political consequences for those involved as the report asserted that they acted in good faith.
Herbert Samuel, The Postmaster General at the time and also implicated in Marconi share dealing, said of the Titanic Disaster “Those who have been saved have been saved through one man, Mr Marconi…and his marvellous invention.”
Sources:
The Riddle of the Titanic: Robin Gardiner and Dan van der Vat: Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1995
Titanic Inquiry Project: http://www.titanicinquiry.org/
Postal Heritage: http://postalheritage.wordpress.com/tag/herbert-samuel/
Frances Williams - Frances is an Autism specialist with post graduate qualifications but has had to take a career break. She is now a freelance writer. ...
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