The Freaky Stories About the RMS Titanic You’ve Never Heard

Avatar Danielle |

Since the release of James Cameron’s “Titanic”, most people are now aware of the infamous 1912 disaster that took place aboard the Titanic ship. Despite how much you think that know and understand, you will be shocked to hear the following stories from on board the most infamous ship in history.

The Captain Failed His Navigation Exam


In 2012, it was revealed that Captain E.J Smith failed the first time he took his navigation test.  Eventually he passed in 1888 earning the title “the millionaire’s captain”, however, his experience was mainly in sails ships and steamers. A more experienced captain would have known not to increase the speed in an area known for icebergs.

The Weather Was Perfect


The weather was what most would have considered perfect when the ship sank, however, the clear water and still air might have been what actually led to the sinking of the titanic. The ship was the only thing causing ripples in the water, and had there been a mild swell, the captain may have been able to see the iceberg within enough time to take actions which would have saved the titanic, along with its passengers. Phosphorescent plankton would have been pushed on the side of the iceberg causing it to glow. Unfortunately, since the plankton were not present, the iceberg was not noticed until about a minute before it was too late.  Due to the size of the ship, it would have taken an ample amount of time to steer the ship out of harm’s way.

There Was Only About One Minute to Save Everything


A 1912 investigation concluded that the captain only had around 37 seconds to attempt to redirect the ship away from the iceberg. Recently it has been calculated to have been closer to a minute, which still wasn’t enough time to prevent the horrible outcome.

One Passenger Nearly Predicted the Disaster


William T. Stead, a passenger aboard the Titanic nearly predicted the disaster. As one of the most famous inhabitants of the Titanic, pioneering investigative journalism.  In 1886 he published a fictional story about two ships colliding into one another causing a massive loss of life due an insufficient number of lifeboats available. He also wrote that this is exactly what could happen when ships are taken to sea without a sufficient number of lifeboats. While the ship was sinking, he assisted several women and children onto the lifeboats, and also provided his life jacket to another passenger, and was seen floating on a raft with John Jacob the 4th, although his body was never recovered.

The Heart of the Ocean was Based on a True Story


19-year-old Kate Philips received a beautiful sapphire necklace from her secret lover, Henry Morley. Morley was 40 years old and married with plans to leave his wife and elope with Kate on board the Titanic. Unfortunately, although Kate made it on to a lifeboat, Morley did not. 9 months later, she gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Ellen. In 1989, Ellen revealed she had a picture of her father, Kate’s necklace, and a cabin key from the Titanic.

They Actually Skipped a Lifeboat Drill


Not only did the Titanic not have enough lifeboats for over half of the passengers, they didn’t even use the ones they did have in a drill.

The scheduled drill was for April 14th, the day the ship hit the iceberg, but for reasons yet to be discovered, it was canceled. You have to wonder if the drill had taken place, would the officers have been more prepared and knowledgeable about filling the lifeboats to capacity? That night the ship hit the iceberg and sank.

The Ship’s Baker Survived the Insanely Cold Water Temperatures


At an estimated 28 degrees Fahrenheit, few passengers in the water would have survived longer than 5-15 minutes. Charles Joughin, the ship’s baker, defied these odds by treading water for two hours while awaiting rescue. How did he accomplish this? He had large amounts of whiskey that he drank which kept him from feeling frozen.

The Californian Ignored Distress Signals-On Accident?


The captain of a nearby ship, the SS Californian was fired for intentionally ignoring a number of distress rockets that were fired into the sky by the Titanic. However, recent research offers and alternative theory. The Titanic was sailing through an area of thermal inversion, which is known for causing light to refract abnormally and creates mirages. Several ships reported seeing mirages during the night the Titanic sank. Due to this, it is possible that the Caption of the SS Californian had never seen these distress signals.

Written by Danielle


This post currently has no responses.

Leave a Reply

Copy Protected by Chetan's WP-Copyprotect.

The Freaky Stories About the RMS Titanic You've Never Heard