RMS Olympic "Titanic" to turn when it sighted the iceberg. "Olympic", like "Titanic", did not carry enough lifeboats for everyone on board, and so was hurriedly equipped with additional, second-hand collapsible lifeboats following her return to Britain. Towards the end of April 1912, as she was about to sail from Southampton to New York, 284 of the ship's firemen went on strike, for fear that the ship's new collapsible lifeboats were not seaworthy. 100 non-union crew were hastily hired from Southampton as replacements, with more being hired from Liverpool. The 40 collapsible lifeboats were transferred from troopships and put on "Olympic", and
Musicians of the RMS Titanic Musicians of the RMS Titanic The musicians of the RMS "Titanic" all perished when the ship sank in 1912. They played music, intending to calm the passengers, for as long as they possibly could, and all went down with the ship. All were recognized for their heroism. The ship's eight musicians - members of a three-piece ensemble and a five-piece ensemble - were booked through C.W. & F.N. Black, in Liverpool. They boarded at Southampton and traveled as second-class passengers. They were not on the White Star Line's payroll but were contracted to White Star by the Liverpool firm of