Since the Titanic disaster happened, Bruce Ismay is a man who has attained infamy and become a controversial figure in history.
Bruce Ismay has become infamous over how he acted on the night of the Titanic disaster. His actions on the 14th and 15th of April - when the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank into the Atlantic ocean - has resulted in Bruce Ismay becoming infamous in history. In the 1997 film 'Titanic' it interprets how Bruce Ismay reacted when the Titanic was sinking into the Atlantic ocean during the early morning hours of the 15th of April 1912. But, is this interpretation of Bruce Ismay that night accurate?
How Bruce Ismay Handled The Titanic Disaster
Bruce Ismay was Titanic's owner. He got on board the Titanic at Southampton on the 10th of April 1912. It was at Southampton on the 10th of April 1912 that the Titanic would begin her maiden voyage. It was a maiden voyage where Titanic was supposed to arrive in New York in the United States of America on the 17th of April 1912. However, Titanic never arrived in New York that day, due to the ship colliding with an iceberg at around 11:40 pm on the 14th of April 1912. It is speculated that Bruce Ismay got Captain Smith to test speed, or speed up the Titanic. There is also speculation that Ismay pressured Captain Smith to speed up the Titanic so that they would get into New York early. The 'British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry Into The Sinking of The Titanic' was held between the 2nd of May to the 3rd of July 1912. The commissioners report was published on the 30th of July 1912, they concluded that the Titanic disaster happened because the ship was speeding and crashed into an iceberg. The American inquiry also found that Titanic was speeding and that Captain Smith was responsible for not slowing the ship down. How much Bruce Ismay was responsible for the Titanic speeding is still up for debate today. But what is clear, is that there doesn't appear to be any evidence that Ismay told Captain Smith to slow down the Titanic. Should we see Captain Smith for being fully responsible for Titanic? Or should we see both Captain Smith and Bruce Ismay for being responsible for the Titanic's maiden voyage and collision with the iceberg? Perhaps it is also worth wondering how much autonomy that Captain Smith had over the Titanic on its maiden voyage - was Captain Smith in control of how the Titanic's maiden voyage was to be or was the Titanic's owner - Bruce Ismay? While how much Bruce Ismay was responsible for the Titanic disaster seems to be up for debate, what is not up for debate is his response to the Titanic disaster. He escaped the Titanic on one of the ships last lifeboats, even though Captain Smith put an order of 'women and children first' for the lifeboats. Many of the other senior figures stayed on the ship and didn't leave on a lifeboat. Those who stayed on the ship and went down with the Titanic included - Captain Smith, First Officer Murdoch and Thomas Andrews. Their willingness to stay on the ship and help people to the end shows that these men were brave. However, it cannot be said that Bruce Ismay showed bravery, as he escaped the Titanic on Collapsible lifeboat C. Ismay escaping the Titanic resulted in him being shamed by both the British and American press just after the sinking. He was even called the ''Coward of the Titanic'' by the press. Life After The Titanic Bruce Ismay survived the Titanic disaster. However, life was never the same for him again. Although the British Inquiry did conclude that the Titanic colliding with the iceberg was due to the ship speeding, they also cleared Ismay of the blame for what happened. Although cleared, Ismay never recovered from the Titanic disaster. The stigma of abandoning the Titanic that night stuck with Ismay until his death. Bruce Ismay died on the 17th of October 1937, in London. He was 74 years old at the time of his death. He is perhaps the most well-known survivor of the Titanic. Even today, Bruce Ismay is still known for abandoning the Titanic when it was sinking during the early morning hours of the 15th of April 1912. A justified reputation, or a fair one...?
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