Reminiscences of Transatlantic Travellers

by Charles Spedding

There are a great many fallacies in connection with the loss of the Titanic, the chief one being that she was trying to break the record. As a matter of fact, she had not averaged twenty-one knots up to the time she struck, three knots less than the Mauretania. Another popular misconception is that she was going full speed in fog, when, as a matter of fact, the weather was clear at the time. The idea that Mr. Bruce Ismay interfered with the navigation of the ship is also ridiculous; no director would dare do that.

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Charles Spedding (1926) Reminiscences of Transatlantic Travellers, Chapter 7. The Sinking of the "Titanic"

Charles Spedding was the purser aboard the Caronia at the time of the Titanic sinking. He later survived the sinking of the Laconia. He ended his career with Cunard as the purser of the Aquitania. He went on to write a book about his career at sea.