Tracy wrote: "Even if he was "afraid" of the ice (which seems to be a pretty healthy attitude...too bad those on the Titanic did not have a similar fear!), he was smart enough to know that any effort at all, even one that was aborted by the difficulties of passing through the ice, would have been enough to keep himself off the hot seat. Also, once he did get a full wireless report of what had happened, he got going quickly enough through the ice, afraid of it or not."
Tracy: Lord didn't have any more healthy respect for the ice than Smith did. He just had a slower boat! You've often made much ado of his souped-up watch -- two total lookouts (same as Titanic's *normal* contingent) versus the usual one -- but he didn't slow down, nor did he alter course one bit as a precaution against the ice he himself was well aware of.
So at 10:21 P.M. (ship's time) Lord simply got *lucky* when he, too, narrowly averted disaster. Remember, they had barely run the way off the ship before they were "surrounded by loose ice". Lord didn't stop for the ice; the ice stopped him!
I don't think Lord's supposed 'superior navigation', as he once brashly put it, had anything to do with it all. He just had better luck that night. As for any implied contrast between Captains Smith and Lord, there but for the grace of God would have gone the Californian, too.
As for that 'got going quickly through the ice, afraid or not', you're not even remotely close to correct there. Lord was up and about shortly after 4:30 A.M.. He was then further advised of those rocket sightings (and he consulted with Stone about them). But *still* no one woke Evans until 5:20 -- almost an hour later! Then Lord deliberately waited until 6:00 A.M. to get underway, though he had wireless confirmation of Titanic's plight at 5:30!
Waiting 30 minutes (or even twenty), supposedly for "daylight" is hardly rushing to the rescue! Besides which, the sun was already UP at 5:30 Californian time. (It was already light much earlier still.) Nevertheless, Lord just waited.
[US 736-7]:
Senator SMITH. When were you awakened?
Mr. EVANS. About 3.30 a. m., New York time.
Senator SMITH. And who awakened you?
Mr. EVANS. The chief officer.
Senator SMITH. What did he say to you?
Mr. EVANS. He said, "There is a ship that has been firing rockets in the night. Please see if there is anything the matter."
...
Mr. EVANS. I jumped out of bed, slipped on a pair of trousers and a pair of slippers, and I went at once to my key and started my motor and gave "C.Q." About a second later I was answered by the Frankfurt, "D. K. D., Dft.” The "Dft," is the Frankfurt's call. He told me the Titanic had sunk.
...
Senator SMITH. Have you got with you the message you received from the Frankfurt at 3.40 Monday morning?
Mr. EVANS. No, sir; that was not an official message; that was only a conversation. But a few minutes after that I got an official message from the Virginian.
Sorry, no "damn the torpedoes" laurel leaves for that feat of unimaginable tardiness.
If Captain Lord made no effort to assist (or even assess!), he has only himself to blame.
But this near "hero worship" you display for Stanley Lord, in spite of the facts (meanwhile finding fault with any party who might contradict him, and culpability in any party who might supply him a convenient "out") is really deplorable in its downright partisanship. Did anyone else get it right, other than Lord, in your mind?