Hello everyone. I'm new to the site and have thoroughly enjoyed the reading. This is one topic im greatly interested in.
Just other ideas I thought worth pondering on the subject...
I do not think Ismay acted in the best interest of his company in his actions but I do agree that under such extreme circumstances, its not unusual that he boarded a lifeboat when the opportunity presented itself.
Regarding Captain Smith's actions regarding speed and other navigational issues, I really dont think Ismay had any actual or intended influence, nor do I believe it would have been necessary for him to try. My father was a US Navy captain and its been my experience that after years of command, a captain tends to have his own agenda on board his ship. From my own research, it appears that Captain Smith had made numerous questionable decisions with regard to his commands, for example his collision with the Hawke while on the Olympic. He seems to have been a proud captain who would have wanted to make the maiden crossing one to be proud of. The speed he chose and the daring with which it was executed was possibly borne out of self confidence after years of experience and numerous close calls that ended with no loss of life. A certain amount of egotism is apparent in many sailors with that many years behind them. It is a necessary egotism that allows them to make the life and death decisions that they do. So I find it hard to believe that Ismay would have even NEEDED to encourage Captain Smith to stretch Titanic's legs on this voyage. I'm sure he probably wanted to show what she could do on his own. Besides which, his own comments in prior years demonstrated his own belief in the ships he captained that any situation could be dealt with without fear of foundering. He was also most assuredly a proud man that would never have made decisions based on threat of job loss. He had that job in the bag, so to speak. As the most popular captain on the seas, his rank was assured. My guess is he made the decisions he did based on his belief in his ship and his abilities. I believe his actions AFTER the collision support this. He appeared to be dumbfounded at the loss of his ship and the proven inaccuracies of his navigational decisions. Just my opinion but it makes sense to me...
Thanks for the opportunity this site affords. Ive never seen a more comprehensive study of what, to me, is the most fascinating subject.
