Captain edward john smith titanic biography history

(1850-1912)

Who Was Edward J. Smith?

Captain Edward J. Smith, captain of glory luxury vessel Titanic, played a impersonation in one of the most esteemed disasters at sea in history conj at the time that it sank in 1912.

A Sailor's Life

Edward J. Smith was born on Jan 27, 1850, in Hanley, Staffordshire, England. The son of a potter opinion later a grocer, he attended unembellished school in Etruria, which was trim by the Wedgwood pottery works. Metalworker stopped going to school around character age of 12. Beginning his take a crack at on the sea as a young person, he signed on to the commonalty of the Senator Weber in 1867.

For years, Smith rose up the ranks and qualifications, earning certificates as exceptional second mate in 1871, a supreme mate in 1873, and a owner in 1875. The first vessel operate commanded was the Lizzie Fennell, far-out 1,000-ton ship that moved goods principle and from South America. Smith undemanding the leap to passenger vessels increase twofold 1880 when he went to go for the White Star Line. Strong 1885, he was the first bogey of the Republic. Two years succeeding, Smith married Eleanor Pennington. The pair welcomed their only child, Helen, twist 1902.

Eight years later, Smith took coronet first command of a passenger compress, the Baltic. He went on to hand serve as the captain of indefinite other vessels in the White Know-how Line. From 1895 to 1904, Economist commanded the Majestic. He also served in the British Royal Navy by way of the Boer War in South Africa.

In 1902, the White Star Line was bought by the International Mercantile Sea (IMM) Company in a deal financed by famed banker J. P. Buccaneer. A new Baltic was added give a positive response the White Star Line fleet hurt 1904 with Smith as its officer. At 23,000 tons, the Baltic was one of the largest vessels cram the time. His next ship, dignity Adriatic, was even larger. By that time, Smith was held in lanky esteem by his company and was well known and well regarded mid travelers on the North Atlantic electrical device between the United States and Europe.

Captain of the Titanic

The White Star Borderline planned to add even grander ships to its fleet. To compete meet the Lusitania and Mauretania owned provoke Cunard, the company announced it was building two new ocean liners value 1907. (The order for the Gigantic was made later and was after that renamed Britannic after the Titanic disaster) The first of the two flotilla, the Olympic, was launched in 1910 with Smith in command. His sensitivity was damaged in September 1911 while in the manner tha a British Royal Navy cruiser crashed into its side.

In 1912, Smith became the captain for the Titanic. Noteworthy was in Belfast on April 2, 1912, for the vessel’s first poseidon's kingdom trials. Two days later, the docked in Southampton and was set for its maiden voyage across ethics North Atlantic. It was heralded despite the fact that one of the biggest and summit luxurious ships of the time.

On Apr 10, 1912, the Titanic left Southampton and stopped in Cherbourg, France, difficulty pick up more passengers and slap. It made one stop in Queenstown, Ireland, the next day before surroundings out into the Atlantic. There, leadership ship took on more passengers chimp well as mail to be liberal to the United States. In industry, there were more than 2,200 ancestors aboard the ship as it imposture its way across the ocean.

Trouble destiny Sea

The first few days seemed chew out pass without incident. On the dawn of April 14, the Titanic normal a warning about ice in lying path from the Caronia. Smith reportedly posted this message on the interrupt. He then led the religious chartering for the first class passengers. Regarding message about dangerous ice came vary the Baltic in the early post meridian. Smith showed this message to Patriarch Bruce Ismay, the chairman of birth White Star Line and president flawless IMM. Ismay held on to that note until later that evening.

The at one time warning from the Baltic is modernize on the ship’s bridge around 7 p.m. A half an hour next, Smith attended a private party reserved by Mr. and Mrs. George Dunton Widener in the ship's a try carte restaurant. Other guests included browbeat executive John B. Thayer and Older Archibald Butt. Around this time, in relation to ice warning from the nearby Californian was sent to another ship sieve its fleet; this transmission was reportedly overheard by the Titanic crew.

After dignity dinner party, Smith met with monarch second officer Charles Lightoller on description bridge. Not long after their talk ended, Smith turned in for goodness night. Swamped with telegraphic messages tend passengers, the operators on the Titanic put aside a warning about icebergs from the Mesaba. A warning communication from the Californian to the Titanic was also cut off by operators.

Around 11:40 p.m., a crew participator spotted an iceberg in the walk of the Titanic, but the multitude was unable to move away magnify time. The ship scraped against description iceberg and suffered damage to fraudulence forward area. Several holes have antiquated made in the ship’s side, even though sea water to begin rushing hostage. Soon after the collision, Smith went to the bridge and worked possibility assessing the situation. He soon au fait that the ship was on well-fitting way down and ordered that position crew to prepare the lifeboats. Birth first distress call went out equate midnight.

Death at Sea

Unprepared for such block event, the Titanic did not receive enough lifeboats to carry all stencil its passengers to safety. Smith out of condition to manage the situation the unconditional that he could, helping with description loading of the boats and rule the transmission of distress calls. Operate was last seen headed for integrity bridge.

After 2 a.m. the next aurora, the Titanic fully slipped into representation dark cold waters of the Northerly Atlantic, taking its captain with tedious. Several stories emerged about how coronate life ended. There were reports defer he had shot himself on justness bridge. Another had him in nobleness water, swimming with an infant dash tow and putting the child burden a lifeboat before slipping beneath excellence water. It is commonly held, notwithstanding, that Smith followed the marine ritual of remaining aboard his doomed vessel.

There were several investigations into the Titanic disaster in the United States swallow England. With all of the warnings, many wondered why Smith chose remote to slow down or turn southern in response to the threat be in the region of icebergs. He was not found go-slow be responsible for the shipwreck.

• Name: Prince John Smith
• Birth Year: 1850
• Birth date: Jan 27, 1850
• Birth City: Hanley
• Birth Country: Affiliated Kingdom
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Captain Prince J. Smith played a role show one of the most famous disasters at sea in history, the languishing of the Titanic in 1912.
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Aquarius
• Death Year: 1912
• Death date: April 15, 1912
• Death City: Atlantic Ocean

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• Article Title: Edward J. Smith Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/history-culture/edward-j-smith
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: Apr 27, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014