He then led the religious service for the first class passengers. Smith reportedly posted this message on the bridge. On the morning of April 14, the Titanic received a warning about ice in its path from the Caronia. The first few days seemed to pass without incident. In all, there were more than 2,200 people aboard the ship as it made its way across the ocean. There, the ship took on more passengers as well as mail to be delivered to the United States. It made one stop in Queenstown, Ireland, the next day before setting out into the Atlantic. On April 10, 1912, the Titanic left Southampton and stopped in Cherbourg, France, to pick up more passengers and mail. It was heralded as one of the biggest and most luxurious ships of the time. Two days later, the ship docked in Southampton and was prepared for its maiden voyage across the North Atlantic. He was in Belfast on April 2, 1912, for the vessel’s first sea trials. In 1912, Smith became the captain for the Titanic. His ship was damaged in September 1911 when a British Royal Navy cruiser crashed into its side. (The order for the Gigantic was made later and was then renamed Britannic after the Titanic disaster) The first of the two vessels, the Olympic, was launched in 1910 with Smith in command. To compete with the Lusitania and Mauretania owned by Cunard, the company announced it was building two new ocean liners in 1907. The White Star Line planned to add even grander ships to its fleet. By this time, Smith was held in high esteem by his company and was well known and well regarded among travelers on the North Atlantic route between the United States and Europe. His next ship, the Adriatic, was even larger. At 23,000 tons, the Baltic was one of the largest vessels at the time. A new Baltic was added to the White Star Line fleet in 1904 with Smith as its captain. In 1902, the White Star Line was bought by the International Mercantile Marine (IMM) Company in a deal financed by famed banker J. He also served in the British Royal Navy during the Boer War in South Africa. From 1895 to 1904, Smith commanded the Majestic. He went on to serve as the captain of several other vessels in the White Star Line. The couple welcomed their only child, Helen, in 1902.Įight years later, Smith took his first command of a passenger ship, the Baltic. Two years later, Smith married Eleanor Pennington. By 1885, he was the first officer of the Republic. Smith made the leap to passenger vessels in 1880 when he went to work for the White Star Line. The first vessel he commanded was the Lizzie Fennell, a 1,000-ton ship that moved goods to and from South America. Beginning his life on the sea as a teenager, he signed on to the crew of the Senator Weber in 1867.įor years, Smith rose up the ranks and qualifications, earning certificates as a second mate in 1871, a first mate in 1873, and a master in 1875. Smith stopped going to school around the age of 12. The son of a potter and later a grocer, he attended a school in Etruria, which was supported by the Wedgwood pottery works. Smith was born on January 27, 1850, in Hanley, Staffordshire, England. Smith, captain of the luxury vessel Titanic, played a role in one of the most famous disasters at sea in history when it sank in 1912.
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