The Californian Incident -
A Hollywood screenwriter couldn't possibly pull off such a scenario; no novelist in his right mind would even attempt to create such an event and hope to retain suspension of disbelief in the novel, but the Calfornian Incident is not a movie nor a fictional book. Instead it is, besides being the most hotly debated aspect of the Titanic tragedy, proof that real life can be more absurd than the strangest piece of fiction.
The passenger-less Leyland Liner Californian, sailing from England to Boston, Mass, encountered field ice on the night of April 14th, 1912. Her Master, Captain Stanley Lord, was inexperienced in navigating through such conditions, and elected to stop for the night. He ordered the wireless to send an ice warning to all ships in the area, warning the Californian was stopping for the night due to conditions.
Her position was determined, and taken to the wireless operator for transmittal. Lord himself asked Evans, the operator, what ships were in the vicinity. Evans stated the Titanic, and judged her distance to be about "100 miles back," based on the strength of Titanic's signal. Most traffic from steamers was done on a single transmission frequency; operators would cede "right-of-way" to another station already sending, awaiting their turn in the queue.
Evans began his transmission, but was immediately told by Titanic operator Jack Phillips to "shut up, shut up" as Phillips was "working Cape Race," to catch up on passenger message traffic. The Californian and Titanic were in such close proximity, Evans' signals were blocking the transmission of Phillips. Evans would later recount, as would surviving Titanic telegraphist Harold Bride, that each had theirs "ears blown off" by the strength and clarity of the other's signal.
Evans shut up.
As late as 11:30 pm, Evans still listened, without interrupting, to the Titanic send passenger traffic. Evans was a sole operator, and had no back-up. At 11:30, he shut down the set and retired for the night.
Half an hour earlier, at 11:00 pm, Californian Third Officer Groves watched a ship approach from the east. Captain Lord advised Groves to attempt communication with the other vessel via Morse Lamp, i.e., send a message in Morse Code via a high powered searchlight. Groves sent the signal, but received no response from the other vessel.
At 11:40 pm, the Titanic brushed against the iceberg, sustaining mortal damage. Just prior to striking the 'berg, The Titanic attempted an evasive maneuver - porting around the 'berg. There was no time, the ship struck. Immediately, Titanic officer Murdoch ordered the engines stopped, the propellers were disengaged, and the ship came to rest.
At 11:40 pm, Groves noticed the vessel which had been approaching from the east, and now was southeast of them, stop. It also appeared to him the lights had gone out on the other ship. Groves identified the other ship as a large passenger liner; Lord though the ship closer to themselves in size.
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