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I suppose there is no question that the collision would have been avoided had a searchlight been fitted to the Titanic's masthead: the climatic conditions for its use must have been ideal that night. There are other things besides icebergs: derelicts are reported from time to time, and fishermen lie in the lanes without lights. They would not always be of practical use, however.
An assistant steward lost his mind upon seeing one of the Titanic's rescued firemen expire after being lifted to the deck of the Carpathia. An Episcopal bishop and a Catholic priest from Montreal read services of their respective churches over the dead.
So in the absence of any plan of action, we rowed slowly forward or what we thought was forward, for it was in the direction the Titanic's bows were pointing before she sank.
Ismay issued a long statement in which he not only disclaimed responsibility for the Titanic's fatal collision, but also sought to clear himself of blame for everything that happened after the big ship was wrecked. He laid the responsibility for the tragedy on Captain Smith. He expressed astonishment that his own conduct in the disaster had been made the subject of inquiry.
The Hamburg-American Cincinnati, the Parisian from Glasgow, the North German Lloyd Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm, the Hamburg-American liners Prinz Adelbert and Amerika, all heard the C. Q. D. and the rapid, condensed explanation of what had happened. But the Virginian was nearest, barely 170 miles away, and was the first to know of the Titanic's danger.
Ismay's telegram making arrangements for the immediate deportation of the survivors among the Titanic's crew was taken to be part of the same scheme to delay if not to prevent their stories of the wreck from being obtained in New York.
The Department of Commerce and Labor notified the White Star Line that customs and immigration inspectors would be sent from Montreal to Halifax in order that there would be as little delay as possible in getting the passengers on trains. Monday night the world slept in peace and assurance. A wireless message had finally been received, reading: "All Titanic's passengers safe."
Franklin, vice-president of the White Star Line, said later in the afternoon, "we believe the Titanic's passengers will reach Halifax, Wednesday evening. We have received no further word from Captain Haddock, of the Olympic, or from any of the ships in the vicinity, but are confident that there will be no loss of life."
They were ready to take patients to the reception hospital connected with Bellevue or the Metropolitan Hospital on Blackwell's Island. Ambulances from the Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn were also there to do their share. All the other hospitals in the city stood ready to take the Titanic's people and those that had ambulances promised to send them.
On Sunday afternoon the Titanic's wireless operator forwarded to the Hydrographic office in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and elsewhere the following dispatch: "April 14. Titanic, Br. Despite this warning, the Titanic forged ahead Sunday night at her usual speed from twenty-one to twenty-five knots.
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