PhiI C
10-05-2009, 05:48 PM
J. Bruce Ismay was a ship-owner from England. He was on the voyage of the Titanic in 1912. In the movies about the Titanic he has been protrayed as a villain and coward. He is protrayed as saving himself whle other heroes went down with the ship. Some see him as a scrapegoat who had some very influential enemies which included newspaper owner Randolph Hearst.
He was also blamed for making the Titanic move too fast which was a factor in hiting the ice berg. The USA sponsors wanted a record set in the voyage time but there is no evidence that Ismay ordered the captain to go at a dangerous speed as is often shown in the movies.
It was Women and Chilldren first on the lifeboats principle and this was followed. Bear in mind there was much panic and confusion as the ship sank. When it got to the last lifeboat the sailer in charge of it said there was room for him and another passenger William Carter. There were no women or children or any other men around so they got on board as it started to be lowered. As a matter of fact even after they were on board there was room for six more but the ship was about to sink and they had to lower it so it could get away. It is important to note that the Women and Children first was to ensure that Lifeboats were first filled with women and children and that men could occupy places if room was available. It was not intended for men to not be saved altogether. Remember this was the last lifeboat and Ismay had been working to help get women and children on the lifeboats before this one. It was just an opportunity to save himself. Had he not saved himself he would have perished and since no one was around the lifeboat it had to be lowered right away as the ship was about to sink under the sea.
The American and British press blasted him as did society perhaps too harsely and these influences have him protrayed as wrong. During the hearing he was cleared and it was pointed out he never gave a direct order for the Titanic to travel at safe speed and that at the end he was just in the right place at the right time to save himself and didn't prevent anyone else from being saved.
After the trial which cleared him he keep a low profile and moved to the country.
Below is a photo of him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bruce_Ismay.jpg
He was also blamed for making the Titanic move too fast which was a factor in hiting the ice berg. The USA sponsors wanted a record set in the voyage time but there is no evidence that Ismay ordered the captain to go at a dangerous speed as is often shown in the movies.
It was Women and Chilldren first on the lifeboats principle and this was followed. Bear in mind there was much panic and confusion as the ship sank. When it got to the last lifeboat the sailer in charge of it said there was room for him and another passenger William Carter. There were no women or children or any other men around so they got on board as it started to be lowered. As a matter of fact even after they were on board there was room for six more but the ship was about to sink and they had to lower it so it could get away. It is important to note that the Women and Children first was to ensure that Lifeboats were first filled with women and children and that men could occupy places if room was available. It was not intended for men to not be saved altogether. Remember this was the last lifeboat and Ismay had been working to help get women and children on the lifeboats before this one. It was just an opportunity to save himself. Had he not saved himself he would have perished and since no one was around the lifeboat it had to be lowered right away as the ship was about to sink under the sea.
The American and British press blasted him as did society perhaps too harsely and these influences have him protrayed as wrong. During the hearing he was cleared and it was pointed out he never gave a direct order for the Titanic to travel at safe speed and that at the end he was just in the right place at the right time to save himself and didn't prevent anyone else from being saved.
After the trial which cleared him he keep a low profile and moved to the country.
Below is a photo of him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bruce_Ismay.jpg