Titanic's CQD / SOS distress call (quite long)
Jeffrey Herman
between K4MSG and NA4G on the Boatanchors reflector concerning
MGY's distress call. It sure makes interesting reading. Hope you
enjoy it.
Jeff KH2PZ
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Date: Wed, 8 May 1996 08:18:20 -1000
From: "Paul H. Bock"
Subject: Regarding the Titanic (long)
Boatanchorites & Clickers,
In some e-mail exchanges with Boatanchor Bob, NA4G, the
subject came up regarding the actual calls made by Titanic's
chief operator, Phillips, and his assistant, Bride, after the
ship struck the iceberg. I did some quick research on this and
thought that my findings might be of interest to both groups, so
here they are.
***********
In reviewing my old book "Story of the Wreck of the
Titanic," published in late 1912, I found some discussion of the
testimony of assistant operator Bride (who survived) but the only
mention of calls made refers to the well-known CQD. The book
also contains some excerpts from the testimony of Marconi at the
hearings regarding the proper use of, and response to, the CQD
call. Also shown in the book is a copy of an illustration from a
newspaper which lays partial blame for the disaster on "Wireless
Anarchy." (NOTE: This book is an excellent period account of
the disaster, causes or suspected causes, blame, etc., with many
excellent b&w photos and illustrations.)
************
Second, the recently-published "In Marconi's Footsteps:
Early Radio" by Peter R. Jensen, VK2AQJ/G4GZT (Kangaroo Press,
1994) contains some interesting material which provides more
detail. In Chapter 8, "The Titanic," the following passage is of
interest (pp. 74-75):
"In the wireless cabin at around midnight, the operators had
not yet changed over. The younger operator, Harold Bride, had
just returned to take over the key and his senior, John (Jack)
Phillips, was getting ready to turn in when the captain suddenly
appeared in the doorway. In New York a few days later, Bride
recalled the captain's words:
'We've struck an iceberg and I'm having an inspection
made to tell what it has done to us. You had better get
ready to send out a call for assistance but don't send it
until I tell you.'"
"The captain then returned to the bridge and the two
operators were left to discuss this announcement. About ten
minutes later the captain reappeared briefly and said, 'Send out
the call for assistance.' When Phillips asked him what sort of
call he should send, the captain replied, 'The regular
international signal. Just that.' Immediately Phillips turned
to the operating key and sent out the general distress call CQD
six times followed by the Titanic's call sign MGY and the
vessel's approximate position. Then he sent:
'Have struck an iceberg. We are badly damaged. Titanic
position 41 degrees 44 minutes north 50 degrees 20 minutes
west.'"
"This signal was received by several ships and also by Cape
Race."
"A little later the captain returned and asked 'What are you
sending?' to which Phillips replied, 'CQD.' Bride suggested,
'Send SOS, it's the new call,' and laughing rather grimly he
added, 'It may be your last chance to send it.'"
"When the captain had gone back to the bridge, Phillips
started to send out the revised distress call.
'CQD CQD SOS SOS CQD SOS. Come at once we have struck a
berg. CDQ OM, position 41 degrees 46 minutes north 50
degrees 14 minutes west, CQD SOS'"
*********
Finally, Jensen's book also contains a partial transcript
(Appendix 7, pp. 168-170) of the press report from the New York
Times for Friday, April 19, 1912, which describes an interview
with Bride and his account in his own words of the events.
Regarding the switch to SOS, Bride said:
"The humour of the situation appealed to me. I cut in with
a little remark that made us all laugh, including the Captain:
'Send S.O.S.,' I said. 'It's the new call, and it may be
your last chance to send it.'"
"Phillips with a laugh changed the call to 'S.O.S.'
**********
The entire episode as related by Bride is well worth
reading, as it contains some scathing remarks about the
incompetence of some of the operators Bride had to contend with
when he assisted the Carpathia's wireless operator in handling
traffic after his rescue; for example, regarding operators on the
USS Chester:
"They knew American Morse but not Continental Morse
sufficient to be worth while. They taxed our endurance to
the limit. I had to cut them out at last, they were so
insufferably slow....."
and
"The navy operators were a great nuisance. I advise
them all to learn the Contintental Morse and to learn to
speed up in it if they ever expect to be worth their salt.
The Chester's man thought he knew it, but he was as slow as
Christmas coming."
There is also Bride's account of bean-balling a stoker with
a board when the latter tried to take Phillips' life belt while
Phillips was still at the key. His closing remarks are among the
most poignant I have ever read:
"The way the band kept playing was a noble thing. I
heard it first while still working wireless, when there was
a ragtime tune for us, and the last I saw of the band, when
I was floating out on the sea with my life belt on, it was
still on deck playing 'Autumn.' How they did it I cannot
imagine."
"This and the way Phillips kept sending after the
Captain told him his life was his own, and to look out for
himself, are the two things that stand out in my mind over
all the rest."
********
73,
Paul, K4MSG ZUT!
Date: Wed, 8 May 1996 12:05:46 -1000
From: rdkeys@...
Subject: Re: Regarding the Titanic (long)
>
> Boatanchorites & Clickers,
What is the keyclicks list? Never heard of that before, is this something
new?
> In some e-mail exchanges with Boatanchor Bob, NA4G, the
> subject came up regarding the actual calls made by Titanic's
> chief operator, Phillips, and his assistant, Bride, after the
> ship struck the iceberg. I did some quick research on this and
> thought that my findings might be of interest to both groups, so
> here they are.
>
> ***********
>
> ..... Immediately Phillips turned
> to the operating key and sent out the general distress call CQD
> six times followed by the Titanic's call sign MGY and the
> vessel's approximate position. Then he sent:
>
> 'Have struck an iceberg. We are badly damaged. Titanic
> position 41 degrees 44 minutes north 50 degrees 20 minutes
> west.'"
This must have been the first call sent. It is the one I have seen
most often quoted or paraphrased.
> ..... started to send out the revised distress call.
>
> 'CQD CQD SOS SOS CQD SOS. Come at once we have struck a
> berg. CDQ OM, position 41 degrees 46 minutes north 50
> degrees 14 minutes west, CQD SOS'"
This must have been the second call sent. I have a xerox of the
operators message pad from the Russian steamer ``Birma'' that has
this almost exact message handwritten upon it. I will make a mental note
to pull it out and type it in in a following email. The format is
slightly different, and the CQD OM is missing, and shorthand notations
were used (were they sent in shorthand or longhand?).
> **********
>
> ..... USS Chester:
>
> "They knew American Morse but not Continental Morse
> sufficient to be worth while. They taxed our endurance to
> the limit. I had to cut them out at last, they were so
> insufferably slow....."
>
> and
>
> "The navy operators were a great nuisance. I advise
> them all to learn the Contintental Morse and to learn to
> speed up in it if they ever expect to be worth their salt.
> The Chester's man thought he knew it, but he was as slow as
> Christmas coming."
There were three different sets of ``Morse code'' in common use then,
in the English speaking countries, not counting the Japanese, Cyrillic,
and other odd dialects.
1. American Morse
2. Continental Morse
3. U.S. Naval Morse
They can be found in one of the older issues of the Society of Wireless
Pioneers newspapers. I will make a mental note to pull that one to and
type it in for the record. There are enough minor differences to have
made for some interesting crosscoding of characters. It seems that by
the time WWI rolled around, everyone had settled into Continental Morse,
at sea, excepting the dialects for Japanese Morse, Cyrillic Morse, and one
or two others. Probably this was a result of the Titanic affair.
> 73,
> Paul, K4MSG ZUT!
Great info Paul.... Makes boatanchorin' fun, and historical.
73/ZUT DE NA4G/Bob UP
Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 05:00:21 -1000
From: rdkeys@...
Subject: More early radio message trivia --- Titanic
Boatanchorites....
I finally found that xerox of the radio operator's message
pad from the Titanic incident......
This is the text of the message sent from the RMS Titanic/MGY
as received by the Russian steamer ``Birma'' 100 miles west of
the Titanic's position, in another time zone. It was received
at 2350 UTC which would have been 0050 UTC Titanic's time, or 5
minutes after the the Titanic struck the iceberg, assuming the
times give in the book are correct. This must have been the
first message sent.
I have asciified it from the original photo, but it is as correct
as I can make it even to placement of text on the pad and things
like periods, etc......
---------------------------------------------------------------------
No. Words. Origin. Station. Time handed in Via Remarks
---------------------------------------------------------------------
CQ | Titanic | 11.50 April 14th-15 | Distress Call
| | | |
| | | | Sigs Loud
| | | |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Cqd - Sos from M.G.Y
We have struck iceberg sinking
fast come to our assistance
Position Lat 41.46 n. Lon. 50.14 w.
MGY
L L. Connor
F G Ward.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: I am not absolutely sure of the spelling of Connor's name,
since it was handwritten, apparently in a hurry, and no mention
of the operator's name appears in the text of the book from whence
the above message phtograph came. If anyone has the full reference
citation for that book on ships, I would love to find it out. It
was countersigned by F.G. Ward. (Chops?).
Then, later in the morning, ``Phillips tapped a signal to the
Cunarder Carpathia: `CQD CQD SOS SOS CQD SOS. Come at once.
We have struck a berg. Position 41.46 N., 50.14 W. CQD SOS.'''
This must have been the second message.
This information was contained in a large picture book on ships.
I don't have the title, unfortunately, only xeroxes of pages
125 and 128. The photograph of the message pad is on page 125.
Another book, ``QTC (I Have a Message for You)(A Seagoing Radio
Officer's Scrapbook)'', by Ray Redwood ``Sparks'' (Sequoia Press,
1989, 376pp), lists different times --- 2340 iceberg collision,
0015 first SOS, 0220 Titanic sinks. Redwood lists the first
message as being sent at 0001, by Phillips, according to Bride's
testimony to the New York Times (someone should look that interview
up),
``CQD CQD CQD/SOS SOS SOS DE MGY MGY MGY HAVE STRUCK ICEBERG
WE ARE BADLY DAMAGED TITANIC 41.46 N 50.14 W MASTER.''
At 0005, Cottam, sparks aboard the Carpathia, receives,
``QSL? MY CQD/SOS, OM? COME QUICKLY WE HAVE STRUCK A BERG.''
At 0125, Titanic to Olympic,
``ARE YOU STEERING SOUTH TO MEET US?
WE ARE PUTTING THE WOMEN OFF IN BOATS.''
At 0130, Titanic to SS Frankfurt,
``STAND BY KEEP QUIET.''
At 0147, Titanic to Carpathia,
``COME AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, OLD MAN. ENGINE ROOM FILLING
TO BOILERS.''
At 0155, Olympic to Titanic,
``LIGHTING UP ALL POSSIBLE BOILERS AS FAST AS WE CAN''.
At 0200, Titanic to Carpathia (last message),
``COME QUICK ENGINE ROOMS FLOODED TO BOILERS''.
How accurate the above messages are, with the exception of the
photograph, is mostly based upon testimony after the fact, according
to the various sources that I have read.
I would love to hear from anyone with closer ties to the actual
messages, as sent. I sometimes use these messages in demo
presentations, and I want to try to keep them as historicaly
accurate as possible.
I have searched high and low for many moons for exact text, and
the only thing that I have ever found is the as-received message
from the Birma's spark's message pad, from that photograph.
73/ZUT DE NA4G/Bob UP
Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 05:32:03 -1000
From: "Paul H. Bock"
Subject: RE: More early radio message trivia
Bride's interview as published in the New York Times is
included in its entirety as one of the appendices to "In Search
of Marconi - Early Radio" (Jensen, 1994). I posted only
excerpts yesterday, but it's all worth reading. The way Bride's
account reads, Phillips did all the operating from Titanic, Bride
was merely an onlooker. After his rescue by Carpathia, Bride
worked with Carpathia's radio operator, Cottham (sp?), who ended
up in near collapse after only 8 hours sleep in three or four
days, to help clear all the message traffic (both outgoing and
incoming) regarding the disaster; this was the period when Bride
described the Navy operators (and some others) as incompetent
encumberances. At the time of the interview, Bride was mildly
distressed that there were still 100 to 200 more messages to be
worked and he felt his task was not yet finished.
So it would seem that although Bride was preparing to
relieve Phillips when the accident occurred, Phillips stayed at
the key throughout (and Bride's closing comment about Phillips
continuing to send after the Captain told him he was free to
leave the ship bears this out).
73,
Paul, K4MSG
ZUT!
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