Course should have been altered instantly
Experts have revealed that Titanic might have been saved from disaster if it had changed course just 30 seconds sooner.
It has been reported that a crewmember on the White Star liner, which set sail from Southampton in April 1912 but sank in the Atlantic after hitting an iceberg, had been warned of the obstacle ahead but waited half a minute before changing course.
A study concluded that had William Murdoch, the officer in charge, taken action straight away the ship might been saved, along with 1,496 lives.
The revelation comes ahead of next year’s centenary anniversary of the tragedy.
Investigators have examined the original 1912 Wreck Commission inquiry using new research and evidence not available then.
They believe that Murdoch thought the liner might be able to avoid the iceberg and by giving the “hard-astarboard”
order he might be steering the ship’s stern towards the iceberg.
This puts in doubt the original verdict that Murdoch steered immediately but in vain.
Leading the study, US Titanic expert Samuel Halpern, said: “It was a judgement call, and he misjudged. I don’t think we can blame him.”
Researchers based their findings on the testimony of Frederick Fleet, the lookout, and Robert Hichens, the sailor at the wheel.
-With dailyecho.co.uk input
