# Why didn't the Titanic's personnel evacuate to the iceberg? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2012, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137 "2012-04-18T08:06:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/81 "2015-09-07T17:33:50Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > why didn’t they just patch the hole Yeah. They could have fothered it with the mains’l. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/82 "2015-09-07T17:53:10Z")
> [@ronenfe](#): > > After visiting the titanic museum today. I had a little different question. Since the area had many icebergs in it, just go with lifeboats to the nearest floating iceberg, unload the people, and go to the ship and take more. > Besides I dont understand how the safty regulations allowed any ship to sail blindly into an area with icebergs. Yoi must stop and wait for the morning. And why is the titanic a so special ship if the olimpian was the same ship and built before it. That is exactly what capt. Lord (master of the SS Californian) did-he was stopped in the ice, waiting for daylight to proceed. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/83 "2015-09-07T18:07:24Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Yeah. They could have fothered it with the mains’l. Ok, before I look these up, and promptly forget them anyway, is this a goof using words simply because they are so eminently yaar-my-matey? ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/84 "2015-09-07T18:26:05Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Ok, before I look these up, and promptly forget them anyway, is this a goof using words simply because they are so eminently yaar-my-matey? The post I quoted was purposely silly, so I answered it with another silly solution. Titanic didn’t have sails, let alone a main sail, though if it did, the main sail likely would have been the largest. [**Fother**](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Fother): > [@](#): > > \*\*v. t.\*\*\*\*1.\*\*To stop (a leak in a ship at sea) by drawing under its bottom a thrummed sail, so that the pressure of the water may force it into the crack.[imp. & p. p. Fothered ; p. pr. & vb. n. Fothering. I’m a prairie boy, born and bred. Everything I learned about going down to the sea in boats I learned from Horatio Hornblower. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/85 "2015-09-07T18:30:34Z")
Thank you, honestly. ETA: OK, now you’ve done it again: 😕 “Thrummed”? ETA2: “They that go down to the sea in ships”–your locution. Source? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/86 "2015-09-07T18:45:19Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > ETA2: “They that go down to the sea in ships”–your locution. Source? Psalm 107:23. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/87 "2015-09-07T18:46:17Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > ETA: OK, now you’ve done it again: > 😕 “Thrummed”? Making a continuous rhythmic humming sound. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/88 "2015-09-07T18:49:06Z")
[**Thrumming**](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thrum) > [@](#): > > 1. > > Nautical. to insert short pieces of rope yarn through (canvas) and thus give it a rough surface, as for wrapping about a part to prevent chafing. But Horatio Hornblower eschewed thrumming — it was never mentioned. Anyway, who would have had time to thrum a mains’l after hitting an iceberg in the biggest ship that had ever “sailed?” ---
**Author:** ![ssgenius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@ssgenius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssgenius)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/89 "2015-09-07T19:16:44Z")
There is a large discussion on this in the encyclopedia titanica forums. They go into detail on most of these scenarios mentioned. Some highlights include: 1. The crew did as well as could be reasonably expected given the circumstances 2. At the time, there had been no major iceberg sinkings and they were reasonable confident in the capabilities of the ship. They did not forsee striking an iceberg:smack: 3. Once the iceberg was struck, they did not initially think the ship would sink until the reports of water coming in were realized. 4. This occurred in the middle of the night when most of the crew and passengers were asleep and any reaction was delayed. 5. The boats had to be lowered by hand and given the time frame and circumstances , getting almost all of the boats off was a significant achievement. 6. If everything was optimal, at best, maybe 1200 people could have been saved instead of the 705 that were saved. 7. Putting people on the iceberg was not considered at all. Even if that was attempted, it would not likely be successful. They would have to go by lifeboat and then getting off the lifeboat onto the iceberg would be difficult at best. Then whatever rescue ship would have to find them on this iceberg. 8. On another point, there was some discussion if the California could have made it to the ship whether any more people could be saved. The conclusion was that if the California was there say within an hour, there would still be the issue of transferring the people from the Titanic to the California and guess what, it would need lifeboats!!! The only additional lifeboats were those from the California and at best, they only had a few more lifeboats so only a few more people could be rescued. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/90 "2015-09-08T01:27:48Z")
Great post, ssgenius…thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/91 "2015-09-08T03:38:33Z")
Considering that most people that night died of hypothermia and not from drowning, I would imagine climbing on the iceberg would’ve killed them anyways, just from the cold. And as far as why they were sailing in an area with icebergs? Actually, it had been an unseasonably warm winter, and thus there were a lot of icebergs that had broken off and had sailed farther down into the shipping lanes. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/92 "2015-09-08T05:06:23Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Considering that most people that night died of hypothermia and not from drowning, I would imagine climbing on the iceberg would’ve killed them anyways, just from the cold. Nowhere near as fast. The air temperature was around 0oC and there was no wind whatsoever. With dry clothing an adult can survive in those conditions for a great many hours, as anyone knows who has gone for a stroll on a frosty night wearing just a a jacket and jeans. It’s uncomfortable, but not unbearable even after a couple of hours, and I guess not dangerous for 6 hours. If people could huddle together on an iceberg, I would imagine they could survive for days under those conditions. In contrast, immersed in water at 0oC you’d be fortunate to remain conscious for 20 minutes, and even if you were fished out after 10 minutes you would likely still die of hypothermia because there would be no way to treat that many people. ---
**Author:** ![FollowMeDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6a8cbe/32.png) [@FollowMeDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FollowMeDown)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/93 "2015-09-08T13:55:18Z")
They say that it was courageous of the band to play as the Titainic sank but I wonder if it just didn’t add to the problem of people not taking the event seriousy. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/94 "2015-09-08T15:06:19Z")
Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/95 "2015-09-08T17:38:34Z")
If the berg they hit is the one pictured, there’s not a lot of standing room there. > **[BBC - History - The iceberg that sank Titanic](https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/topics/iceberg_sank_titanic)** > > Watch clips on the iceberg that sank Titanic from the BBC series Natural World. Honestly, the stupidest thing they did was locking the doors to steerage. Down there were the folks with the brawn to get off every lifeboat. They were craftsmen and construction workers, with the experience and capability to rig better floats from whatever materials were at hand. They might have kept a lot more people alive. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/96 "2015-09-08T23:54:06Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > [BBC - History - The iceberg that sank Titanic](http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/topics/iceberg_sank_titanic) I don’t think that’ll play outside the U.K. ---
**Author:** ![ssgenius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@ssgenius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssgenius)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/97 "2015-09-08T23:54:38Z")
> [@FollowMeDown](#): > > They say that it was courageous of the band to play as the Titainic sank but I wonder if it just didn’t add to the problem of people not taking the event seriousy. They did take it seriously. Read the survivor testimony that is available online. ---
**Author:** ![ssgenius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@ssgenius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssgenius)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/98 "2015-09-08T23:56:54Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > If the berg they hit is the one pictured, there’s not a lot of standing room there. > > [BBC - History - The iceberg that sank Titanic](http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/topics/iceberg_sank_titanic) > Honestly, the stupidest thing they did was locking the doors to steerage. Down there were the folks with the brawn to get off every lifeboat. They were craftsmen and construction workers, with the experience and capability to rig better floats from whatever materials were at hand. They might have kept a lot more people alive. Read the survivor testimony. Very few people mentioned about the locked doors. If there was anything that was locked, it would be the doors to the engineering areas ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/99 "2015-09-08T23:58:12Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Honestly, the stupidest thing they did was locking the doors to steerage. “Stupid” is the kindest thing you could say about that. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137/100 "2015-09-09T00:01:35Z")
> [@FollowMeDown](#): > > They say that it was courageous of the band to play as the Titainic sank but I wonder if it just didn’t add to the problem of people not taking the event seriousy. I think when one hears a band that’s been playing ragtime an other popular tunes all voyage suddenly start playing hymns like “Nearer my God to Thee,” one would appreciate the gravity of the situation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-titanics-personnel-evacuate-to-the-iceberg/619137.md?page=6)