Rarely Seen Images Of The Carpathia, The Ship That Saved Over 700 Titanic Survivors
Over the past century, the infamy of the Titanic disaster has taught multiple generations a handful of key facts about the incident. The ship hit an iceberg despite being considered unsinkable, there were insufficient life boats, the ship broke in half over the hours that saw it sink, and the tragedy killed over 1,500 people.
However, what often gets missed in these stories of the Titanic disaster is the fact that the 706 people who made it off the gargantuan ship alive had just one vessel to turn to. That ship was called the Carpathia and there are more photos from its decks than you might think.
A More Modest Ship
The image of the Titanic was iconic in people’s minds both at the time and in the decades since, but this is what people had to compare it to in 1912. It looks similar to the Titanic’s design, but with only one smokestack instead of several.
Given its role in relieving the Titanic disaster, one might assume that its similar appearance was attributed to sharing the White Star Line company with the famous ship. However, the Carpathia was actually owned by a competitor called Cunard Line. Ships of its kind just looked like that back then.
Smaller Than The Titanic Is Still Pretty Large
Despite the size difference, this shot of the Carpathia at its pier makes it clear how massive and imposing the ship was in its own right. It may not have matched the 883-foot length and 52,310 tons of the Titanic but that didn’t stop it from being large enough to carry hundreds of extra passengers.
Although things may have been cramped on the Carpathia once it fulfilled its lifesaving mission, its 558-foot length and 13,500-ton weight are still impressive enough to take those stranded passengers on without much logistical trouble.
A Captain Who Emerged As A Hero
Although he wasn’t the only captain the Carpathia would have during its time at sea, Arthur Rostron became highly decorated in both the United States and Great Britain after his ship intervened on the fateful night of the Titanic’s sinking.
Lauded for his diligent preparation and efficient response to the Titanic’s distress calls, Rostron was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in America. In 1926, the British crown appointed him Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and by the time of his retirement in 1931, he was commodore of the entire Cunard Line fleet.
A Distress Call That Was Only Received By Chance
Although Rostron ordered the Carpathia’s immediate response to the Titanic distress call, it was only by pure chance and the conscientiousness of wireless operator Harold Cottam that he heard it at all. Although the Titanic sent out previous messages before Cottam’s shift ended at midnight, he was on the bridge at the time.
However, he continued listening for transmissions as he prepared for bed and heard that Cape Cod, Massachusetts, had private traffic for the Titanic. He decided to be helpful and pass that on to the ship, only to suddenly realize he was being even more helpful than he thought. That’s because he received the distress call in response.
An Unfortunate Drawback In Carpathia’s Design
Although the Carpathia set a course for the Titanic’s location without delay, it was originally built to ferry immigrant travellers. This influence on its design gave the Carpathia some enviable fuel economy but it also meant that the ship was significantly slower than the Titanic.
This meant that even though Rostron ordered the ship to go at top speed when navigating the 58.2 nautical miles between the Carpathia and the Titanic, it still took the Carpathia three-and-a-half hours to get there. At that point, the Titanic had already sunk.
There Was Still Time
Although the Carpathia wasn’t able to arrive before the sinking of the Titanic, that doesn’t mean it was too late. Although it would later be determined that 1,517 people had already perished by then, that still left approximately 706 people.
Those people had escaped via life boats like the ones shown here but they were precariously bobbing through treacherous, freezing waters as surviving crew members rowed them. They needed safe passage out of the northern Atlantic waters.
Just In Time To Provide Needed Relief
Naturally, the frigid conditions meant that by the time survivors like these approached the vessel, they were cold, frightened, and exhausted. The Carpathia was able to provide the safety and comfort they needed on their way back to dry land.
Considering that this photo had a large arrow added to it later, it’s only natural to wonder who this arrow was pointing at. As it turns out, the answer was White Star Line chairman Joseph Bruce Ismay, who was plagued by (largely unfounded) rumors of cowardice and pressuring Captain Edward Smith to push the Titanic to an unsafe speed after the disaster.
Surprisingly Clear Pictures Of The Aftermath
Although this picture’s photographer is unknown, their image clarity and proximity to these Titanic survivors made it clear that the Carpathia was lucky enough to have someone with a camera on board. After all, they were much larger and more cumbersome at the time, so they weren’t as commonly carried as they are today.
This particular photo also serves as a reminder that these passengers weren’t quite rescued yet by the time they reached the Carpathia. They had to climb the ladder shown being lowered here to get to the safety of the ship’s decks.
The Boats Needed To Be Secured As Well
Given the emergency nature of the situation, the priority for the Carpathia crew was getting the Titanic survivors out of the life boats. However, once they were brought up the ladder, that didn’t mean they were apt to throw the boats themselves away.
That’s why this photo captures three life boats slowly being hoisted up the side of the ship. A later photo captured many of these life boats in a line at a beach, which meant the Carpathia kept most — if not all — of them.
Pictures Were Tougher To Take In Those Days
Although it’s true that the Carpathia’s mystery passenger was able to take some impressively clear shots of the scene on the rescue ship, that’s not quite how all of them turned out. Even at the best of times, there are going to be some blurry or grainy photos.
Indeed, that was doubly true back in 1912. So while this fortunately isn’t the only photo taken of the Titanic’s survivors after they made it onto the Carpathia, there weren’t many others to choose from. It’s at least clear enough to tell what we’re looking at.
The Passengers Are Made As Comfortable As Possible
The main reason the passengers were extracted from the life boats so quickly was that the ship’s chief surgeon, Francis Edward McGee, his assistant surgeon Vittorio Risicato, and Captain Rostron — who had some paramedic experience — could examine them medically.
On this deck, the mystery passenger with the impressive clear photographs captured the Titanic survivors as they milled around. Although their eyes are downcast, they appear to speak calmly. Unless this is a sign of the stoicism of the time period, the gravity of what they just escaped may not have been processed at this point.
The Crew Weren’t The Only Ones Helping
Although the crew felt a duty to care for the Titanic survivors, many of the Carpathia’s passengers also did their own part to aid them. Although this photo has since been colorized, it depicts women bringing blankets to warm and comfort their ship’s new arrivals.
That was a common and appreciated gift from the Carpathia’s passengers, but they also provided warm food and beverages. Just as importantly, many of them provided moral support for the shakened survivors. After all, even those who hadn’t lost someone close witnessed more death that night than anybody should.
The Anxiety Settles
After the initial rush to provide the Titanic survivors with everything they needed, the Carpathia passengers sat with them a while, offering their comforts as they sat and decompressed. It seemed that for the first time in hours, they had a moment to relax and breathe now that they were in a safer environment.
Both the passengers and the survivors were decked out in heavy coats and while this was partially due to the obvious reason that it was cold that night, that wasn’t the sole reason. In order to put as much power and speed into the steam engines as he could, Rostron ordered the ship’s heating systems cut off after the distress call came in.
A Calm, Safe Voyage To The Original Destination
After the last survivor was brought onto the Carpathia at 9 am, Rostron ordered his crew to set sail. However, it took an additional consultation with Ismay before the destination was determined, after which Rostron decided to disembark them at New York City.
That was where the Titanic was ultimately supposed to go before it sank closer to Newfoundland, Canada. By the time that order was given, the dress and relative comfort of these Titanic survivors suggests that power was redirected to heating the ship once again.
An Anxious Crowd Gathers At The Titanic’s Intended Port
By the time of the Carpathia’s rescue, news of the disaster has already reached the United States. This meant that news organizations were updating as quickly as the could when tracking and reporting the Carpathia’s movements.
By the time the ship made it to New York City, it was already widely known that the ship would be coming with Titanic survivors. Whether they knew anyone aboard the doomed vessel or not, the bustling crowd shown here eagerly awaited their arrival.
A Hotly Anticipated Arrival
Considering how many people where awaiting the Carpathia’s arrival, it stood to reason that photographers would be around to document the deboarding survivors. As this photo shows, however, the crowd of people exiting the ship is large enough to make it hard to tell them from the Carpathia’s passengers.
It would be easy to understand why all of them would be eager to step on dry land again but that was especially true for the Titanic survivors, given the ordeal they just made it through.
The Exhaustion And Discomfort Is Palpable
After the Titanic survivors disembarked, they spent some time on the pier while they awaited transport or decided their next steps. Understandably, most of them seem quite perturbed in this photograph. Granted, the expression of the man on the right suggests this was partially because camera flashes were much brighter and louder back in those days.
However, it’s impossible to overstate how horrific the events of the Titanic disaster were for those who witnessed it. They had more than enough reasons to feel vulnerable when this picture was taken.
The Ultimate Relief For At Least One Woman
Although this photo was not taken when the Titanic survivors arrived in New York City via the Carpathia, the man kissing his wife in this photo was there. In fact, he was a surviving Titanic crew member, which meant he beat incredible odds to make it there.
After all, only 214 members of the once 900-person strong Titanic crew survived the tragedy. Even as she sinks into the warmth of his kissing embrace, it’s clear this man’s wife was still haunted by what could have happened to him when he returned to Plymouth on April 29, 1912.
An Honor Greater Than Knighthood
Pictured here were the ranking officers of the Carpathia seated together at a ceremony on April 12, 1912. Although the Carpathia’s crew at large was being recognized at this event, Captain Rostron received special consideration from an even more special group of people.
As mentioned, Rostron had received incredibly high honors from both the American and British governments for his heroic, decisive efforts to rescue the Titanic’s survivors. However, the golden cup by his feet came from neither entity. Instead, the Titanic survivors themselves presented the award to Rostron.
The Guest Of Honor
This photo depicts the most prominent guests of a charity soccer match in Budapest, Hungary, intended to benefit Titanic survivors. To add to the event’s publicity, the crew of the Carpathia fielded a team in this match.
Those present included Budapest mayor Istvan Barczy, a representative of Cunard Line named Mr. Bar, and Captain Rostron himself. Indeed, his presence was probably the most anticipated of all, given his role in the disaster relief and the fact that his crew was involved in the match.
