New Book on Titanic Reveals Chilling Details About the Captain's Final Moments as the Ship Sank
The incident of the Titanic was one for the history books as the mighty ship sank to the bottom of the icy waters. James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster film delved into the incident and was the most sought-after medium to understand the event. However, the story surrounding the ship’s captain was a mystery, according to MailOnline, as the movie showed Captain Edward John Smith to be at the helm of the tragedy. The news on April 18, 1912, had a different story to tell, as the Los Angeles Express announced on its front page that 'Captain E.J. Smith shot himself.' As official inquiries were made, this new book delved into the reality of the captain’s final moments.
Author Dan E. Parkes, in his new book, Titanic Legacy: The Captain, The Daughter, and The Spy, explores the mysterious death of RMS Titanic captain Edward Smith. He gathered various accounts of eyewitnesses that confirmed that the captain went down with his ship, as they were honor-bound at the time, according to People. Isaac Maynard, a 31-year-old cook aboard the ship, stated that he saw Smith on the ship’s bridge as “water rushed over the top deck” as it sank. "I saw Captain Smith washed from the bridge and, afterwards, saw him swimming in the water,” Maynard said.
Post the infamous maritime accident, the British naval officer’s body was never found, and that fueled the speculations. The ones that suffered the most were the captain’s widowed wife, Eleanor, and their 7-year-old daughter, Mel, according to the New York Post. His reputation was tarnished with reports of being an alcoholic, piloting the ship at an unsafe speed, and ignoring iceberg warnings. However, Parkes mentioned that these rumors were baseless and the claims made by passengers were by people who left on lifeboats long before the ship met its tragic end. These were unfounded character assassinations of the venerated captain who froze to death that day.
Robert Williams Daniel, a 27-year-old banker who saw Captain Smith onboard the Titanic, said that “he died a hero.” Parkes also mentioned accounts about the captain rescuing a baby and safely handing it over to a lifeboat but refusing to board the boat himself. George Brereton, a gambler and swindler, had boarded the Titanic under a fake name to rip off the rich people. He stated that “Fifteen yards away was the body of an infant, which attracted the struggling sailor. He caught hold of the child and then, with his right arm, made for a lifeboat. The little one was safely put aboard, and the captain resumed his struggle for the sinking Titanic.”
The captain was also allegedly joined by his steward, Arthur Paintin, on the bridge as they put up a fight against the imminent doom. The sound of gunshots was likely from the warning shots during the boarding to the lifeboats or from the flares for aid, according to Unilad. However, there was a note about an unknown and unnamed passenger who shot themself, and the people needed a scapegoat. The mariner had several theories to his name, including that he survived the event and was living in disguise in Maryland. Regardless of the unfounded conspiracies, the author hoped that his book would be a needed closure for the captain and his family.