RMS Olympic Nantucket Collision 1934 (HD/audio)

On May 15,1934, RMS Olympic, on approach to New York in heavy fog, collided with Nantucket Lightship LV-117 causing it to break apart and sink. There were seven fatalities out of Nantucket's crew of eleven. In this combination of newsreels we see the Olympic arriving in New York City harbor with the city skyline in the background and a close shot of the damaged bow from the collision. On arrival Captain J. W. Binks (Olympic) and Captain George W. Braithwaite (Nantucket) are interviewed along with surviving crew from the Nantucket -First Mate Clifton E. Mosher, John F. Perry, radioman and Laurent U. Roberts, oiler.

Thanks to the Moving Image Research Collection from the University of South Carolina we also have uncut footage which includes Olympic passenger Negley Farson describing the collision in detail. Even more intriguing we have the uncut footage of the press conference with Captain J. W. Binks (Olympic) and Captain George W. Braithwaite (Nantucket). Binks, at first unaware that sound is being recorded, shows concern for Braithwaite being too long infront of the cameras and refuses to allow him to be thanked (indirectly acknowledging that while they acted swiftly they were in fact the cause of the collision). But tellingly he asks Braithwaite to "smile." The two captains briefly compare ages, Braithwaite refuses to discuss the collision on camera and in an interesting twist a reporter calls Binks "Captain Jinks" causing him to swiftly correct him.

The reel finishes with some excellent close ups of the Olympic including a shot filmed under the stern and Captain Binks looking out from the starboard wing cab, which can be seen in clear detail.

All the footage is presented with actual audio recorded at the time of filming.

For more information:

[jamescarrello]

I don’t care if the design is outdated. But we need more Olympic looking ships. They look (in my opinion) far more majestic than the modern day cruise ships.

[TheTransatlanticExchange]

What remarkable footage this is of RMS Olympic.  Never before have I seen this.  The clarity and vividness is breathtaking and perhaps the best quality ever of any of the Olympic Class Liners. For those interested in her ill-fated sister, Titanic, this is the closest we'll ever get to seeing what she would have looked like had she not sunk.  The footage also put a sad human face on the Nantucket Lightship's crew.  The understandable tension, which could be cut with a knife, can be clearly seen here.

[Aelvir]

1:11 - Olympic’s horn sounds eerily majestic

[danielhamilton]

Olympic one of the most beautiful liners ever to sail the seas. Olympic was the first and later on the last of the Olympic class.

[davidaikman]

Some amazing footage here. Seeing her sail, hearing her whistles blow. Admittedly, a tragic end to a glorious career, but still great to see real, great quality footage.

[rimmy]

It was awful to see the Nantucket crew interviewed while in such a state of shock. The captain of the Olympic started out cheery but you could tell he was moved by the fragile state his fellow captain was in and was trying to guard him against the reporter’s demanding questions.

[NJP]

Man! If we could only build ships as majestic as the Olympic Class liners these days. I realize that the design is far out-dated, but there was something special about these majestic ships. Just look at those lines and the at the pride that was taken in the design.
I know there are ships out there that would dwarf the Olympic class liners, but could any of today's ships even come close to matching the sheer elegance of these liners of the past? I don't think so.
Just so sad that the Titanic 2 project fizzled away. Would have loved to have seen that ship sail.

[Goetterdaemmerung]

Very interesting and almost haunting experience to hear the actual voice of the Olympic, along with the symphony of various whistles. To see back in time is one thing, to hear it is a whole other thing.

You can see the funnels of the SS Leviathan briefly, coincidentally, it was Captain Binks who would be commanding her final voyage to the scrapyard in Scotland.

[gregduck]

Wow, just astounding. The newsreel footage of the Olympic just riveting. Am gobsmacked. Thanks for posting this collection of amazing cine film.

[Shipwright]

A lightship crew's worst nightmare, a pea-souper fog and all of a sudden out of the mist comes the knife-like prow of a liner bearing down straight at you. From what I understand about this incident, the Olympic was homing in on the lightship's radio beacon to get aligned with the approach to New York harbor, intending to turn away at the last moment. Apparently, somebody on the Olympic miscalculated, and she ended up cleaving Lightship Nantucket (#117) clean in two and sunk her, ended up killing 7 out of the 11 men on board.

This was the last nail in the coffin insofar as the White Star Line went, the ensuing lawsuit and settlement from the U.S. Govt. coupled with slumping passenger numbers from the Great Depression forced the merger with the White Star's old rival, Cunard (forming the Cunard-White Star, later dropped to just "Cunard" again), and it was a relatively short time later that the "Old Reliable" was sent to the breakers as she became surplus to requirements along with the old Mauretania as the two Queens were to be entering service.

Interestingly enough, the replacement lightship which White Star ended up paying for was built like a battleship with an armored hull and 43 watertight compartments, guess they were hedging their bets in case something like this ever happened again.

[DSGNflorian]

Wonderful footage. The Olympic looks so elegant and majestic. Too bad it was a sad occasion. I liked the Olympic best as she appeared in her early 1911-12 days. That long, beautiful hull and equally sleek superstructure, windows and promenade openings laid out with almost Bauhausian cleanliness. Wide open, spacious upper decks with little clutter, topped by that famous quartet of immense, well-proportioned funnels. The Olympic and Titanic were, in my opinion, the best looking 4-stackers ever built and rank among the most attractive ships of any era. Olympic's clean, uncluttered lines were quite a contrast to other Edwardian liners of her day and yet, she seemed to be the most Edwardian of them all. The later changes did nothing to improve her looks. Adding lifeboats was, of course, unavoidable after a certain notorious event in April of 1912. However, I wonder if the changes to the B-Deck window configuration were really necessary even with added staterooms. The same goes for her sister Titanic. A way could have been found to build cabins out to the sides AND keep the window lay-out intact. That would have resulted in unique, bright and airy staterooms with a wall of 3 or even 4 big square windows each.That rather awkward italic script for her name on the bow and the lowered sheer line band were a misguided attempt to give her a touch of streamlined Art Deco to keep up with newer, trendier liners in the 1930s. They should have left her alone...

[JPPILL]

At 4:43 you can hear the whistle of the Olympic, it sounds just like the one from the Titanic that they raised and sounded, the video is on youtube somewhere

[yankees]

This is really excellent footage. Perhaps the best I've ever seen of the exterior of Olympic. Thanks you very much for posting it!

[fuckherrightinthepussy]

the olympic should've been turned into a hotel like the queen mary

[mauretaniafan]

This is so interesting, the interviews with the two captains and the crew; the recording of the Olympic and her whistle; the showing of the damage. This is so cool to watch. it is also cool to see how loud with ships New York was.

[Aelvir]

It’s weird that this is the best quality footage I’ve seen of Olympic out of all the 1930s footage of Olympic. The quality I’ve seen for her last voyage is not as good as this one

[jisidorfisk]

Thank You, Your videos are a treasure to me. I thought I had everything ever captured on the great ships. I was wrong. :) I have studied these liners for 30 years.

[JayS]

What a truly fantastic historical video of the Olympic. Just tragic circumstances. Rip to the people who lost their lives. I’m so glad these films survive.

[PassiveSmoking]

The captain of the lightship so obviously doesn't want to be talking to the press. Poor guy must be terribly traumatised, he was nearly killed and most of his crew are dead, and that press guy just won't leave off.

[eyestoenvy]

Splendid footage, a treasure indeed, thank you for posting!