Mad Dash: Titanic’s Rescue Ship Carpathia

How did the Cunard Line's RMS Carpathia come to become the rescue ship of White Star Line's RMS Titanic?
Carpathia's story as a hero rescue ship is a fascinating one, and in this episode we explore how the night of the disaster went down from the decks of the Carpathia.

Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest ocean liners – from Titanic to Queen Mary but not forgetting the likes of Empress of Ireland or Chusan. Join Mike Brady as he uncovers the myths, explains the timelines, logistics and deep dives into the lives of the people and ships that we all know and love.

0:00 Brush with Destiny
1:34 Carpathia - the workhorse
3:00 The fateful voyage
7:40 The plan
11:17 The mad dash
12:34 Titanic is lost
13:35 The rescue
17:15 Epilogue
18:53 Outro

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Ship Ocean Liner Oceanliner Designs P&O Strathnaver Maritime History Naval Engineering Ship Engineering Famous Ocean Liners Titanic Olympic Carpathia RMS

[OceanlinerDesigns]

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[alexwest]

The Carpathia needs a movie made about her heroic rescue mission.

[kats]

Carpathia was very much giving "my friend called for help in the middle of the night so I'm in pajamas and unmatched shoes with my shirt on backwards and I broke 14 traffic laws to get here but I'M HERE BABE" vibes and the captain, crew, and the ship herself all deserve goddamn sainthoods for that hustle.

[one_degenerated_ontarian]

Another part of the story I find very sweet was the role of the passengers already on the Carpathia. Many of them would offer assistance to the survivors, and would even offer food, blankets, and even their own cabins. These people would have been on vacation, or on a leisurely trip, and they decided comforting the Titanic's survivors was more important. And that makes me happy.

[Cagebreaker]

I love Rostron’s decision to fire the rockets every 15 minutes. I can’t even imagine the relief of RMS Titanic’s survivors to see the rockets getting closer and closer, to know that help was on the way and chugging along as fast as possible to help you.

[sanghoonlee]

Several nearby vessels responded to Titanic's distress call, but just one--Carpathia--ended up rescuing all of the 706 known Titanic survivors. Unlike Titanic that was doomed by a single iceberg encounter, Carpathia had to zigzag through a whole field of icebergs in pitch-black night to reach the sinking ship.

Carpathia had actually been coming from New York City--Titanic's destination--but decided to head back to that port so that Titanic survivors could disembark there. Therefore the only parts of Titanic that reached its original destination were her lifeboats that now filled Carpathia's upper deck. It was pouring heavy rain in NYC when Carpathia pulled in to unload Titanic's remnants like coffins coming home.

6 years later, during World War I, Carpathia was sailing as the command ship of a war convoy when it was hit by torpedoes from a German U-boat. The ship sank in less than 2 hours--much faster than Titanic that had taken 3 hours to sink. But the only casualties aboard Carpathia were the 5 crew members killed immediately by the torpoedo impacts. Every single one of the 218 remaining crew and passengers escaped successfully on lifeboats.

What an incredible story. Carpathia deserves its own movie.

[mothman_bathbomb]

what gets me the most about this story is that Carpathia, who was designed to go at 14/15 knots, managed to do 17 knots on the night it really mattered.

[NetanelWorthy]

Seeing Titanic‘s lifeboats lowered in New York Harbor is still one of the most haunting images. The only part of Titanic that reached its destination.

[ToaArcan]

One night, 110 years ago, a handful of men made the decision to redline a steamship through the black, icy seas, as fast as the engines could physically push her, because people were in mortal peril, and they could do no less.

[kirstymckenzie]

My physics teacher sadly passed this yr age 97. His name was Dr rostron his grandfather was this shops captain. What a legend.

[joydurham]

Couldn’t back the tears when Carpathia’s captain ordered flares every 15 mins to let Titanic’s passengers know help was on the way. In such dire circumstances hope is everything.

[AndyHappyGuy]

I've never known how dangerous the mad dash to Titanic was. In my mind, I've just imagined the ship sailing full speed towards Titanic in a straight line. Now I know that Carpathia was sailing through a dense ice field too... Your way of storytelling also makes the whole event seem so vivid to me. I almost feel like I'm standing on Carpathia's boat deck, looking at all the officers pacing around the bridge wings and around that little brown wheelhouse while the ship travels past its full speed, with smoke billowing out the funnels, heading towards Titanic..

[kommandantgalileo]

Carpathia's crew are not just heroes, they are legends, now forever enshrined in naval history.

[jetsons]

Captain Rostron and Carpathia are known heroes but the crew members of the Titanic that stayed below decks keeping the lights on and the pumps going are somewhat forgotten heroes, they stayed below deck knowing that they would die at their posts----they are also true heroes.

[johnking]

Captain Rostron was the epitome of what a captain should be. It didn't matter that Titanic was from a rival shipping line. As soon as he knew Titanic was sinking, nothing was going to stop him from speeding to Titanic as fast as they could. What a man!

[FriskMeemur]

The crew of the Carpathia are the maddest lads of ocean liner history.

They endangered their own ship to save hundreds. That deserves a lot of praise.

As do you, ocean liner designs. I've watched almost all of your videos and you allow me to understand these incidents and beautiful liners in detail that would only be second to seeing the liner in person

[timenginemannd]

At the time of Carpathia's rescue efforts there were no formal instructions for how to conduct a rescue at sea. Captain Rostron's orders for that fateful night were pretty much copied, word for word, into the written instructions recommended by both (UK & US) Boards of Inquiry for the proper way to conduct a rescue at sea!!!

[donnix]

Great video, so well done!! My great grandfather Albert Horswill was a lookout and able sea hand for the White Star Line. He worked aboard the RMS Oceanic, however he was transferred to the RMS Titanic along with several other crewmen of Oceanic for the maiden voyage. He survived the wreck and was saved by the Carpathia. I’m grateful for the Carpathia’s heroic crew, I would not even be here today if not for their actions.

[monsev.arellano]

The fact that carpathia anticipated around 2, 000 survivors and 700 ended up surviving. I mean its amazing all of those people survived but I can't imagine how they must've felt knowing most of them died. It's bone chilling.

[infinitecanadian]

The captain of the Carpathia told the crew to turn the heat and hot water off so that they could get as much steam for speed as possible. What a great man he was.