Source: Annual Reports of the Navy Department for the Fiscal Year 1912. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1913): 193-197.[Only the portions of the hydrographic report relating to Titanic are provided below.]
HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE,
Washington, D.C., September 11, 1912
From: Hydrographer.
To: Bureau of Navigation.
Subject: Annual Report.
1. I respectfully submit the following report of the Hydrographer
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1912. Toward the end of the
report statistics showing a summary of the work of the divisions
are given.
2. The work of the Hydrographic Office has increased enormously
during the past 10 years, and even during the past year. In fact,
it is increasing all the time, and the present force of employees
is working at a very high pressure all the time.
3. During the year the office has collected a great deal of valuable
information from various sources. Much of this has been published
in Notices to Mariners, Bulletins, Daily Memoranda, and Pilot
Charts. These publications are furnished to volunteer observers
throughout the world in return for the information which they
furnish to the office. Much of the information received is, of
course, not published; and the editing of this received information
constitutes one of the most important duties in the office. It
is essential that the voluntary collection of information should
be continued and that the number of observers should be increased.
4. Much of the information contained in the Notices to Mariners,
Bulletins, and Daily Memoranda has been so important to the Navy
and the maritime interests of the country that it has been sent
broadcast by radio, so that all vessels within reach by radio
should get it at once. This is particularly true of ice reports,
and in connection with this most important duty of the office
it is appropriate to refer to the
5. On Sunday, the 14th of April, about 10 p.m., the White Star
steamer Titanic struck an iceberg in latitude 41 46' north,
longitude 50 14' west, and sank in about three hours. The loss
of life resulting from this accident was frightful, 1,517 people
having perished as a direct result. The accident startled the
world and set people, particularly seamen, to thinking very deeply.
It had been supposed by very many, perhaps the majority of people,
that the Titanic and other great steamships were not sinkable.
The fact that she did sink from collision with an iceberg, and
in a comparatively short time, aroused the world to the realization
of the fact that the unsinkable ship has not yet arrived, and
the best safeguard against accidents at sea is now, as it always
has been and always will be, constant and unremitting vigilance
and heeding warnings of dangers. It is a lamentable fact and a
remarkable coincidence that the sinking of the Titanic
was caused by an iceberg the report of which she had transmitted
by radio.
6. Naturally, when news of the sinking was received at the Hydrographic
Office, those in charge looked over the records to make doubly
sure that all news that the office had received of ice had been
given to the steamship lines. Such was found to be the fact. On
the Pilot Chart of April, 1912, Hydrographic Bulletin of April
10, and the Daily Memoranda of April 10, 11, 12, and 13, were
given numerous warnings that ice had been seen in the vicinity
of the steamship lanes and naturally might be expected to cross
those lanes. The information in these Daily Memoranda is furnished
by the branch hydrographic offices in the different cities to
the maritime interests, and those in New York had the information.
7. On April 12 the Daily Memorandum contained information that
numerous icebergs and extensive field ice was sighted in latitude
41 58' north and longitude 50 20' west, on April 11. Certainly
some of those bergs might be expected to be in that vicinity three
days later. But on April 14 the Hydrographic Office received a
telegram transmitted by radio from the Amerika, of the
Hamburg-American Line, through the Titanic, stating that
two large bergs were in latitude 41 27' north and longitude 50
08' west. In spite of these warnings the Titanic sped on
at 22 knots at night and met her doom in latitude 41 46' north
and longitude 50 14' west. Had she but heeded the one warning
that she transmitted she would probably have saved herself.
8. It is most difficult to see ice at night, but most people do
not realize this, and the officers of the Titanic probably
considered that they would be able to see a berg far enough away
to avoid it. The Hydrographic Office has published a pamphlet
giving some means of determining the proximity of ice. It has
also published on the back of its Pilot Charts from time to time
information concerning the ice and ice movements. This information
is always available to mariners and others interested at the main
office and at the branch offices.
9. It is earnestly hoped that the steamship companies can be persuaded
to adopt a system of forwarding by radio to their vessels on the
ocean important information concerning ice and other dangers to
navigation. On January 16, 1912, the office sent a circular letter
to shipmasters requesting them to make use of the United States
naval radio stations or the purpose of reporting to the Hydrographic
Office ice or other dangers to navigation. Much of the information
the office receives comes by reason of this circular, and it is
hoped to extend greatly the service.
10. The office has made some correspondence concerning the advisability
of cabling Europe important information concerning dangers to
navigation, making the Hydrographic Office a sort of clearing
house for sending these cables. If such an agreement can be made,
it would be of great benefit to steamers sailing from Europe.
Some negotiations looking to this have been conducted by Lieut.
John Grady, United States Navy, in charge of the branch office
at New York. The Deutshe Seewarte and the British hydrographer
think it an excellent idea and believe that it should be established
by proper international authority. That is not necessary at all
if the owners of the steamship lines and the underwriters are
willing to agree to the scheme.
11. Trans-Atlantic steamships, by mutual consent given in a
written agreement, follow a definite set of tracks in passing
to and fro from northern Europe to the United States. The agreement
came about through long experience and the occurrence of many
disasters that might have been avoided. The suggestion of these
lanes came originally from Lieut. M.F. Maury, United States Navy,
the officer who has contributed so much to the world's knowledge
and to the safety of navigation. Up to 1891 there was no formal
agreement to follow the lanes. In that year five companies--the
Cunard, Guion, Inman, National, and White Star companies--agreed
to follow definite lanes such as had been advocated by Lieut.
Maury and published subsequently on the monthly Pilot Chart.
12. With slight modifications those lanes were accepted formally
by all the steamship companies concerned in November, 1898, the
chief modification being that the change from a northerly to a
more southerly set of tracks is made in January, and that the
change from the southerly back to the northerly track is made
in August. This shifting of the lanes is for the purpose of avoiding
the region of greatest danger from ice and fog during the spring
and early summer.
13. The chief incentive in devising the steamer lanes was not
speed, but safety to life and property, and these lanes are by
no means the shortest possible tracks. These latter would lie
far to the north, in sight of the Newfoundland coast, but would
pass through the entire region of icebergs and fog. In order to
prevent collision with each other, the east and west bound steamers
keep about 50 miles apart on that part of the lanes where danger
from ice and fog is greatest. The adoption of the steamer lanes
has the advantage that fishermen, tramp steamers, and any other
craft likely to frequent these regions know definitely along what
tracks the regular liners are passing.
14. The lanes adopted by the steamship companies in November,
1898, are shown in the accompanying table [not located].
15. Ordinarily the southern track from January 15 to August 23,
both inclusive, is comparatively free from ice trouble; but once
in every few years the ice comes down from the north in much greater
quantities and is a serious danger to navigation. The year 1912
was one of the abnormal years, the ice coming south in great quantities
and in very large bergs. The collision of the Titanic occurred
at a point directly on the southerly westbound track.
16. As there was much ice near this point, it was imperative that
steamers adopt as quickly as possible more southerly tracks. As
soon as the accident occurred the Hydrographic Office took up
with the bureau the question of recommending to the steamer lines
a shift to the southward. Before the department reached a decision
in the matter the lines acted and shifted the tracks to the southward
as follows: Eastbound, to cross longitude 47 in latitude 40 10',
beginning April 16; and westbound, to cross longitude 47 in latitude
41 N., beginning April 25.
17. On April 18 the Hydrographic Office recommended a further
shift southward because of the practical certainty from past experience
that the ice would come below 40. On April 19 the lines adopted
this recommendation, with some modification: Eastbound, Ambrose
lightship to latitude 40 N., longitude 70 W.; then to latitude
38 20' N., longitude 50 W.; then to latitude 38 20' N., longitude
45 W.; then Great Circle to Bishops Rock or Fastnet. Westbound,
Great Circle to latitude 39 N., longitude 45 W.; then to latitude
39 N., longitude 50 W.; then to Nantucket Shoals lightship; then
to Ambrose lightship.
18. On May 9 the steamship Amerika passed a berg in latitude
39 N., longitude 47 W. This came to the Hydrographic Office by
radio and was sent broadcast. In consequence, on May 11 the steamship
lines shifted the tracks as follows: Eastbound, Ambrose lightship
to latitude 37 40' N., longitude 50 W.; then to longitude 45 W.
on parallel 3740' N.; thence Great Circle to Bishops Rock. Westbound,
Great Circle to latitude 38 N., longitude 45 W.; thence to longitude
50 W. on parallel 38 N., and thence to Nantucket and Ambrose lightships.
These tracks were used throughout the months of May and June;
but the companies were anxious to shift back to the normal tracks
as quickly as possible, and some of them requested the opinion
of the Hydrographic Office as to the advisability of doing so.
This office did not consider it safe to return to the normal tracks
because of ice reports just to the northward of the tracks and
the great probability that some of it would reach the vicinity
of those tracks. On June 24, however, the office notified the
companies that it was safe to return to the normal tracks adopted
on April 19, viz: Latitude 38 20' eastbound, and latitude 39 westbound
between the meridians of 45 and 50, provided all companies would
require their captains to double the lookouts while near the ice
region and slow down or stop during thick or foggy weather, and
slow to half speed at night.
19. On June 28, after consideration of the latest reports and
conditions, this office notified the companies that it was safe
to return to the tracks adopted on the 16th of April, viz: Cross
longitude 47 W. in latitude 40 10' N. eastbound, and latitude
41 westbound; with the same provisos as those of June 24. This
was as far as the office considered it safe to go.
20. The companies did not see fit to adopt these recommendations,
because they were anxious to resume the normal tracks; and, on
July 8, they did return to those tracks, viz: Cross longitude
47 W. in latitude 41 N., eastbound, and in latitude 42 N., westbound.
The office felt at the time that this was dangerous, because,
while no ice had been reported on these tracks for many days,
a great deal had been reported from one to two hundred miles to
the northward, and we felt sure some of it would come south before
disintegrating.
21. This attitude of the office has been amply justified by recent
developments previous to the date of this report, which required
the lines to return to more southerly tracks, viz, eastbound,
to cross longitude 47 W. in latitude 40 N.; and westbound, to
cross longitude 47 W. in latitude 40 30' N. These tracks, adopted
July 20, are being used at the date of this report, and there
is apparently no present intention of returning to the normal
tracks for this season of the year.
22. On May 15, the Hydrographic Office recommended to the department
that, in order to assist in safeguarding life and property, one
or more suitable vessels be detailed to establish an ice patrol
in the vicinity of the steamer lanes, and keep in touch with the
ice as much as possible. Later the [Scout Cruiser No. 2, USS]
Birmingham and [Scout Cruiser No.1, USS] Chester
were detailed to make the patrol, one vessel being on her station
while the other was in port. The Birmingham sailed from
Philadelphia on May 19, reaching her station five days later.
She was relieved by the Chester on June 7, and she in turn
by the Birmingham on June 19. The Birmingham finished
the patrol and left her station on July 6 for Philadelphia, by
orders of the department.
23. The ships on the ice patrol kept steamers constantly informed
by radio of the ice conditions near the lanes, and thereby rendered
most valuable services to shipping. The ships also obtained valuable
information with regard to the visibility, drift, and behavior
of ice. Temperatures of the air and water were taken when in the
vicinity of ice, and other observations made, all of which are
valuable. The results of these observations will be published
as soon as possible.
24. During the cruises of the Birmingham and Chester,
representatives of the Bureau of Standards were on board and cooperated
with our officers in obtaining valuable data.
25. The observations taken by the ice-patrol ships were not as
complete as we hoped to be able to get, principally because of
the fog. The ships were in fog the greater part of the time, and
more than once after they had got in touch with the ice, they
lost it because of the fog, and were thus prevented from obtaining
absolute data as to its drift and behavior. Nevertheless, the
data obtained are very good and will form a valuable addition
to the publications of the Hydrographic Office.
26. One of the interesting conclusions reached by the commanding
officer of the Birmingham was that shellfire has but little
effect on icebergs. In one case he fired a 5-inch shell at a berg,
and saw the hole made in the berg; but the destructive effect
of the shell was negligible. Another conclusion was that the temperature
of the water and air was of little value in determining the proximity
of ice.
27. The ice patrol of 1912 was a most valuable aid by the Navy
Department to the safety of navigation, and the appreciation of
the maritime world has been suitably expressed in a letter from
the maritime exchange of New York. I recommend a continuance of
the patrol each year during the ice season, and respectfully suggest
that it will afford good opportunities for the employment of cruisers
in reserve, one at a time.
[The rest of this report does not mention any information related to the loss of Titanic.]