Early Telegraphy
The first successful system of wireless telegraphy was invented by an Italian physicist named Guglielmo Marconi. The first shipboard wireless system was installed in 1900, and from that shipboard wireless quickly grew in popularity as more and more land stations were built. Each major competing country had a separate wireless company. In addition to being largely unregulated, competition became so fierce among paid radio traffic that operators from separate companies would not acknowledge each other, or even jam each others signals. There were two morse codes in use, no laws concerning watch hours, and no standard set of equipment being manufactured.
The Titanic's Communication System
The Titanic had two wireless operators, John "Jack" Phillips and Harold Bride. It was built with state-of-the-art wireless, and had the most powerful set in use at the time. It had a guaranteed working range of up to two hundred and fifty miles, but could maintain communication up to four hundred miles during the day and up to two thousand at night. The wireless was linked to the ship's telephone system, but there was no direct link to the bridge, which many scholars believe lead to poor communication concerning information on ice in the ship's path. In addition, Phillips and Bride were often preoccupied sending and receiving personal telegrams for the passengers. This lead to Phillips ignoring a warning from the nearby Californian about ice in the area.
Confusion
On the day of the Titanic's collision with the infamous iceberg, Phillips and Bride received several signals warning about ice in their general path. However, only one was taken directly to the bridge where its position could be plotted, so the crew was unaware of the extent of the ice field. Then in mid-afternoon, the system went down and it took Phillips until after 7:00 that night to get it working again. By then, there was so much backlog that as Phillips was trying to clear it, he overlooked a crucial message describing heavy pack ice and icebergs in the Titanic's position at the time.
At 12:15 AM on April 15th, Captain Smith gave the wireless operators the command to send the regulation distress signal. Ten minutes later, the Carpathia responded to the call. Fifty-eight miles away, the Carpathia was still the closest ship coming to the Titanic's rescue. Phillips had communication with several other ships, including a German vessel whose operator did not seem to understand what was happening. Eventually, Bride remembered that a new distress signal had just been introduced by an international convention. The Titanic became the first ship ever to use SOS as a distress signal. The ship continued to stay in contact with other vessels until the power went out at 2:10 AM, ten minutes before the ship finally sunk.
In the immediate aftermath of the sinking, the airwaves in the vicinity were clogged by nearby ships looking for information. From this frenzy, a rumor emerged that the Titanic and all it's passengers were being safely towed to Halifax. This was most likely mistaken from a message from the Asian, reporting that it was towing an oil tanker to Halifax.
At 12:15 AM on April 15th, Captain Smith gave the wireless operators the command to send the regulation distress signal. Ten minutes later, the Carpathia responded to the call. Fifty-eight miles away, the Carpathia was still the closest ship coming to the Titanic's rescue. Phillips had communication with several other ships, including a German vessel whose operator did not seem to understand what was happening. Eventually, Bride remembered that a new distress signal had just been introduced by an international convention. The Titanic became the first ship ever to use SOS as a distress signal. The ship continued to stay in contact with other vessels until the power went out at 2:10 AM, ten minutes before the ship finally sunk.
In the immediate aftermath of the sinking, the airwaves in the vicinity were clogged by nearby ships looking for information. From this frenzy, a rumor emerged that the Titanic and all it's passengers were being safely towed to Halifax. This was most likely mistaken from a message from the Asian, reporting that it was towing an oil tanker to Halifax.
New Laws and Regulations
The mass confusion during and after the sinking of the Titanic spurred requests from American officials for a more regulated wireless system, both on shore and off. These recommendations became part of the Radio Act of 1912. Recommendations included:
The International Conference on Wireless Telegraphy was held in London shortly after the event. Here, the British inquiry conference expressed their own recommendations for wireless regulation. Their recommendations consisted of:
The disaster of the Titanic also helped change the maritime laws concerning ice field navigation. The Titanic was the first ship in forty years to suffer any serious damage from an iceberg, and in the most recent accident, there had been no loss of life. The United States and Britain both called for an ice patrol to ensure the safety of the North Atlantic shipping lanes. An international conference on the safety of life at sea held in London on November 12th, 1913 established a permanent ice patrol for areas deemed most dangerous for ships. The U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility for running the International Ice Patrol (IIP).
On April 15th, the anniversary of the Titanic's tragic fate, the position of the ship's final resting place is marked along with icebergs. An airplane drops two wreaths over the spot, one belonging to the Titanic Historical Society, and the other on behalf of the International Ice Patrol.
- An operator be on duty at all times so that any and all messages could be received
- Direct communication should be established between the wireless room and the bridge via telephone, voice tube, or messenger
- Auxiliary power sources should be installed to keep the wireless working at all times
- Legislation should be introduced to prevent amateur operators from interfering in official channels of communication, and steps taken to secure the privacy of wireless messages.
The International Conference on Wireless Telegraphy was held in London shortly after the event. Here, the British inquiry conference expressed their own recommendations for wireless regulation. Their recommendations consisted of:
- All ships should be fitted with wireless equipment
- A sufficient number of trained operators should be provided to ensure continuous operation and service of the wireless
- Where practical, a silent room for “receiving” messages should be installed
The disaster of the Titanic also helped change the maritime laws concerning ice field navigation. The Titanic was the first ship in forty years to suffer any serious damage from an iceberg, and in the most recent accident, there had been no loss of life. The United States and Britain both called for an ice patrol to ensure the safety of the North Atlantic shipping lanes. An international conference on the safety of life at sea held in London on November 12th, 1913 established a permanent ice patrol for areas deemed most dangerous for ships. The U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility for running the International Ice Patrol (IIP).
On April 15th, the anniversary of the Titanic's tragic fate, the position of the ship's final resting place is marked along with icebergs. An airplane drops two wreaths over the spot, one belonging to the Titanic Historical Society, and the other on behalf of the International Ice Patrol.