Countdown to Disaster

The Last Days of the R.M.S. Titanic

Friday, April 5, 1912

 Friday, April 5th, 1912 was Good Friday. Early in the morning, dockyard workers fixed hordes of assorted colored flags and pennants up upon the ship's rigging. This was done for two reasons: firstly, to honor Holy Week, and secondly, to honor the people of Southampton, Titanic's 'hosts'. Today was the only day in her short history that Titanic was ever "dressed", although some artists like to picture her with these flags and pennants as she leaves the Southampton dock.

 As the Bard wrote in Henry V "…the scene is now transported, gentles, to Southampton; there is the playhouse now, there must you sit." Southampton is located 78 miles southwest of London, in Hampshire. It was always a perfect spot for a port. It is built at the convergence point of the Rivers Test and Itchen, and is protected from severe sea-storms by the ancient Isle of Wight that sits in the waters nearby. There has been a settlement at Southampton since Emperor Claudius invaded Britannia. The White Star Line did not have a dock of it's own in this city until 1907, when they changed the outlet of their express passenger service from Liverpool (White Star's headquarters) to Southampton.

 Due to Good Friday, the dock was, for the most part, deserted. There were to be no visitors on this holy day. April the 5th would also prove to be the first recruitment day in Southampton for the ship's crew (though few men actually signed up until the following day). Much of the ship's cargo was taken aboard the ship on this day as well. At night, the flags were taken down. It had been a relatively inactive day for the Titanic, and indeed for the dockyard, but tomorrow would be very different.  

Countdown to Disaster has been prepared for ACT I by Titanic Researcher Addison Hart of DeKalb, Illinois.

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