Bridge

Bridge
Titanic's bridge on the outside
Deck	Boat Deck
Class	Officers & Captain
Purpose	navigation

Titanic's bridge on the inside. From Titanic: Honor and Glory.

Movie screenshot of the Bridge flooding

The Bridge was the area from which the RMS Titanic was commanded, housing the ship's steering gear, engine-order telegraphs and other essential mechanics to maintain the ships speed and heading. The bridge was located on the forward-most part of the Boat Deck. The Officer's Quarters and wheelhouse were located directly aft of the bridge.

Sinking

When the iceberg was sighted by the lookouts, they rang the warning bell three times, signaling to the bridge that there was danger ahead. Immediately following the ringing of the bell, lookout Frederick Fleet picked up the Crow's Nest telephone and called the bridge. In the wheelhouse, Sixth Officer Moody picked up the phone asking "What did you see?" Fleet responded "Iceberg, dead ahead!" Moody replied "Thank you" and hung up, passing the information on to First Officer Murdoch, who commanded 'hard-a-starboard', planning to eventually port around the berg, but it was too close. Murdoch went to the wheelhouse to close the watertight doors. Boxhall arrived on the bridge from the Boat Deck, while Captain Smith came from his quarters. "What did we strike", he asked. Murdoch replied. "An iceberg, sir." 

Bruce Ismay also arrived on the bridge and asked Smith what happened. "We have struck ice", the old man explained. "Do you think the ship is seriously damaged?" "I'm afraid she is."

Once the order was given to abandon ship, the bridge remained almost completely empty. Until approx. 2:10 A.M., when Steward Edward Brown saw Captain Smith walk onto the bridge, alone at this time. Thomas Andrews went to look for him there and they had a little conversation. Cecil Fitzpatrick saw Smith and Andrews talking, but didn't eavesdrop on them and so we don't know exactly what they said, as they both died in the sinking. Andrews went to take a look at the lowering of Collapsible A. Some survivors said they saw Smith enter the wheelhouse on the bridge, and drown there when it was engulfed by the rapidly oncoming water.

Wreck

Movie screenshot of the Bridge flooding

The bridge was destroyed when the first funnel toppled over on it. The prominent feature that remains is the bronze telemotor for the ship's wheel and the base mountings for the walls of the wheelhouse. The flying bridge cabs on both sides broke up and collapsed. This area was entirely made of wood to reduce influences on the compass and was heavily damaged in the sinking.

The bronze telemotor is the only surviving piece of equipment from the bridge. Some of the other telemotors on the bridge have been identified below the bridge in the wreckage or in the debris field.