Wreck of the poop deck with a section of the docking bridge
The docking bridge was located on the Poop Deck. The docking bridge was an elevated platform running the width of the stern. Its features had a wheel, docking telegraphs, a telephone and other equipment to assist in the docking of the ship. There was an enclosed staircase that led down to the Steering Gear Room.
April 14-15[]
On April 14, at 23:40 A.M. Titanic had a collision with an iceberg.
Quartermaster George Thomas Rowe was on duty at the docking bridge that night, and initially he thought to have seen a very large sailboat, but then he realised it was an iceberg, and noticed how the stern swayed completely to the south after First Officer Murdoch gave the other to go hard to port as to avoid the stern taking further damage. The ship came to a standstill and everything was calm, but after the collision it was frantic on the bridge, they seem to have forgotten about Rowe. It took 45 minutes before he reached out for communication, because at 12:25 A.M., the first lifeboat, number 7, was launched on starboard side. Rowe rang the bridge to investigate about this and he got into contact with Fourth Officer Boxhall, who had launched distress rockets and was asking Rowe if he knew where to find more, and ordered him to collect them and aid him in the firing. Rowe did as he was told and left the docking bridge.
Wreck[]
The docking bridge was either crushed when the Poop Deck folded back on itself or was blown off the deck when the stern was making its descent to the ocean floor.
Sources[]
- 'Titanic' ©1996 (second print, 1998) Edward P. De Groot