1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,759 Speaker 1: Okay. Imagine you're on a sinking ship in the North 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: Atlantic on a freezing cold night. You see an opportunity 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: to get on a lifeboat to save your life. Problem is, 4 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 1: you're the guy who runs the company that owns the 5 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,240 Speaker 1: giant boat, your Bruce is May, chairman of the White 6 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,159 Speaker 1: Star Line, and you're on the maiden voyage of the 7 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: doomed RMS Titanic. I'm Patty Steele. Did Is May sneak 8 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,479 Speaker 1: onto a lifeboat to save himself or was he the 9 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: victim of fake news from a vicious press. That's next 10 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:36,200 Speaker 1: on the back story. We're back with the back story. 11 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: It's a bitterly cold, but crystal clear April night in 12 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: the North Atlantic Sea. The biggest, most luxurious cruise ship 13 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: ever built is on its maiden voyage from the UK 14 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 1: to New York City. On board some of the wealthiest, 15 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: most powerful people on Earth, along with the ship's designer, 16 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: Thomas Andrews and the chairman of the company that owns 17 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: Titanic White Stars, Bruce is May. Everybody wanted to be 18 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: a part of the RMS Titanic's maiden voyage. It was 19 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: outfitted with crystal chandeliers, spectacular carved woodwork and fantastic food 20 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: and service. No expense was spared. Even the third or 21 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:19,919 Speaker 1: steerage class accommodations were way beyond anybody's expectations. The ship 22 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,479 Speaker 1: was a work of art, and on top of that, 23 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: it was said to be completely unsinkable. And that's where 24 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: the trouble began. The White Star Line had been sold 25 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: to J. P. Morgan Company, which was looking to make 26 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: a bundle of money off this glamorous ship, as well 27 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: as her sister ships, the Olympic and the Britannic. The 28 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,759 Speaker 1: ships were more luxurious than any passenger ships to date, 29 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: and Titanic was looking to get to New York in 30 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: record time, but a mass of iceberg stopped Titanic dead 31 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: in its tracks. Problem is, in order to keep the 32 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: ship as beautiful, light weight, and fast as possible, they 33 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: had to pay attention to its weight. It was carrying 34 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:04,919 Speaker 1: two hundred twenty four passengers and crew on this first voyage, 35 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: but the big, wooden, cumbersome lifeboats seemed unnecessary to some 36 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: since they were on board a ship that was unsinkable, 37 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: and the naysayers apparently included Bruce Imy. J P. Morgan 38 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: wanted the ship's maiden voyage to prove it could get 39 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: across the Atlantic in record time. Records show that Bruce 40 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 1: Imy ordered the number of lifeboats for the more than 41 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: twenty two hundred souls be reduced from forty eight to 42 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 1: just sixteen, the minimum allowed by the Board of Trade. 43 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: That allowed room on the lifeboats for only about half 44 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: of the people that were on board the ship for 45 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: this trip. Okay, let's go back and get a little 46 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: history about Bruce Ismay himself. His father was the founder 47 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: of the White Star Line. His grandfather on his mother's 48 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: side was a shipowner, and later his mother in law 49 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: was an American who came from a powerful shipping family 50 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: in New York. The Della Planes ships were in the 51 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: family's blood. After his father died in eighteen ninety nine, 52 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: Bruce took over the company and was really successful. Several 53 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 1: years later, he agreed to sell to the JP Morgan Company, 54 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: although he would still run the company. Problem is, Bruce 55 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: Ismay was dealing with depression even before the Titanic disaster. 56 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 1: There are various stories about what happened late on the 57 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: night of April fourteenth, nineteen twelve. Some passengers said that 58 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: during the voyage, Ismay had pushed the ship's captain about 59 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: a possible test of speed if time permitted. He was 60 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: anxious to prove that the ship wasn't just luxurious but 61 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: also incredibly fast. When the ship hit the iceberg at 62 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: eleven forty PM, all hell broke loose. There was a 63 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: rush to the lifeboats, but in the panic, many of 64 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: them were launched less than half full. In the end, 65 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: only about seven hundred people survived, with more than fifteen 66 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: hundred dead. So how did Ismay wind up on a 67 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: life when so many people were left behind, including many 68 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: women and children. Some said he slipped in unnoticed. On 69 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: the other hand, in the hearings after the disaster, some 70 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: White Star officials testified that Ismay had worked tirelessly for 71 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: over two hours helping women and children into lifeboats, and 72 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: only jumped into the last lifeboat available when there were 73 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: no women or children left in his part of the ship. 74 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: Ismay later testified that as the ship was finally sinking, 75 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: he turned away he just couldn't watch. His lifeboat was 76 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: picked up four hours later by another ship, the Carpathia, 77 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: and he was taken to the ship's doctor. He had 78 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: a message sent to White Star's New York office, simply saying, 79 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 1: deeply regret to advise you. Titanic sank this morning after 80 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 1: collision with Iceberg, resulting in serious loss of life. Further 81 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: particulars later Bruce Ismay. Those on board the Carpathia say 82 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: Ismay didn't leave the cabin for the entire trip to 83 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: New York City. He ate nothing and was on opiates 84 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: the whole time. Another survivor said Ismay was staring straight ahead, 85 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 1: shaking like a leaf, responding to no one. He said, 86 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: even when I spoke to him, he paid absolutely no attention. 87 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: I have never seen a man so completely wrecked. Problem is, 88 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:24,239 Speaker 1: Ismay had a terrible relationship with one of the most 89 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: powerful people in the press, William Randolph Hurst. And Hurst 90 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 1: went after him with no holds barred. All his newspapers 91 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: called Ismay the coward of the Titanic. They blamed him 92 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: for the disaster and then vilified him for slipping into 93 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: a lifeboat. Within a year, Ismay resigned as chairman of 94 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: the company, although he stayed on the board of directors. 95 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 1: His life was a mess from then on. The depression 96 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: he'd already suffered from intensified while he worked hard to 97 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: do the right thing by the families of the Titanic victims. 98 00:05:57,520 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: He spent most of his time at his home in 99 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: the Irish countryside. His wife, attempting to help him, refused 100 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: to let anyone, including family members, ever speak about the 101 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: disaster or even mention the name Titanic. Meantime, London's society 102 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: ostracized him and labeled him a coward, and every film 103 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 1: about Titanic has cast Ismay as a villain, starting with 104 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: the nineteen forty three Nazi propaganda film Titanic on through 105 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: to James Cameron's massive success with the nineteen ninety seven 106 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: film also called Titanic. While the official British inquiry into 107 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,840 Speaker 1: the sinking cleared him, finding he'd done everything he could 108 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:40,559 Speaker 1: to help others before helping himself, he never got past 109 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: the stigma. His depression deepened and never healed. Bruce Ismay 110 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: spent a lot of his post disaster life at his 111 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 1: Irish country house, fishing, wandering alone through the little town, 112 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: and going to the movies by himself. Again, his wife 113 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: allowed no one to speak of the Titanic disaster, so 114 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: he was alone with his pain and his memories. At 115 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: a family gathering, before Christmas in nineteen thirty six, a 116 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: few months before his death, one of Ismay's grandsons, who 117 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: recently discovered his grandfather had been involved in maritime shipping, 118 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: of course, knew nothing about the disaster, asked him if 119 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: he'd ever been shipwrecked for the first time in twenty 120 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: five years. Ismay spoke of that tragedy, saying, yes, I 121 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: was once in a ship which was believed to be unsinkable. 122 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: Bruce Ismay died of a massive stroke in October of 123 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty six. He was seventy four years old. His 124 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: wife died in nineteen sixty three at the age of 125 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: ninety six, and never spoke of the Titanic disaster. What 126 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: do you think? Do you think he had a responsibility 127 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: to simply go down with the ship? Bruce Ismay's granddaughter 128 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: said he was like a corpse. In later years, she 129 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: said his greatest misfortune, or perhaps misjudgment, was that he survived. 130 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: Hope you like the backstory with Patty Steele. Please leave 131 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: a review. I'd love it if you would subscribe or 132 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: follow for free to get new episodes delivered automatically, and 133 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: also feel free to DM me if you have a 134 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: story you'd like me to cover. On Facebook, It's Patty 135 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. 136 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: The Backstory is a production of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, the 137 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: Elvis Durand Group, and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is 138 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:37,079 Speaker 1: Doug Fraser. Our writer Jake Kushner. We have new episodes 139 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: every Tuesday and Friday. Feel free to reach out to 140 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: me with comments and even story suggestions on Instagram at 141 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:47,439 Speaker 1: Real Patty Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks 142 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: for listening to the Backstory with Patty Steele. The pieces 143 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: of history you didn't know you needed to know.