Iceberg Ahead – The Missing Key

Sunday the 14th April 1912 begins with continued fair weather. Passengers say that the sea is so calm it looks like glass. A morning service is held in the first class dining room.

At 9am the liner Caronia, spotting icebergs in the area, sends a message. They report seeing icebergs and field ice.

During the day, others messages arrive.

The Noordam to Titanic: ”Much ice”

Baltic to Titanic: “Icebergs and large quantities of field ice.”

California to Antillian, overhead by Titanic: “Three large bergs five miles to the southwards of us.”

Mesaba to Titanic: “Saw much heavy pack ice and great number of large icebergs. Weather good, clear.”

10.20pm: Californian to Titanic: “We are stopped and surrounded by ice.”

11.30pm: Lookout Frederick Fleet peers into the darkness. He has no binoculars. The keyholder to the lookouts’ binoculars store is working on another ship. He forgot to leave the key on the Titanic..

Fleet and his fellow lookout have been told to watch for icebergs. There is a misty haze on the horizon.

11.40pm. Fleet stares and stares through the haze. He becomes aware of a menacing black shape. He rings the six inch brass bell in the crow’s nest three times and picks up the telephone to the bridge.

“Iceberg right ahead.”

“A starry night, a misty haze
A dark mass, as the lookouts gaze
A clear shape now, through the gloom
Titanic soon to meet her doom”

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