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After seven days, all preparations for the begin of Titanic's maiden voyage were done. Most of the officers, the radio operators, some stokers and a few other members of the crew, made up the "skeleton crew" and stayed on board since Tuesday, April 9th . Captain Smith preferred to stay in a hotel. The crew started boarding at 6 o'clock in the morning of Wednesday, April 10th. Captain Smith got on board his ship at half past seven. Ismay checked in right after breakfast which he had with his family in the South Western Hotel in Southampton and not on board Titanic. As his family was not joining him on this voyage, he showed them Titanic as long as they were in town. Thomas Andrews was staying on Board since the arrival in Southampton on April 4th. He was supervising all actions happening around "his" vessel and the last-minute changes that had to be taken.
Between half past nine and half past eleven three trains were arriving. These trains were the White Star boat-trains and carried the passengers booked on Titanic from London-Waterloo to the docks in Southampton. Each class had its own train. The pilot, Captain George Boyer got on board. The pilot flag was hissed immediately. Some minutes before noon, the blue Pete was hissed as an optic signal for the immediate leaving. All visitors from shore, shore staff and harbour workers left Titanic. At noon, Captain Smith horned the enormous pipe three times, what drowned everything in Southampton. Everybody knew, Titanic was leaving. Nobody knew it would be the last time this ship would be in the harbour of their town. Titanic casted off from the shore and was towed away from the dock by the five tugs Ajax, Hector, Neptune, Hercules and Vulcan. Especially Vulcan played an important role by saving Titanic from the collision with the New York in the harbour. As the tugs had Titanic towed into the river Test and left her in the right position and facing the right course, the propellers of Titanic were activated. She slowly accelerated up the river. The giant ship caused heavy turbulences in the water. On the left side of the vessel, the waves were harmless, because the river Test absorbed the waves. But on the right side was the dock wall, where the Oceanic and the New York were tied on, due to the coal strike. The giant waves were too heavy for the New York and all of the six mooring ropes snapped. As the accelerating Titanic pulled enormous amounts after her , the stern of New York turned around toward Titanic due to the suction. The New York was dangerously close to Titanic. Luckily, Captain Gale, commander of the tug Vulcan, managed to catch two ropes of New York's stern, which was only about three feet away of Titanic . On the bridge of Titanic a fast reaction of the Captain and the pilot prevented a disaster, by ordering "Full Power back". Titanic slowed down and passed the New York dangerously close, but Vulcan had her under control. The other ship, the Oceanic was secured by additional ropes, to prevent a repetition. So the departure of Titanic has been delayed for more than one hour, which meant no good start and was a bad omen for many people of this period. Would Titanic be an ever delayed and unhappy vessel for ever ? Time should give an answer - maybe.
The Journey
Titanic now made her voyage down the Ocean Channel, passing the Isle of Wright to the lightship Nab , where the pilot left. With best wishes and an announcement to meet again after 14 days, "Uncle George" left the Titanic. Titanic headed for Cherbourg, France. It was only a 70 mile trip through the channel. She arrived half past five p.m. and set anchor fully illuminated. As the docks of the harbour of Cherbourg were too small, Titanic had to wait off the docks.
The 274 passengers were brought on board Titanic by 2 tenders, Nomadic (first and second class) and Traffic (third class), built only for this occasion for White Star by Harland and Wolff. All of the passengers were carried to Cherbourg by the Train Transatlantique, which was in time after six hours of journey from Paris to the Atlantic Coast. Twenty-two persons left Titanic, having just booked a channel passage. Within ninety minutes, Titanic was ready for departure and so, for the second time, her pipe cut the silence of this beautiful evening, announcing for miles Titanic being ready for departure. At ten minutes past eight the enormous anchor was raised and Titanic left Cherbourg for the last time, heading for Queenstown, Ireland. Crossing the channel and passing the British coast, she reached the Irish Coast under a beautiful sunrise. At half past eleven, Titanic set the giant anchor for the last time, two miles away from the harbour of Queenstown. The two tenders America and Ireland boarded 120 passengers and 1385 sacks of mail were loaded. At half past one p.m., for the last time ever, the pipe of Titanic whistled and the giant anchor was raised. Titanic set sail for New York and the journey finally began. This was the last time a man from the shore had seen Titanic.
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