Arthur Rostron

Captain Sir Arthur Henry Rostron, KBE, RD, RNR (14 May 1869 – 4 November, 1940) was a captain for the Cunard Line and was the master of the ocean liner RMS "Carpathia" when it rescued the survivors of the RMS "Titanic" which sank on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg.

Captain Rostron won wide praise for his energetic efforts to reach the "Titanic" before it sank, and his efficient preparations for and conduct of the rescue of the survivors. He was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal by the U.S. Congress, and after World War I was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He was made the Commodore of the Cunard fleet before retiring in 1931.

History

Arthur Rostron was born in Astley Bridge, north of Bolton, Lancashire, England to James and Nancy Rostron. Educated at the Bolton School from 1882 to 1883 and the Astley Bridge High School, Rostron joined the Naval school ship HMS "Conway" at the age of thirteen. After two years of training on the "Conway", he was apprenticed to the Waverley Line of Messrs, Williamson, Milligan and Co. in Liverpool on the iron clipper ship, "Cedric the Saxon".

In 1887 Rostron joined the barque "Red Gauntlet" as a second mate. Soon after, he left the Waverly Line and joined the barque "Camphill". In December 1894 Rostron served on board the steamship "Concord" where he passed the extra master's certificate. He joined the Cunard Line in January 1895 and earned a position as fourth officer on the ocean liner RMS Umbria. In the years afterward he would also serve on other Cunard ships including the "Aurania", "Etruria", "Servia", "Cherbourg", "Ultonia" and "Saxonia". Rostron was made first officer of the RMS "Lusitania" in 1907, but was transferred to the "Bresica" and made the ship's captain the day before the "Lusitania"'s maiden voyage. The "Bresica" and his next several ships served the Mediterranean region, including his first passenger ship, the "Pennonia", whose New York - Mediterranean route he took command of in 1911.

As a member of the Royal Naval Reserve, Rostron temporarily left the Cunard Line to serve with the Royal Navy during a period of international tension occasioned by the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 - 1905. He subsequently returned to the Cunard Line and was given command of the passenger liner RMS "Carpathia".

The "Titanic" rescue

The "Carpathia" was on its regular route between New York City and Fiume, when early on 15 April 1912 the "Carpathia" received a distress signal from the White Star Line ocean liner RMS "Titanic", which had struck an iceberg and was sinking. Rostron was asleep when "Carpathia"'s wireless operator, Harold Cottam, by chance left his headset on while undressing for bed and so heard the signal. Cottam ran to Rostron's cabin to alert him.

Rostron immediately ordered the ship to race towards the "Titanic"'s reported position, posting extra lookouts to help spot and maneuver around the ice he knew to be in the area. About 50 nautical miles (93 km) separated the "Carpathia" from "Titanic"'s position, but the "Carpathia" was the closest ship to respond to "Titanic"'s distress signal. Rostron and his engineering crew skillfully obtained the maximum speed possible from the "Carpathia", coaxing her up to 17.5 knots - three and a half more than she was rated for. Even so, "Carpathia" travelling, through dangerous ice floes, took about 3½ hours to reach the "Titanic"'s radioed position. During this time Rostron turned off heating to ensure the maximum amount of steam for the ship's engines and had the ship prepared for the survivors; including getting blankets, food and drinks ready, and ordering his medical crew to stand by to receive the possibly injured survivors. Altogether, a list of 23 orders from Rostron to his crew was successfully implemented before "Carpathia" had even arrived at the scene of the disaster.

When Rostron believed he was getting close to the "Titanic", he had green starburst rockets launched to encourage the "Titanic" if she was still afloat, or her survivors if she was not. "Carpathia" began picking up survivors about an hour after the first starburst was seen by those in the lifeboats. The "Carpathia" would end up rescuing 712 survivors out of the 2,208 passengersref|numbers and crew on board the "Titanic"; at least one survivor is said to have died after reaching the ship. After consulting with White Star Line managing director and "Titanic" survivor J. Bruce Ismay, Rostron decided to turn the ship around and return to New York City to drop off the survivors.

Later, Rostron testified about the events the night "Titanic" sank at both the U.S. Senate inquiry and the British Board of Trade's inquiry into the disaster. "Titanic" survivors, including Margaret Brown, presented Rostron with a silver cup and gold medal for his efforts the night "Titanic" sank. He was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the Thanks of Congress, the American Cross of Honor, a medal from the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society and a gold medal from the Shipwreck Society of New York.

Later life

Rostron continued commanding the "Carpathia" for a year before transferring to the "Caronia". Afterwards, from 1913 to 1914 he took command of the "Carmania", "Campania", and "Lusitania". Rostron was captain of the "Aulania" when World War I began and the ship was turned into a troopship which Rostron continued to command. In 1915, Rostron and the "Aulania" were involved in the Battle of Gallipoli in Turkey.

In September 1915, Rostron joined the RMS "Mauretania" and in April 1916 he joined the "Ivernia" in the Mediterranean Sea. He returned to the "Mauretania" in 1917 before taking command of the "Andania", "Saxonia", "Carmania" and the "Mauretania" again. In December 1918, he was made captain on the acting list of the Royal Navy Reserve and made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919.

Rostron continued to command the "Mauretania" after it returned to normal passenger service in June, 1919 and in 1926 he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In July, 1928 Rostron took command of the RMS "Berengaria" and became the commodore of the Cunard fleet.

After his retirement in May 1931, Rostron was a member and captain of the Southampton Master Mariner's Club and wrote an autobiography called "Home from the Sea".

When his former ship, the much-beloved "Mauretania", sailed for Scotland to the shipbreakers in 1935, Rostron was supposed to have been on board; however, overcome with emotion, he refused to board her and instead waved farewell from pierside.

Rostron died of pneumonia on 4 November 1940 and is buried at the West End Church in Southampton, next to his wife Ethel Minnie Rostron, who died three years later.

References

*cite web | author=Gowan, Phillip and Brian Ticehurst | title=Captain Arthur Henry Rostron | work=Encyclopedia Titanica | url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography.php?id=2461 | accessdate=October 8 | accessyear=2005
*cite book | author=Lord, Walter | title=A Night to Remember | publisher=Henry Holt and Company | year=1997 | id=ISBN 0-553-27827-4
*cite book | author=Lynch, Don | title=Titanic: An Illustrated History | publisher=Hyperion | year=1993 | id=ISBN 0-7868-8147-X
*RMS Umbria

External links

* [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/manifest.php?q=6 Carpathia: Passengers and Crew]
* [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/2461/ Biography of Captain Rostron]
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