u/Mark_Chirnside

Did You Know About the Reward for Carpathia‘s Crew?

Https://markchirnside.co.uk/did-you-know-about-the-reward-for-carpathias-crew/

Months before the Titanic disaster, Olympic was involved in a collision with HMS Hawke. The incident created a storm of controversy. It was hotly debated as to which ship was at fault. White Star Line had to take Olympic out of service for weeks of repairs at the height of her first season. Press reports spoke about the ship’s safety: she had survived serious flooding, not only remaining afloat and stable but also returning to port under her own steam. It was argued she had proven herself ‘unsinkable’…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvS60apjv50

Did You Know About the Electric Lighting in the Toilets?

Today’s ‘Did You Know’ feature highlights a little known detail.

https://markchirnside.co.uk/did-you-know-about-the-electric-lighting-in-the-toilets/

The White Star Line had a network of passenger agents in Europe to drum up business. Unfortunately, some agencies were more effective than others.

One report to the line's management assessed an agency office with some dismay: 'The old gentleman is...stubborn in the extreme, and if he should still hold to his belief that "what was good enough 30 years ago is good enough now", we might consider asking him to retire from the agency... The son...might be retained for the sake of the name, although he is without ability'.

The new Knowledge Hub page brings together my Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Did You Know? features, each addressing common Titanic and ocean liner questions.

New material is being added all the time!

https://markchirnside.co.uk/knowledge-hub/

Hosts Tad Fitch and J. Kent Layton welcome author and researcher Mark Chirnside back on the podcast to discuss his latest release, Olympic & Titanic: Triumph and Disaster.

In this episode, Mark reveals compelling new findings and stories that make this book a standout addition to maritime history. Whether you are new to the subject or a lifelong researcher, this detailed work offers fresh discoveries on nearly every page while recontextualizing the legacy of the Olympic-class ships.

The conversation also explores the evolving challenges facing maritime historians as the field increasingly transitions from print to digital and social media platforms.

https://markchirnside.co.uk/olympic-titanic-triumph-and-disaster-an-in-depth-conversation-with-mark-chirnside-steam-splendor-podcast/

This blog answers a common question!

https://markchirnside.co.uk/how-much-did-titanic-weigh/

My latest blog post examines a little known aspect of Olympic and Titanic’s rudders.

https://markchirnside.co.uk/did-you-know-olympic-titanics-rudders/

One year ago, my podcast(s) with The Steam & Splendor Network went live. We address various Titanic conspiracy theories, including claims that she had an 'Achilles Heel'. https://markchirnside.co.uk/steam-splendor-podcast-season-1-episodes-3-4/

Olympic’s westbound maiden voyage average speed was mistakenly understated publicly for almost a century. Sam Halpern and I corrected the error in 2006!

https://markchirnside.co.uk/faq-olympics-maiden-voyage-time-average-speed/

Olympic won favourable reviews for the way she handled. On more than one occasion, mariners commented positively on how she steered, likening her to a ‘catboat’ and a ‘yacht’. https://markchirnside.co.uk/the-yacht-like-olympic/

My new article, published in Titanic International Society's Voyage journal and now on Encyclopedia Titanica, analyses Mauretania's operating accounts for 1910 and reveals first class was the revenue and profit generator - not third class. https://markchirnside.co.uk/mauretania-revenue-profit-analysis-1910/

Many people seem to assume that the number of passengers Titanic carried on her maiden voyage was relatively low. In fact, express liners rarely sailed fully booked outside the height of the season. https://markchirnside.co.uk/article-from-the-archives-titanic-passengerlist/

(If you will excuse the plug - I don't believe there's any prohibition in the group rules...)

My new book, 'Olympic & Titanic: Triumph and Disaster', was published by the History Press in April 2026.

This hardback volume, similar in scale to the acclaimed Titanic: The ‘Ship Magnificent’ books, is 416 pages (including c. 160 black & white and c. 20 colour images).  The text contains a treasure trove of little known information and previously unpublished anecdotes.  Whether your interest is in the design and engineering, financial, social or technical aspects of these ships’ history, you will learn something new.

It is heavily based on primary sources. The approach was to explore the wider context and contribute to a deeper understanding of Titanic.

Many people are naturally sceptical of 'yet another Titanic book'. Nonetheless a common theme so far is that reviewers are finding out new information - and among these reviewers are noted Titanic historians who've studied the subject matter for decades. These include Bruce Beveridge and Steve Hall, from the team of authors who wrote 'Titanic: The "Ship Magnificent"', and Bill Wormstedt, a co-author of 'On A Sea of Glass'.

As I posted on my Facebook page:

>I ran a poll for people to chose some random page numbers from 'Olympic & Titanic: Triumph and Disaster'. The winners were the double page spreads starting on pages 48 and 116. Here's a preview of the contents!

>Page 48 has photos of Alexander Carlisle, Thomas Andrews and Edward Wilding. The information includes little known details of Carlisle's consultancy agreement with H&W, after his retirement; Thomas Andrews' pay rise and a 'bonus' he was paid directly (by the White Star Line, not H&W!); Edward Wilding's career and the earliest details of the 'Design "A"' concept, which demonstrates how much Olympic and Titanic grew during the design process.

>Page 116 has a stunning photo of the first class palm court on the Holland America liner Rotterdam, built by H&W in 1908. We can see furnishings by H. P. Mutters en Zoon, the Dutch company which also provided furniture for Olympic and Titanic and designs for the finest first class staterooms; there is a letter from Cunard's chairman, William Watson, to White Star's chairman, J. Bruce Ismay, explaining that James Miller, who worked on Lusitania's interiors, was seeking an introduction and wanted to pitch for interior design work on White Star's new ships; we see Alexander Carlisle discussing the enlargement of H&W's polishing shop, because the interior fittings required for Olympic and Titanic are straining the shipyard's capacity. We follow H&W's views on interior design, harking back to the lavish woods used in Teutonic's first class staterooms and expressing a preference for lighter colouring in newer ships. And then there is a very rare interior design concept sketch of Olympic's first class smoke room, produced by A. Heaton & Co. in February 1910 (compare it with the finished version!)

>All these little details flesh out the story and help us understand the broader context.

There are a number of blog posts with preview material for anyone who might be interested.