HAUNTING 3D scans of the Titanic have proved a villainous twist in the James Cameron movie wrong – and cleared the name of the ship’s second in command.
In the 113 years since the ship sank, First Officer William Murdoch has been accused of abandoning his post, taking bribes, and was even depicted as shooting a passenger in the 1997 film.
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But groundbreaking new scans of the ship, which now lies 12,500ft below the ocean surface, shows Officer Murdoch did not flee his position.
Instead, a key detail on the ship suggests Officer Murdoch died helping passengers escape right up until the ship was submerged in icy Atlantic waters.
The scans are made up of roughly 715,000 photos of the Titanic wreck.
They were captured by deep-sea digital imaging company Magellan for a new National Geographic documentary titled ‘Titanic: The Digital Resurrection’.
Previously, the only pictures available of the ship were grainy videos from deep-sea submersibles navigating gloomy waters two-and-a-half miles down.
On the night of the tragedy, Officer Murdoch was in charge of evacuations on the starboard side of the ship.
In the documentary, Titanic analyst Parks Stephenson explained how scans showed the davit – a type of crane used on ships – at Officer Murdoch’s station was in an up position.
This suggests it was getting ready to launch another lifeboat when the Titanic went under.
It supports testimony from surviving crew members at the time, who said Officer Murdoch, 39, was swept away by a wave as he launched one more group of passengers to safety.
Several survivors reported seeing an officer shoot several men rushing for a lifeboat and then shoot himself.
The officer was rumoured to be Murdoch, which was then replicated in the film adaptation of the tragedy.
Yet Second Officer Charles Lightoller claimed he saw Officer Murdoch from the top of the deckhouse as he was swept away.
“This davit is in the up position, meaning its crew is basically trying to get a lifeboat ready to be launched,” said Stephenson.
He added: “This coincides with Second Officer Lightoller’s description.
“This davit right here stands in mute testimony that supports Lightoller’s version of events because being in the up position is exactly what Lightoller described.”
Hollywood’s apology to Murdoch family
By News Reporter Harry Williamson
MOVIE bosses were forced to apologise to William Murdoch’s family after the depiction of him in the 1997 film ‘Titanic’.
The film showed Murdoch, played by Ewan Stewart, shooting a passenger before taking his life.
The scenes angered Murdoch’s family, particularly the scenes depicting his suicide which they blasted.
His nephew Scott Murdoch said: “From my own family connections and also from my father having spoken to various officers who survived – he didn’t commit suicide.
“If someone says to you somebody in the family committed suicide when he hadn’t, you take objection.”
The criticism prompted a personal response from studio bosses.
The Vice President of Fox Studios at the time, Scott Neeson, personally travelled to Dalbeattie to apologise to the officer’s relatives.
He also donated £5,000 to the William Murdoch Memorial Prize at the local high school.
Director James Cameron also apologised for the portrayal on the film’s DVD commentary.
Cameron said: “I’m not sure you’d find that same sense of responsibility and total devotion to duty today.
“This guy had half of his lifeboats launched before his counterpart on the port side had even launched one.
“That says something about character and heroism.”
William McMaster Murdoch was born on 28 February 1873 in the Scottish town of Dalbeattie.
The seaman served on a number of vessels before being securing the position of First Officer aboard the legendary Titanic.
In September 1907, he married a school teacher from New Zealand named Ada Florence Banks.
But the last time he would see his wife was on 10 April 1912, when the Titanic departed on its maiden voyage from Southampton.
The sinking of the Titanic
By Foreign News Reporter Harvey Geh
At 11:40pm, the Titanic strikes an iceberg on her starboard side, creating a series of punctures below the waterline that seal her fate despite being touted as “unsinkable.”
By midnight, Captain Edward Smith and his officers realise the ship cannot be saved, as water floods six compartments, far exceeding its capacity to stay afloat.
Around 12:15am, Titanic’s wireless operators send out frantic SOS signals, but the nearest ship, the Carpathia, is over 58 miles away and cannot arrive in time.
At 12:25am, lifeboats begin to be loaded, but confusion, class divisions, and a lack of drills lead to many leaving half-empty, with only enough boats for about half the passengers.
As flares are fired into the night sky around 12:45am, passengers cling to hope that nearby ships will respond, but none are close enough to help.
By 1:30am, the last lifeboats are launched, leaving over 1,500 desperate people stranded on the rapidly sinking ship with no means of escape.
Around 2:10 AM, the Titanic’s stern rises high into the air as the ship breaks apart, sending passengers tumbling into the freezing waters below.
At 2:20am, the Titanic disappears beneath the surface, leaving hundreds struggling in the icy ocean, where most succumb to hypothermia within minutes.
By 4:00am, the Carpathia arrives, rescuing 705 survivors from lifeboats, but the vast majority of passengers and crew – over 1,500 – have already perished in one of history’s greatest maritime disasters.
