the avanti group engineering reviews When the Titanic went down she took with her the lives of many brave people including her entire complement of engineers under the control of Joseph Bell, the Chief Engineer Officer. His staff consisted of 24 engineers, 6 electrical engineers, two boilermakers, a plumber and his clerk. In addition many of the firemen and coal trimmers were lost.

1. http://www.uco.es/~ff1mumuj/titanic1.htm
When the Titanic went down she took with her the lives of
many brave people including her entire complement of
engineers under the control of Joseph Bell, the Chief Engineer
Officer. His staff consisted of 24 engineers, 6 electrical
engineers, two boilermakers, a plumber and his clerk. In
addition many of the firemen and coal trimmers were lost.

2. Despite the library of books which has been written about Titanic the engineers,
the role they played and the ultimate sacrifice they made, have received scant
comment in these published works. The reason for this could be the fact that no
engineer survived and so there was no verbal evidence of the role they played.
The evidence of their important role is, however, plain to see for the ship stayed
afloat longer than it would have done had they not sacrificed their lives for the
good of others. This brief note attempts to explain what the engineers did during
those crucial hours before the ship foundered and in presenting this information
it is hoped that the bravery of these men will be acknowledged by all who have
studied the ship and its brief history.
This document dealing with Titanic`s engineers is divided into the following
sections:
I. Engineers` Duties
2. The Collision
3. After the Collision
4. Engineers` Purple

3. Engineers` Duties
All ships of the period had an engineering routine and this varied from
company to company but for any steam ship there was a need to keep well
manned watches in engine and boiler rooms. A large passenger liner like
the Titanic needed a number of engineers on each watch {12 to 4, 4 to 8 and
8 to 12, am and pm} these men supervising the firemen, greasers and coal
trimmers and tending the machinery/boilers under their control. Engineers
would have been on duty in the boiler rooms and the engine rooms
(reciprocating engines and turbine). The Chief Engineer would not have
kept a watch but the majority of the other engineers would have done so.
There were six Second Engineers allowing for two on each watch, one in
charge of the engines and the other responsible for the boilers. The five
Third Engineers and the Senior Fourth Engineer would have allowed for a
further two qualified engineers on each watch, probably supervising boiler
rooms.

4. Collision with the Iceberg.
Immediately prior to the collision the engineers would have been following their usual
routine watchkeeping tasks of supervising the boiler rooms and tending the main
engines and turbine. The ship was proceeding at its normal full speed and in the
engine/boiler rooms those on watch would have had no reason to believe that anything
untoward was likely to happen. It is unlikely that any engineer would have been at the
engine control platform when the telegraph rang to request an engine stop and then
reversal thus there would have been a time delay before the engine controls could have
been moved to stop and reverse. How long that delay was must be pure speculation but
it would probably not have been longer than 30 seconds. A single engineer could have
dealt with both engines within 10 seconds. Unfortunately no engineer survived and the
inquiry evidence from the engine room hands who did is confused to say the least.
George Beauchamp (boiler room No 6) mentioned that the telegraph {obviously the
boiler room telegraph} rang stop after a thunderous shock: this telegraph would have
been actuated by the enginer at the engine control after he had responded to the
bridge telegraph and adjusted the engine condition.

5. Engine Room Operations After the Collison
When Titanic struck the iceberg the situation changed immediately and
all engineers not then on duty would have been summoned to the engine
room by means of alarm bell located in the Engineers` accommodation.
The letter reproduced below indicates the standing instructions operated
by White Star Line and the situation as it is likely to have existed in the
engine room at that time.
Letter from F.J. Blake RNR, White Star Line Engineering Superintendent
in Southampton. Published in The Engineer, 26 April 1912. p441

6. Engineers` Purple
The gold braid insignia of rank worn by British mercantile marine engineer officers on the sleeves
of their uniform jackets has a purple background. There is a long held belief that this was decreed
by King George V in recognition of the heroism shown by Titanic`s engineers. Although it is a fine
story and that heroism certainly deserved recognition, it is incorrect. In 1865 it was decided that
British naval engineers would wear a purple background to their gold braid of rank in order to
distinguish them from other officers and that colour coding transferred to the British mercantile
engineer officers when they started wearing uniforms. Although engineer officers aboard
passenger ships wore uniforms the practice was not common aboard cargo ships prior to WWI and
so purple was not usually seen. As more engineer officers wore uniforms the purple background
became common and the myth associated with the Titanic developed.
You can watch and read:
http://bloggers.com/talk/designers-boiler-house-rooms-avanti-consulting-
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boiler-house-rooms-HEIZUNGSRAUM