Arthur Rostron

…Up in the crow's nest, the lookouts are keeping a sharp watch, scanning the horizon for Titanic's four giant funnels. But all they can see, far away in the distance, is a little green light. It's too low in the water to be a liner, let alone the biggest ship in the world. Rostron orders Carpathia to slow down as they approach.…

…Blazing through the darkness, he knows he's taking the lives of his passengers in his hands. More than once, Carpathia has had to dodge an approaching iceberg, A deeply religious man, Rostron will later write that the hand of God must be on the helm that night, as his ship zigzags around the bergs. By 3.30 AM, Carpathia is approaching Titanic's last record…

…He's doing his best to cross the 50-odd miles separating them from Titanic in record time. The decks of the ship are shaking as the engines are pushed to their limit. Unlike Titanic, Carpathia is a modest single-funneled workhorse. Her top speed, officially at least, is 14 knots, compared to Titanic's 23. But right now, Rostron is squeezing 17 knots out of…