Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
By Mark Chirnside
This article was first published in the British Titanic Societys Atlantic
Daily Bulletin March 2016: Pages 6-11.
The forward half of the first class promenade on A Deck was also
enclosed with glass to eliminate the annoying sea spray that some of
Olympics first class passengers had complained about.
In January 1912, Olympic experienced very rough weather when she ran
into one of the worst North Atlantic storms Captain Smith had experienced
in his lengthy career and was battered by heavy seas. Among other
damage, on Sunday afternoon enormous seas tore off the cover of No. 1
hatch on the focsle deck and lifted it bodily over the guard rails at the
break of the deck and deposited it safely on the well deck below. J. Bruce
Ismay was among the passengers. Although the New York Times reported
he had one of his ports smashed by the big sea, an interesting
observation of Ismays was that the ship rolled and pitched a good deal,
but that her promenade decks were dry and that the majority of the
passengers were able to go into the saloon for their meals. If he had
received any complaints, they were not borne out by his reported
comments.
This close up view of the starboard side was taken on 2 March 1912
and shows the same preparations were being made. (Ioannis
Georgiou collection)
After the 1912-13 refit, Olympic lost a portion of the B-deck promenade
area when the restaurant was extended to the port side and a Caf Parisien
was added on the starboard side. However, this was at the expense of
second class, and the enclosed first class promenade deck further forward
remained. There was, therefore, no need to enclose Olympics forward A-
deck promenade in order to provide enclosed promenade space for first
class passengers.
It is interesting to note that, shortly after this change, the White Star Line
discussed a proposal to enclose the forward end of Olympics A-deck
promenade. They decided against it on the grounds of cost the
companys financial strength in 1929 was far below what it had been
before the war but the timing of the discussion is interesting as it may be
linked to the loss of part of the original enclosed promenade on B-deck.
While this is speculation, it does seem to fit with the known facts.
Based on all of this information, it seems far more likely that Titanics
forward A-deck promenade was enclosed as a response to the loss of the
enclosed promenade area on B-deck, rather than as a result of any
passenger complaints about sea spray. There is, however, the question of
timing. The notation from 14 February 1912 is evidence that the new
weather wall had been decided upon by that time. It is reasonable to
assume that this modification went hand in hand with the decision to
enclose the fore end of the promenade deck. The work to install the
screens was not underway visibly until March 1912, but the decision to
replace the B-deck enclosed promenade with expanded first class
This implies that there was a considerable gap between the decision to
remove the enclosed promenade on B-deck and, consequently, provide an
enclosed promenade area on A-deck. What, if anything, changed? There
are several possibilities. The enclosed restaurant promenade area on B-
deck (shown on December 1911 first class accommodation plans) became
the Caf Parisien and was shown as such on first class accommodation
plans four months later, removing the final remnant of the original
enclosed B-deck promenade on Titanic. It is also possible that the severe
storms Olympic experienced in December 1911 and January 1912
highlighted the general issue that Titanic no longer had an enclosed
promenade area for first class passengers as she neared completion.