The wireless operators, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, didn't get many messages on Titanic's maiden voyage, except for Sunday, the last day the ship saw light. That day they received seven ice warnings. Captain Smith, though, sped the ship up to 22 knots, and kept the Titanic going at that speed during the night, even though, another ship, the Californian, warned them that there was an ice field ahead.


The Titanic sailed on seeing nothing but clear water. But then, that famous iceberg appeared out of nowhere, and struck the ship's side. After they knew the ship was sinking, the operators tried CQD first for help. They didn't get very many responses. Then Bride suggested the new SOS signal. They got responses from the Frankfurt, the Olympic, and the Carpathia with SOS. The Frankfurt's signal was the strongest, but it was 170 miles away. The Olympic, one of Titanic's sister ships, wouldn't arrive until the next night. Carpathia, though was only 57 miles away, the closest ship. But she wouldn't arrive for four hours at the speed she was traveling. The Californian, the ship that warned them of the ice field, was only 6 miles away. They saw Titanic's flares, but they thought Titanic was having a celebration. They didn't think of waking up their sleeping wireless operator.


After Bride and Phillips tried contacting help as much as they could, Captain Smith told them to leave the ship. They both split up and jumped off the ship. Ironically they made it the same lifeboat, but Phillips froze to death waiting for the Carpathia.