“WE ARE IN COLLISION WITH BERG. SINKING HEAD DOWN”: SCARCE FIRST EDITION OF FIRST OFFICIAL REPORT ON THE TITANIC, PUBLISHED LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS AFTER ITS SINKING

(TITANIC) PARLIAMENT. Shipping Casualities (Loss of the Steamship “Titanic.”) Report of a Formal Investigation into the circumstances attending the foundering on 15th April, 1912, of the British Steamship “Titanic,” of Liverpool. WITH: Return of the Expenses Incurred… in Connection with the Inquiry into the Loss of the S.S. “Titanic.” London: His Majesty’s Stationary Office, 1912-13. Two volumes altogether. Slim folio, original blue self wrappers, stitched as issued, pp. 74 (Report); original ivory self wrappers, pp. 4 (Return).

First edition of two official British reports, Parliamentary Papers CD6352 and CD6738, investigating the sinking of the Titanic—the first documentation of Lord Mersey’s hearings on the Titanic’s collision with an iceberg and the loss of 1490 lives—featuring transcriptions of the foundering ship’s final S.O.S. calls. Scarce in original wrappers.

This scarce first edition of the official Report on the sinking of the S.S. Titanic was issued following a formal investigation held at Westminster from May-July 1912, assessing the “circumstances attending the loss of the steamship ‘Titanic,’ of Liverpool, and the loss of 1,490 lives in the North Atlantic Ocean.” Headed by Lord Mersey, the British court held 37 public hearings and heard testimony from 97 witnesses before concluding “the loss of the said ship was due to collision with an iceberg, brought about by the excessive speed at which the ship was being navigated.” Much of the Report describes the ship’s collision with an iceberg and its rapid flooding, while other sections dispute a view that third-class passengers were “unfairly treated.” In recounting passengers’ actions aboard lifeboats and in the open sea, the Report emphasizes “it is to be remembered that the night was dark, the noise of escaping steam was terrifying … [and] the peril… was imminent and great.” A concluding statement notes that the Titanic foundered at “2-20 a.m. (ship’s time) 15th April.” The second publication herein additionally details the Inquiry’s expenses. British Parliamentary Papers CD 6352 and CD 6378. With numerous charts and tables on the ship’s watertight bulkheads, engines and communication devices, and a breakdown of passengers in 1st, 2nd and 3rd class. In addition, the Report describes the Titanic’s sailing orders, routing information on “regions where ice is likely to be found,” and includes the record of a “telephone message to the bridge, ‘Iceberg right ahead,” along with transcripts of the Titanic’s S.O.S. messages—such as one issued about an hour-and-a-half after the collision, noting “We are in collision with berg. Sinking Head down,” and another, 15 minutes later, stating “We are putting the women off in the boats.” Both title pages with contemporary library inkstamps (one dated “8 Aug 1912”).

Text quite fresh; light marginal creasing and tiny pinholes at gutter edge of “Return of the Expenses”; tiny bit of chipping to upper corners of fragile wrappers to “Shipping Casualties.”About-fine condition.