After their sinking of the Titanic, were there any proposals (implemented or otherwise) for better iceberg detection?

by henry_fords_ghost
ConsiderableHat

While it didn't form part of the findings of the inquiry conducted by the Commissioner for Wrecks (the whole thing, transcripts of evidence included, can be read at http://www.titanicinquiry.org/ not that evidence transcripts are what you might call a rip-snorting read) the International Ice Patrol (per their own page on their own history) was founded in 1913 in response to the tragedy. It's conducted by US Coast Guard personnel, with funding assistance from the north atlantic maritime nations.

wotan_weevil

While improved human systems were developed and adopted, as noted by other respondents, there were attempts at technological fixes. In particular, the sinking of the Titanic drove early research in active sonar (i.e., echo-location). Previous work on underwater acoustics focussed on two main things: acoustic warning of navigational hazards, using underwater bells to mark the hazard, and ship-to-ship communications using underwater sound.

It was only days after the Titanic sinking that Titanic-inspired patent applications appeared, notably, Lewis Fry Richardson's provisional patent application for sonar detection of collision hazards in fog:

https://books.google.com/books?id=RVE9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA997&lpg=PA997

This system was to use sound waves in air (rather than in the water). It didn't lead to a working device, but the idea is the essence of sonar.

A more successful inventor was Reginald Fessenden, a pioneer of radio voice transmission. In 1912, he developed a system for underwater communication using sound waves, and was working on applying his system to the echo-detection of icebergs. The exact development of the idea for his sonar system isn't clear - in particular, whether he initially developed it for communication and then applied it to iceberg detection, or whether he developed it for iceberg detection but first applied it to underwater communication. Underwater communication was already under investigation, and better ship-to-ship communication would have helped the Titanic. By 1914, Fessenden's sonar was able to detect icebergs at 4km.

World War 1 then proceeded to drive sonar development in the direction of anti-submarine warfare. The US and British sonar efforts formed a huge scientific project for the time - essentially, the Manhattan Project of WW1. This led to systems installed in warships for operational testing, just in time for the end of the war. As a result of this, the early history of sonar is dominated by the war, with Fessenden's work a short prequel.

For a history of early sonar development, including the impact of the Titanic disaster, see Shiga, J. (2013). "Sonar: Empire, Media, and the Politics of Underwater Sound", Canadian Journal of Communication, 38(3), 357-377. doi: https://doi.org/10.22230/cjc.2013v38n3a2664

belmacor

Yes!The first version of SOLAS(Safety of Life at Sea) Treaty was passed in 1914 in response to the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The enforcement of the treaty was however delayed by the first world war. https://trid.trb.org/view/1148276

If you are intrested in the original Solas treaty you can find it here: https://archive.org/details/textofconvention00inte The pages 84 and forward is all about the Ice and weather regulations.

Text of the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, Signed at London, January 20, 1914 [with Translation.], London: His Majesty's Stationery Office by Harrison and Sons, 1914