Titanic Survivor Claims an Iceberg Didn’t Destroy the Ship | HO
Have you ever met a person who hasn’t ever heard the story of Titanic? Unlikely. Even if you ask a 10-year-old, they’ll tell you exactly what took down the gigantic ship. However, some survivors of the sinking legend would beg to differ. Here’s one of their stories, and it has nothing to do with an iceberg.
Armenian publicist Vaghinak Byurat was 25 years old in the spring of 1912. He described what happened on his journey to America on the most famous ship in the world in his memoirs. He’s never mentioned an iceberg hitting the Titanic, and always spoke about an explosion. And if what he said was true, something must have caused that huge explosion…
The RMS Titanic’s tragic tale has captivated the world for over a century. We’re all familiar with the official account: on April 15, 1912, the “unsinkable” ship struck an iceberg in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic and tragically sank, taking over 1,500 lives with it. Yet, in recent years, some alternative theories have emerged, including one based on survivor testimonies and newfound evidence that challenges the traditional story. Among these theories is one based on the memoirs of Armenian survivor Vaghinak Byurat, who claimed the catastrophe involved an explosion rather than a collision with an iceberg. His story adds another layer of mystery to the Titanic’s fate and raises questions about what really happened that fateful night.
A Survivor’s Story
Vaghinak Byurat, an Armenian publicist, was just 25 years old in 1912. He had been tasked with delivering books by his father, a well-known Armenian author, to America. After overcoming health issues and traveling through Europe, he managed to secure a ticket on the Titanic—the most celebrated ship of its time. Traveling in cabin 804, he befriended a French passenger named Moren and two Englishmen, with whom he enjoyed long nights exploring the ship. Like other passengers, Byurat could not have imagined the tragedy that awaited him.
On April 14, he and his friends went to bed late, as was their routine. Just after midnight, however, they were jolted awake by what sounded like a massive explosion. Byurat described how the nightlights went out, and a strong push threw his English cabin mates from their bunks. The exact cause of the explosion remains unclear, but it left the four men scrambling to make sense of the chaos around them. Without knowing it, they were on the brink of a disaster that would change their lives forever.
Was It an Iceberg or an Explosion?
Most Titanic survivors reported hearing or feeling the initial impact when the ship struck the iceberg. However, Byurat’s account is unique because he described an explosion-like sound rather than the slow crunch of metal hitting ice. This has led some historians and conspiracy theorists to question if an iceberg alone caused the disaster.
Byurat’s testimony aligns with an alternative theory that a coal fire in the Titanic’s hull had been burning even before the ship left Southampton. This theory suggests that the fire weakened the ship’s structural integrity, making it vulnerable to damage from any collision, iceberg or otherwise. Proponents of this idea point to photographs of the Titanic leaving port, showing a dark mark on its hull where the fire supposedly burned. Fire investigators have argued that burning coal, combined with the ship’s collision, could have led to an explosion, which could explain Byurat’s recollections.
The Debate Over a German U-Boat
Another, more controversial theory is that a German U-boat was involved in the Titanic’s sinking. According to Byurat’s memoirs, he was not the only survivor to recall hearing sounds resembling explosions. Some even claimed to have seen a searchlight after the ship went down, which they believed was from a submarine. However, this theory is widely debunked by historians for several reasons. First, the Titanic sank two years before the outbreak of World War I, during a period of peace when Germany would have had no reason to attack a civilian liner. Second, early submarines were not capable of operating in the open Atlantic for long periods or effectively targeting a moving ship at night. Although intriguing, this theory remains improbable.
As the Titanic’s fate became clear, passengers rushed to the lifeboats, though crew members insisted that only women and children should board. Byurat and his friend Moren faced the agonizing choice of either remaining on the doomed vessel or jumping into the icy water. Moren secured life vests for them both, and the two friends leaped into the ocean. Tragically, they were separated by a powerful wave, leaving Byurat to confront the freezing Atlantic alone. His description of the water’s frigid temperature is a chilling reminder of the desperate conditions many faced that night.
In the water, Byurat clung to hope as he struggled against numbness and exhaustion. When he encountered a lifeboat, he tried to cling to it but was beaten back with a paddle by those on board, who feared that any extra weight might cause the boat to sink. Moments like these illustrate the harrowing choices survivors had to make. Ultimately, a lifeboat pulled Byurat aboard, though he lost his passport and money in the chaos.
Byurat awoke on the RMS Carpathia, the ship that famously arrived to rescue Titanic survivors. Disoriented and suffering from shock, he later learned that he had been saved by a woman who pretended he was her son, refusing to leave without him. This extraordinary act of compassion allowed Byurat to recover in a New York hospital before reuniting with his family in Boston.
After returning to health, Byurat recounted his ordeal in memoirs and often spoke of the Titanic’s sinking. Intriguingly, he never mentioned an iceberg in his retellings. Instead, he focused on the explosion he believed he had heard, fueling the theory that the Titanic’s hull had been compromised from within before it ever encountered the iceberg.
One of the more plausible alternatives to the iceberg-only explanation is the coal fire theory. Some historians believe that the Titanic left Southampton with a fire already smoldering in its coal bunker. This fire, if left burning, could have weakened the steel hull in the exact location where the iceberg struck. According to supporters of this theory, the fire burned hot enough to reduce the hull’s structural strength, making the ship more susceptible to damage when it hit the iceberg. Although this does not necessarily discount the iceberg as the primary cause, it suggests that pre-existing damage may have hastened the ship’s demise.
The fire theory also has photographic evidence to support it. Black-and-white images taken as the Titanic left Southampton appear to show a dark patch on its hull where the fire was thought to be located. Although no official reports confirmed this theory at the time, it remains a plausible contributing factor to the tragedy.
The Titanic’s sinking remains one of history’s most scrutinized disasters, with each survivor’s story adding a unique perspective. Byurat’s account is a powerful reminder that history is rarely as simple as it seems. His recollection of an explosion, along with the coal fire theory, challenges us to consider the possibility that a fire may have weakened the ship’s hull before it struck the iceberg, exacerbating the damage and sealing the Titanic’s fate.
Ultimately, we may never know the complete truth. Whether an iceberg alone sank the Titanic, or if a combination of factors—including an internal fire—played a role, remains a mystery. Byurat’s story, however, underscores the resilience of those who survived and the haunting questions that still linger about the Titanic’s final hours.
