The British ship Carpathia was the first ship to sail to the aid of the 'unsinkable' Titanic.

The Carpathia was primarily designed for the Hungarian emigrant service between Fiume and New York and made its maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York, via Queenstown on May 5, 1903.

The accommodation was far superior to anything previously offered to emigrants and the 3rd class accommodation was of a good standard. There were also public rooms for 3rd class passengers and all meals were included in the fare.

What distinguished the Carpathia from so many ships like her was the part she played in the events that took place after Carpathia left New York on April 11, 1912 - the same day that the Titanic was calling at Queenstown on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic.

The Titanic struck an iceberg at noon on the April 14, and when it became clear that the ship was sinking Captain Smith sent out distress signals. After receiving these signals Captain Rostron, of the Carpathia, immediately set a course to the Titanic's last known position, over 60 miles away, at full speed. At 4.00am the Carpathia arrived at the scene after negotiating the surrounding ice fields.

The Carpathia picked up the survivors and lifeboats from the Titanic. 703 people were saved but 1,503 perished.

As there was insufficient food on board to make it to Europe, Captain Rostron decided to sail back to New York. One little known story involved the Newfoundland dog, Rigel, owned by the Titanic's First Officer. In its haste to locate survivors, the Carpathia sped directly toward one of the lifeboats, oblivious to its presence on the black ocean.

The Titanic's passengers, exhausted and weak from exposure, were mute in their protest as the ship came on. Rigel, who was paddling ahead of the lifeboat, sent up a continuous bark that alerted the Captain of the Carpathia. The order to stop all engines was immediately given and the gangway was lowered. Rigel then guided the lifeboat through the darkness to safety.

Like the Titanic, the Carpathia was also destined to sink. On 17 July 1918 she was travelling in convoy, bound for Boston, when two torpedoes struck her some 120 miles west of Fastnet. A third torpedo hit the ship as the lifeboats were being manned. Five of the crew were killed by the explosions. The remaining crew and the 57 passengers on board were picked up by HMS Snowdrop and safely brought to Liverpool. The Carpathia sank at 12.40am that day.