EVEN now after 95 years it would seem that some people will always see Captain Stanley Lord, of the Californian, as the man who slept in his cabin while his officers and crew stood by watching Titanic sending up distress signals and did nothing.

This, of course, is completely untrue. The 35-year-old captain was a very competent master mariner who served his apprenticeship under sail.

The Californian had left Liverpool on April 5, bound for Boston, Massachusetts, and the evening of April 14 found her stopped surrounded by ice, Capt Lord having thought it prudent not to move until daylight.

Soon after Titanic collided with the iceberg, Captain Edward Smith instructed 25-year-old fourth officer Joseph Boxall to work out the ship's position in order to call for assistance.

It has since been proved that Boxall was out by four miles to the south.

When compared with the position of the Californian given by Capt Lord now known to be correct, it would show that the Californian was close to 20 miles from Titanic and in no way able to help.

Was there a third ship in the area - somewhere between Titanic and the Californian? It is now the general opinion that there was. But if this is so why did it not come to Titanic's aid?

C E WATTS, Millbrook, Southampton.