Passenger and crew locations at the time of the collision

[DanDeibler]

Hi, everyone. I'm working on a simulation and I need to know where everyone (yes, all passengers and crew) were at the moment the Titanic collided with the iceberg, and what they were doing (e.g. on duty, sleeping, etc.). While it's certainly impossible to know this for all passengers and crew, it's acceptable, for the purposes of the simulation, for me to fill in the massive holes with statistical data. I've spent many, many hours going through encylcopedia-titanica and some other sites, combing for references to people's (specifically crew members, so far) whereabouts at the time of the collision. Obviously, the survivors are the ones for whom this information is easiest to find, because they lived to tell about it, but I have managed to get definite locations for some crew members who did not survive the night. I haven't even begun to comb through the passenger side of encyclopedia-titanica, but I predict I will find myself doing so in the very near future.

I'm just throwing this out there as a request for any assistance this community is willing to provide me. At some point, I will have to just go with what I have and fill in the holes with blind guesses (and that's OK), but I would like to get my data as complete as possible before that happens. The more fact-based data I have, the more accurate and valid the simulation will be. If anyone has ever tried to compile a list of where people were at the time of the collision, and has already endured the tedious task of collecting this information, I would love to have it, if you are willing to share it.

Like I said, given the impossible nature of knowing where everyone was, statistical data is fine. One thing that would help me a lot is if I knew how many pursers/firemen/lift attendants/1st class saloon stewards/2nd class saloon stewards/etc./etc. were scheduled to be on duty at the time of the collision, and when the shifts began/ended. It's not terribly important who they are, as long as I know how many of them there were. If I can get that, I'd say most of my work on gathering this data will be done. I figure most of the passengers were probably asleep in their cabins at the time of the collision, so, worst case scenario has me saying all passengers were asleep in their cabins (which is certainly not true, but also not too far off). I'll be able to get a better idea of that once I start looking through passenger accounts more deeply.

So to recap, any help/info you can provide on where people would probably have been at the time of the collision would be greatly appreciated. Specifically, if anyone can tell me how many crew members of each occupation would have been on duty at the time of the collision, then you will have provided me with the most helpful information possible.

Thank you for your time.
Dan Deibler

P.S. Just so you don't think I'm completely mooching off of you guys, in a few minutes I'll be posting some helpful info in the R.M.S. Titanic board for anyone who is interested in getting free high-resolution digital blueprints. (No, not the really crappy ones you can find with a quick google search. I'm talking about clean, detailed blueprints, with cabin numbers, doors, bathroom fixtures, frame numbers, etc.)