SOURCES Miller's book was published by The Citadel Press, New York, 1955. Stevenson's claim is in the first of his two articles on Titanic premonitions, 'A Review and Analysis of Paranormal Experiences Connected with the Sinking of the Titanic’, Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, vol. 54, October 1960, p.159. Brown's claim is in her book, 'The Titanic, the Psychic and the Sea', Blue Harbor Press, Lomita, California, 1981, p.28. The reference for Gardner is his 'The Wreck of the Titanic Foretold?, Prometheus Books, New York, 1986, p. 19. The four references to Meheust's book, 'Histoires paranormales du Titanic', J’ai lu, Paris, 2006, are to p.112, p.119, p.189 and p.215. Archibald Gracie's book is 'Titanic. A Survivor’s Story', The History Press, Stroud, 2008, p.5 (First published as 'The Truth About the Titanic', J.J. Little & Ives, New York, 1913.)

SOURCES

• Miller's book was published by The Citadel Press, New York, 1955.
• Stevenson's claim is in the first of his two articles on Titanic premonitions, 'A Review and Analysis of Paranormal Experiences Connected with the Sinking of the Titanic’, Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, vol. 54, October 1960, p.159.
• Brown's claim is in her book, 'The Titanic, the Psychic and the Sea', Blue Harbor Press, Lomita, California, 1981, p.28.
• The reference for Gardner is his 'The Wreck of the Titanic Foretold?, Prometheus Books, New York, 1986, p. 19.
• The four references to Meheust's book, 'Histoires paranormales du Titanic', J’ai lu, Paris, 2006, are to p.112, p.119, p.189 and p.215.
• Archibald Gracie's book is 'Titanic. A Survivor’s Story', The History Press, Stroud, 2008, p.5 (First published as 'The Truth About the Titanic', J.J. Little & Ives, New York, 1913.)

Did the incident concerning the Reverend Charles Morgan portrayed in the ‘Night of April 14th’ episode of ‘One Step Beyond’ actually happen? Ian Stevenson, the first of five commentators to dwell at length on Titanic ‘premonitions’ (followed by Rustie Brown, Martin Gardner, George Behe and Bertrand Méhest), wrote in 1960 that Morgan, in a ‘trancelike state’, saw the number of an unfamiliar hymn presented to him on the evening of 14 April, 1912 and felt compelled to have it sung at his service. He claims, quoting correspondence in a book by R. DeWitt Miller ('You Do Take It with You', 1955) that at the time Morgan’s congregation was singing ‘Hear, Father, while we pray to Thee, for those in peril on the sea’ (‘about two hours’ before Titanic struck the iceberg), second-class passengers on Titanic were also singing it, although he gives no indication of whether a time-difference between Winnipeg and ship time on Titanic is taken into account and, if so, what it is. (Brown asserts - without giving a source - that a second-class passenger on Titanic was ‘simultaneously’ requesting the same hymn at the evening prayer meeting,)

Gardner simply relates Stevenson’s account, but while Behe makes no reference at all to Morgan, Méheust takes up the case, suggesting that Morgan forgot the hymn-number after his dream, then remembered it just before the evening service, though he also later argues that no text bears witness to the timing of the dream, and that there is nothing to exclude the possibility of a coincidence. He says that it was Reverend Ernest Carter who requested the hymn on Titanic, and that Colonel Gracie describes this episode in his memoirs (although, in fact, Gracie refers to an entirely different ‘coincidence’ concerning a hymn).

It is a clear error to think that Morgan was onboard Titanic, but, as with so many Titanic ‘premonitions’, at best it all comes down in the end to the percipient’s own account. Morgan may well not have set out deliberately to deceive, but it has always seemed to me that an element of self-deception can easily enter into the record of such cases.

Did the incident concerning the Reverend Charles Morgan portrayed in the ‘Night of April 14th’ episode of ‘One Step Beyond’ actually happen? Ian Stevenson, the first of five commentators to dwell at length on Titanic ‘premonitions’ (followed by Rustie Brown, Martin Gardner, George Behe and Bertrand Méhest), wrote in 1960 that Morgan, in a ‘trancelike state’, saw the number of an unfamiliar hymn presented to him on the evening of 14 April, 1912 and felt compelled to have it sung at his service. He claims, quoting correspondence in a book by R. DeWitt Miller ('You Do Take It with You', 1955) that at the time Morgan’s congregation was singing ‘Hear, Father, while we pray to Thee, for those in peril on the sea’ (‘about two hours’ before Titanic struck the iceberg), second-class passengers on Titanic were also singing it, although he gives no indication of whether a time-difference between Winnipeg and ship time on Titanic is taken into account and, if so, what it is. (Brown asserts - without giving a source - that a second-class passenger on Titanic was ‘simultaneously’ requesting the same hymn at the evening prayer meeting,)

Gardner simply relates Stevenson’s account, but while Behe makes no reference at all to Morgan, Méheust takes up the case, suggesting that Morgan forgot the hymn-number after his dream, then remembered it just before the evening service, though he also later argues that no text bears witness to the timing of the dream, and that there is nothing to exclude the possibility of a coincidence. He says that it was Reverend Ernest Carter who requested the hymn on Titanic, and that Colonel Gracie describes this episode in his memoirs (although, in fact, Gracie refers to an entirely different ‘coincidence’ concerning a hymn).

It is a clear error to think that Morgan was onboard Titanic, but, as with so many Titanic ‘premonitions’, at best it all comes down in the end to the percipient’s own account. Morgan may well not have set out deliberately to deceive, but it has always seemed to me that an element of self-deception can easily enter into the record of such cases.

SOURCES Miller's book was published by The Citadel Press, New York, 1955. Stevenson's claim is in the first of his two articles on Titanic premonitions, 'A Review and Analysis of Paranormal Experiences Connected with the Sinking of the Titanic’, Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, vol. 54, October 1960, p.159. Brown's claim is in her book, 'The Titanic, the Psychic and the Sea', Blue Harbor Press, Lomita, California, 1981, p.28. The reference for Gardner is his 'The Wreck of the Titanic Foretold?, Prometheus Books, New York, 1986, p. 19. The four references to Meheust's book, 'Histoires paranormales du Titanic', J’ai lu, Paris, 2006, are to p.112, p.119, p.189 and p.215. Archibald Gracie's book is 'Titanic. A Survivor’s Story', The History Press, Stroud, 2008, p.5 (First published as 'The Truth About the Titanic', J.J. Little & Ives, New York, 1913.)