Was there an international standard for distress rockets when Titanic sank?
Short answerNot in the modern enforceable sense; practices existed, but SOLAS later made any red rocket at sea an unambiguous call for help.
NotesAccepted distress practices existed, but there was no universal code that every ship followed. Different rocket intervals could reflect the finite supply aboard and an attempt to keep signaling long enough for a distant observer to notice. Before SOLAS, rockets and Roman candles could also identify a liner rather than unambiguously announce distress. Titanic helped produce the later rule that any red rocket at sea must be treated as a call for assistance.