How did the crew miss out on their pay?

White Star apparently stopped all crew wages from the moment the ship sank.

They did indeed Jenny. Back in England I have the personal papers , the Will, and other correspondence of one seaman who drowned. These include the last postcard he ever sent, to his family, from the ship. It ends with a finality undreamt "Ta -Ta for now !" ("Goodbye for now" in baby talk; if that is peculiarly British). Pertinent is his wages statement. It ends on the last full day, to midnight. They didn't even give him money for the hours after midnight. His widow certainly got no money for the unsailed time.

This is, or was, still practice in our militaryat all levels. Soldiers are paid by the day. A retired Major General told me, years ago, that his service, after many years, was deemed officially ended at 11 a.m. At ten past 11 he rang for his staff car, so that he could take the last effects from his office. It was refused him because his service had ended ten minutes before; the Army had seemingly regarded the 11 a.m as generous enough! He had to borrow the staff car of another general (probably against Queen's Regulations ). He didn't say whether he got the 11 am as a day; presumably not (unless perhaps he'd enlisted in the Army at 11 am ).