SINKING OF THE TITANIC

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11955, 27 May 1933, Page 9

SINKING OF THE TITANIC

A TRAGIC MODERN VOYAGE

The Titanic was of 46,000 tons gross, fitted with every appliance j or the safety of her passengers, 'j'lin newspapers had advertised her , ls a ship which conld not sink, thTtch her builders and owners had no such extravagant claim. She was commanded by Captain Smith, and she had on board, besides h c i crew, 1308 passengers; a total of 2206 sonls. Among the passengers were such well-known people a& Mr. Bniee Ismav, a. director of the Whit© gtar Linn; Colonel J. J. Aster, Mr. AV T. Stead, and 1 Sir Hugh Lane. She made a good passage, and was steaming at more than 21 knots when, on the evening of April 14, pht, ran into a fog. Suddenly, about 20 minutes to 12 o’clock, the lookout reported an iceberg dead ahead, very close. The Titanic was unable to clear it. She struck the berg aglancing blow, opening up her side from about 20ft. from the starboard how to the first funnel, a distance of 220 ft-., and destroying at least five watertight compartments. Few of those who felt the slight shock realised that the- blow was mortal, though it scorns to have been recognised at once by the officers. Captain Smith went to the wirelessroom and ordered the C.Q.D. (‘‘Come quickly— -danger”) and the S.O.S. signals to be sent. out. The Cunard liner - Carpathia picked up the signals. She was about 68 miles dis•jtenty but she hoped to reach the Titanic by .5 o'clock in the morning. Volunteers laboured in the stokefiols with her firemen, and her speed crept up knot by knot until this 16knot skip was surging along at 18 knots j

The Titanic, was slowly settling down, when the uord passed round that ’the Carpathia was coming:- The boats were being filled with vomeu and children, but at this news a number of the women returned to the dock. Panic among some- Southern European steerage passengei? was quelled bv a . couP l e of pistol shots, '['he lights of a. steamer eonkl be seen eight to 10 miles away. This was the Leyland liner Californian (6223 tons), which, having received warning of ice by wireless, had stoppod awaiting daylight. The third officer of the Californian sighted lights on. the starboard quarter. He reported to his captain, "'ho instructed him to call the. other ship on the Morse lamp, hut uo nuswonug tbok.u- could he seen from the other ship which appeared to stop at 11.40 tj m This was the time the Titanic ■struck tte ico. When he. was w;hc„Pd at midnight the third officti went, to the wireless,room to ask what ■ships were ia "dreVss touch. \h ©orator told him “Only the HtauV•• The Californian bad a magnetic wire detector, worked by clockwork, attached to her wireless, mfortunately tJiis clockwork was m» down The officer placed the headphones to his ears, hut hoard uoth--:n„ if pnlv he had wound up t! “- olnckwork 1600 people. "'onM uot have been drowned that mglit.

rs answered rockets. ■U- in minute* p«rt ' 0 c,or '} v white rockets were seen to rise I ron) ike Titanic, but they wore n*'t "«** ossa-rily signals oi distress, for som of the liner companies hml , i • u ; n r> vo-wireless- nn\ < signals winch m ] ll ,v„» used between ships <>i tho <MM companies iclont-ifyns : nols. An officer colled the enptou of 11,0 Californian, tcllin s h.m "l ihe roelcot-s. Two more attempts were made to get into Morse I"*P C ™T" _ ideation, but without suoc..*. ' " * three more rockets ">' lC snon ’ . last at CTO n.m. Certain bgits « the other vessels appeared o « g in, ont, and ethers became clearer The Californian repeatedly c. upon the A torse lamp, again withoi visible reply. The other slop np peared to be turning away, her ig rs finally disappearing at 2.20 a.m. This was the moment when lio *

tame sank. ■ _ On the Titanic Fourth-officer Koran was? the first to see the Calif° rr d nn lie .reported her to the captain, an< * wn 3 told to firo rockets to attrac her attention. Boxall and others on the bridge were sure they conk, se th 0 , flicker of a Morse lamp, so fourth officer went to one of ® Morse lamps and endeavoured *° S®' into communication, hut he fal - cc • The ship was hv now taking a definite cant hv the bows and listing to starboard, and the gurgle of the *- rushing water could ho heard. It was apparent that she must sink. ,Still the passengers remained stcac y and- calm hoping against hope that thc ; Carpathia, steaming rapidly through the night, would -reach them before the end. Tho band <wa s rtill playing, the bandsmen remaining at their posts until the ship sank, and in the wireless-room two gallant operators kept the other ships within range advised of the condition of their ship. Th? b?ats jay off some

On April 10, 1912, there leit Southampton for New York on her maiden voyage the liner Tita ui Cj built by Messrs. Harland and Wolff, of Belfast, for the ’White -Stair‘ Line of Liverpool, and sister ship to the- Olympic, built- a year before, which is still on the Atlantic ran (writes.-11. C. 0. Tin an in . the "Melbourne Argus’’).

distance away. A! a quarter past, 2 o’clock the lights suddenly wont out' as the supply of steam to the dynamos failed, and at 20 minutes past 2 o'clock the Titanic’s stern went, up slowly until she stood on end, while those- in the boats could hear the roar and crash of machinery falling through her. She stood poised for five minutes, then slipped beneath .tho surface. The boats that had not been filled to capacity dared not approach, for the grasping hands of blind,reds of people would have dragged- them beneath the surface. Captain Smith remained on the bridge to the end. He supported ft child in his arms to a lifeboat, had it taken in, and when last seen was swimming hack toward the ship aud his death. About a quarter to 4 o’clock the Carpathia arrived, having covered the GS miles in a little under four hours. But she was on hour and a half too late. She was surrounded by icebergs. Twenty-five were counted over 200 ft. ip height, and there were dozens of others down to 50ft. high. In the early morning light the Cunnrder steamed from boat to boat picking up the occupants, hoisting some of the boats to tlio davits, while others were hauled on to the forecastle head. A few deck chairs, lifebelts, a little timber, and only one body were all to bo seen The intense cold had made it impossible for any one to live l° n g i' l the water. The total' number of people saved was 189 men of the crew, 129 male passengers, 394 women and children, in all 712; aud /85 passengers and 709 members of the crew were lost, a total of 1494.

AFTER THE TRAGEDY. a The cable steamer Mackay Bennett was chartered to retrieve such hodies as were recoverable. She returned on April 30, having buried many at sea, with 190, including that- of Colonel Astor. On May 15, the Oceanic found a raft with the bodies of a man in evening dress, a seaman, and a fireman. There was evidence that there had been others on it. There was no food or watch on the raff the occupants having apparently attempted to keep themselves alive hv eating some of; the cork packing. They wore buried at sea. Captain Rosrron, of the Carpathia. was presented with a loving cup and his officers and crew with medals by tho survivors, and Rastron also .received the Congressional M odal o' Honour from the hands of President As a result of the Board el Prado inquiry in Rendon, under the chairmanship of Lord Mersey, no ship can new leave port without sufficient ]Hc|,oais for all. and very strict supervision is exercised over the eonstrucrion of ships generally. The Titansister ship, the Olympic, was laid up while a double, bottom was built in her, and most , largo hners now are double-hulled, so that a similar disaster uould not occur. A continuous wireless watch is maintained hv the. three, operators carriAl cm liners, and the larger tramp steamers carry two operators.. An automatic alarm signal is carried on most, steamers, by which, when .1lone dashes am received in the ™- less-rcom, a bell keeps up a- continuous ringing until cut off by an operator, and any message is recorded hv taps. SO that no time is lost in getting in touch with the distressed ship. _____