THE TITANIC WRECK.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11612, 20 April 1912, Page 5

THE TITANIC WRECK.

ARRIVAL OF THE SURVIVORS. 1593 PEOPLE LOST ■ BOATS ENTIRELY INADEQUATE. [BT EIEOTEIO TeLEQBAPH—fipPTBIGHT.I (Per Pbess Association.) Received April 19, at 10 p.m. Now York, April 19. The Carpa.'.hia arrived at 8.30 this eV Tho Interest was intense, and never has the crty been so terribly miurcsscu. 1 Notwithstanding the . ram enormous crowds awaited the arrival of the \ej>SC Ten-thousand gathered a* the Hatter v and watched her pass amid imP fl*ouW 'relatives /ancT Mends, many weeping, were admitted to the was delayed while thirteen of the Titanic's lifeboats were lowered., SURVIVORS' STORY.

The Survivors' Committee issued a statement in order to forestall sensaLional. exaggerations. . - It says the Titanic struck an iceberg, at 11.40 on Sunday night, which the lookout reported, hut there was no time "it* was 1 a clear; cold and starlight 11I! Three Italians were shot dead in the struggle for the lifeboats. - • Tlie Carpathia received a call, ana reached the scene at 4- in the, morning,; and everything was got ready lor rescue "The Titanic had 330 first-class passengers, 320 second,- 7GO' third, and 94U officers and crew. „,,... , , The Carpathia -■■ rescued 210 farst-class passengers. 125 second. 200 .-third, officers, 39 seamen, 96 stewards, amU/1: firemen.'-" • - -'

Received-April.l 9, at 11.35 p.m: /. New York, April 19. On the arrival qf the Carpathia the friends of many of the survivors, suffering from shock, were -wheeled to the dock in invalid chairs. . According to a statement issued by the Survivors' Committee, orders were promptly given to put. on .lifebelts and launch the lifeboats. . . ; ' •• Distress signals were sent out by wireless and rockets were fired. The vessel sank at 2.30 in;the morning. " ' ' The captain and officers of the. Carpathia gave most; ; t"Quching>attention tp the.survivors. '• ' . " The Titanic carried fourteen lifeboats and ,two smaller boats, four collapsible boats, and lifebelts sufficient for all on board. "' ■ -, -■ The boats were..entirely insufficient. m PANIC.

There was no panic while, the women and children were leaving, everyone believing it to be-merely a measure of precaution. ' "■•'.' Several women were torn from their husbands when the order, was given to rescue the women only. Several even then refused to leave, and were drowned with - their hus^ bands. ■"*'•■,'' - Vi '''■"■, The Titanic seemed to break suddenly in two, and sank instantly. According to the. statement, of one passenger, it was impossible to say what occurred aboard after the survivors left.: ■ -. '., ,"/'-■ • - Washington, April 19. The Senate has subpoenaed every suiv vivor likelv to be able to throw light oh the disaster, and they will appear before the Investigating Committee. ; PICKED UPReceived April 20, at 0.30 a.m. '. London, April 19. ' 'The Carpathia sighted sixteen, boats at 3 o'clock in the morning. The little children were hoisted aboard in bags and the adults by ropes. Some of the boats were crowded, and a few were not half full. - There; were husbands wifeless* wives husbandless, and children parentless, but not a sob was heard. Five women died soon after the rescue and were buried at" sea. One'died in a boat. ■ . - . . ■ -The list of missing prominent persons is unaltered. ■.'-'""' v Mrs Candee (Washington) had both legs broken in getting in/.o a lifeboat. It is stated that most of the men saved were picked up.after they plunged overboard/

Survivors declare that Major Butt and Colonel Astor died like heroes. SENSATIONAL VERSIONS.

Received April 20, at 1.10 a.m. \ New York, April 19. The Herald says that Charles Stengal, a Sevf Yorker, described the impact as terrific, tons of ice falling and killing men. The bows were torn asunder, water poured in. and pandemonium reigned. Stengel paid a tribute to the bravery of the sailors and officers. Another passenger relates that Captain Smith shot himself on the bridge. The officers had previously wrested the revolver from him in the library, but the captain broke away, dashed on to the bridge, and shot himself .through the .mouth'.- The Chief Engineer likewise committed suicide.

The majority of the narratives, however, testified that there was no panic, showing that the impact was light. Messrs Gracie, Dent, and Down reached a raft on which were 30 people, knee deep, and were picked up. It is alleged that Major Butt, in defending the boats against a rush, killed ]2 people, and was then shot. SURVIVOR'S STORY CONTINUED. Received April 20, at 9.10 a.m. London, April 19.

The Committee's statement points out the insufficiency of lifeboats and rafts, the lack of trained seamen to man the boats, the paucity of officers to carry out an emergency order on the brid'ge and superintend the launching and control of the boats., also the absence of searchlights. It says that the necessity of taking in passengers before lowering the boats to the water prevented the boats taking their maximum complement. , The captain jumped overboard when the decks were awash. Revolver shots were heard prior to the vessel sinking. The evening papers published rumors that the officers committed suicide, but the crew discredit this. Members of the Stock Exchange brought 20,000 dollars 'for distribution to the neediest survivors. _ . . ■ The unexpectedly early arrival ot the vessel prevented the Senate's Investigating Committee boarding the Oarpathia before she was docked. The Chairman of the Committee states that he had learned that the surviving officers and crew contemplated boarding the Cedric immediately to-proceed-to England, thus placing themselves beyond the Committees jurisdiction. . ■■ ' . . < The Chairman adds that.he intends to tell 'Mr Ismav that in order to avoid trouble the Company and officers should assist at the inquiry. The Department of Justice at Washington believes that the erroneous messages concerning the fate -or the Titanic were a deliberate attempt to 'postpone knowledge of the wreck and <'ive time to reinsure the cargo. -, ° PASSENGER'S NARRATIVE.

Mr Beesley, science master at Bulwinch College, gives the following narwere sailing along in fine but; verv cold weather on a calm ■ sea on Siindav when a slight jar was felt len to -fifteen seconds later a second jar. i was experienced, somewhat greater butinsufficient to create anxiety. - 1 he | engines were stopped and I fought we had lost a propeller. I-™ nt „™ deck, where there were only a tew Sop e about, card-players m the smokI noticed another and Inokm" out. saw an iceberg at .the loss's side- I went to my cabin- and returning on deck later found that the steamer was unmistakably, down at the Wd I went below again and while tlicVe heard o cyv of "All passengers on deck with lifebelts on." . The passea„!rs re" rded this as . a precaution S^rehVand -there was no panic or alarm there bcinp.no visible signs . of dsastk ISfefe cases- they, .had to

bo forcibly torn from their husbands and pushed into the bouts. As the boats touched the water they slipped away in the darkness. There was no hysterical sobbing, and everything was ; carried out in extraordinary calm. The men were thvn ordered to the boats. Tie saw a boat on the port side half full of water. A sailor asked if there were any more ladies. on his deck. He said there were none, and he was then invited £o jump in. There were no' officers in the boat, and no one seemed to know what to do. They swung under another descending boat, and only the promptitude of a stoker in cutting the falls prevented all from ■ being crushed. The stoker took charge of the boat. THE LAST PLUNGE. Mr Beesley continued that, viewed from the boat, the leviathan loomed up against the sky every porthole blazing. Then she settled rapidly by the bows, the bridge went under-water, the : lights flickered, then were extinguished, the stern tilted in the air, and the .machinery roared down through the vessel with a rattle audible for miles. . About 150 'feet of the stern protruded straight up for about live minutes, then made a slanting dive. This was followed by appalling cries for help from hundreds of human beings in the icy water. HYSTEEICAL ACCOUNTS. Other accounts allege that wild disorder reigned and that there was a maniacal struggle for the boats.Hysterical passengers, who could not give" their names, declared that the captain and the chief engineer committed suicide. These stories, owing to the confusion of landing, could not be confirmed.

1 A mass of ice ripped the side Tike a gigantic can-opener from stem;.' to 'engine-room. Shortly before she sunk the vessel broke in twain abaft the engine-room, carrying down with her hundreds of people grouped on the decks, whose cries were pitiable. Mr Braden, a passenger, said the .captain was standing alone. Once, a wave upset him; then, as the boat ■'sank, another wave knocked him down and he- disappeared. Mr Ismav welcomes the fullest inquiry. He'left the Titanic in the lasfc ■boat.- ',.' The survivors from a safe distance witnessed the plunge and heard the band playing. ' '. /: Colonel Gracie emphatically denies the stories about shooting. _ He says a*revolver was fired once to intimidate some steerage passengers. _ Colonel Astor, after placing his wife in a boat, asked- permission to accompanv her, but the second officer said: "No, sir, no man can enter the boats till the women are off." Colonel. Astor then assisted in clearing other boats and reassured nervous women. : - Several survivors state-that' the boat was travelling twenty-three knots. •". All steamers departing on the westward route have been ordered to Travel further south. ' ■. ■ "Mr' Tart is informed that Major-Butt shot twelve people and was then himself shot.

AFFECTING SCENES AT LANDING.

- Among the most affecting, scenes; at the landing was the sight of the women steerage passengers thinly clad and!, shivering, their eyes red with constant ■ weeping. These the charitable-organi-sations speedily succoured.:- ; ' ; ' : - When -the Titanic made her plunge manv .lumped overboard, some being rescued bv the boats. A number of others embarked in the coUapsibles, ; which the boats ./subsequently picked UP ~ RESOURCEFUL OFFICER. •' A- passenger describes fifth - officerLowe as saving many lives by warning people not to jump into the boats and swamp them. When his collapsible was launched he hoisted a mast and sail, collected the other coUapsibles, ;arranged an adequate crew for.each, and connected "them by lines, all moving together. Later he returned to the wreck and saved a collapsible containing. 30 scantily-clad passengers, which was on the point of sinking. , Some of those picked up died from exposure whilst being transferred to the Carpathia. / . " , . , Gracie states that he was driven to the topmast deck. He saw no other survivor there. After swept the deck he grasped the.Tn-ass railing desperately, but was forced to release it when the ship plunged. . He swirled round for what seemed an interminable time, but eventually came to the surface, where he seized a wooden grating. When he recovered breath he discovered beside him a large canvas cork raft and another emergency craft. Both" rescued others who were floundering in the sea. At dawn there /were thirty rafts on which people, knee-deep in water, were afraid.to move lest they overturned. They were long and terrible hours before the Carpathia picked up the survivors. OTHER DETAILS.

Received April 20, at 10 a.m. ; . • - New. York, April 19The World publishes.passengers ■ details, from which.the following,sculled Tlip iceberg, which . was eighty feet of „. mile away, ■"-TV hen -the: vessel cashed into it the engines.were stopped :11K f the bulkheads closed « lmost ,™e taneously by levers- .from the -bridge... Captain Smith, who was on the bridge ordered all to take up life-^awre,jind the boats were lowered. -"3*e-.first.«£-tained more males, as they were the fi.st to reach the deck. When .the.womeu and children appeared the-rule Women first," was strictly observed.:. The officers drew their revolvers, but did not use them. The impact made a hole :n the starboard, side, .admitting ice-cold water. The.inrushing .water caused theboilers to explode, and- this broke-the ship in two.' '■.:„"■ ■. i-i i. ' Mrs Astor liaziuy remembers that when amidst confusion, she was ahoutto be placed in a boat,, her husband stood at- her side._buf she has no knowledge of how he died. . Thayer Strausse and his wife are.miss- , ing Mrs Dodge was saved. Mrs Lucing Smi+b. daughter- of- Congressman •'Hu"lies- was .rescued, but her husband

is nv.ssmg. .... ■ , „ f •The ■ Government is m receipt or world-wide messages of .sympathy. ... '" Rome, April .19. The Pope condoled. with Mr Taft. • New York, April 19. The extreme secrecy in withholding details is severely commented upon. The Carpathia refused to take the cruiser's wireless message* or supply m 7 formation. '■ , '„. ; Commenting on the fact that the_ Aitanic's captain had been acquainted by wireless of the proximity oj ice, .the New York Times says she did not avoid '■the region, but steamed at high speed. This was not merely imprudent or reck-

less, hut criminal Airs Edgar-J. Mever, of New York, daughter of Andrew Says, a. prominent ISTew York resident, lost her husband. She pleaded withh e r husband to allow her to remain with him:, but he threw her into the lifeboat, reminding her of their nine-year-Told child at home. ' Mrs Marven, who was on her honeymoon, was prostrated' when she learned ashore that her husband was drowned. 4s'he placed' her in a-lifeboat, he exclaimed/."lt's all Hsht little girl; you ■sro, I will stay." When the. boat was shoved off he 'threw. her a, kiss.. That was the last she saw of him, EATE OF TV. T.-STEAD.

Mr Stead was 'last seen on deck, near the "smoke-room. Another account states that he jumped overboard after the boats left. ; • •"-

THE TITANIC'S BOATS. (Press Correspondent.) "Wellington, April 19. Mr'H: Cater, the second officer of the Corinthic. who was formerly a." White Star officer, in an interview with a Dominion reporter, has made a -further interesting statement regardmg the boat accommodation qn the Titanic, -The, Olympic" he said, -"has'2B. lifeboats and four collapsible boats, and the' Titanic bad the same number- •-The-.hfebp.ats. were capable of holding. 100 .persons at a pinch in fair weather.''Wi'd I .the collapsible boats would hold about "70' or; 80.Of course this would depend on the state of the weather, but if. as stated liimessaoes we have received, the water wa« smooth there would be no. trouble in stowing awav 100 people m the bigboats You know that these boats have I airtight''coriipartfnpnts and cannot sink. Then again, there are hfe linos extenrtino- in a'series of loops.-right round them. 4.uy persons in the" water,, if they can manage to get hold of these life 1-nes, 'can "et their heads and .shoulders through the loops and keep afloat in tha-g

miinner—that is, if the boats are filled.But it is stated that the lifeboats on one side of the Titanic only were able to be launched. Hqw do you account for that? ~ ~, r /-. . '•That I-cannot say," said Mr Cater in replv. "The davits which hold the lifeboats and which swing them out over the ship's side had on the Titanic and Olvmpic a tremendous reach over the water. They were specially constructed so that, no Emitter what list the vessel bad, the boats should have swung clear, i'e-rhaus the falling ice smashed some of them in and made them useless, but under ordinary circumstances all these boats should have been easily launched." "It is said," continued Mr Cater, "that the Titanic floated for two hours after the collision. I reckon there was ample time to man the boats, get them clear of the ship, and save the passengers. It is inv opinion that something has happened 'which has prevented this from being done. In the "White Star Line very particular attention is paid to boat drill, and every man knows his station. Boat civil was 'carried out regularly on board the Olympic when I was on her, and everything worked smoothly. Captain Smith was most particular about this when I was with him, and there is no reason to doubt that the same condition prevailed on hoard the Titanic." How many men did it take to maneach boat? - "Well, once the boats were swung outj an officer and two men could do the rest. All they, would have- to do would be'to keep them clear of the sink-; ing vessel, and nick up any one floating in the water. With the number of people ' on board the Titanic there was.bound to be some sort of a panic, and in that case as-many of the crew as could be spared 1 from -launching the-boats would be detailed off to go x among the passeu-. gers with the purpose of putting.down anv signs of panic. No doubt this accounts for the great; loss of life, among the crew." .'. "' .: ; .V■ .' ■'• : ' ; - Do'vc-u'believe that the Titanic was .doing 18 -knots in that fog? . :-'•-. •"No,-I- do riot," replied Mr Cater. "Captain .Smith was too careful.a havi-. gator to ,11111 any risks. - Then, again, the chairman of directors was on board, arid he would see that,every;:precaution for the safety ofi the vessel-was taken. It is said that the Titanic was warned ; by wireless 'the day before; the mishap . that she was nearing : an icefield. This in itself would make her commander more careful still. It is my opinion that she was going: slow—that is, from seven to nine knots an hour-. Do you know," continued Mr Cater, "I- was on board the Olympic with Captain Smith on one occasion when we had every, chance" of 'breaking the recordbetween 'Southampton and New York easily. ; : We were well ahead of it at a distance of a few hundred miles from the American- coast when we ran into At once the iorder was given for the engines to go , sloWj and ,although it was most disap- ' pointing, the safety of the passengers and ship was the first-consideration. 1 don't_ think for one moment that the Titanic was out .to break records on this trip. There was too much at stake."