THE TITANIC.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143769, 18 April 1912, Page 3

THE TITANIC.

THRILLING BUT FICTITIOUS STORY. OF THE VESSEL’S LOSS. WAITING FOR THE CARPATHIA. (Received April 18, 9.15 a.m.) NEW YORK, April 17. The New York Herald and others have received a message from St. Johns, purporting to have been picked up by the steamer Bruce from various steamers. The message states that the Titanic while travelling at eighteen knots, went head foremost into an iceberg. The shock almost demolished the decks, ripped the bulkheads, and shattered the bow to a point almost amidships. The upper works and some of the boats were splintered. The bow at first rose clear of the water, then listed, and the vessel threatened to capsize before she regained the level. When mounting tho berg and sliding back, many bottom plates were wrenched. From amidships to the bow, the compartments were so flooded as to defy the pumps. The vessel settled by the head, listing to port, and rolling heavily. Tons of ice fell on the deck. Every man leaned to his post, and most of the boats were launched. Some were stove in before they were freed from the davits; others were swamped. NEW YORK, April 16. Crowds throughout the day thronged the office of tho White Star Company and the newspaper offices, making anxious inquiries. There were many pathetic scenes in towns throughout the United States and Canada. Mr. Taft has ordered tho cruisers Salem and Chester to proceed to the scene of the disaster. A number of revenue cutters have also been dispatched. It is represented that the late arrival of those on board the Carpathia is due to thick icefields. LONDON, April 17.

Wireless messages from various ships on the scene of the disaster make it clear that none were rescued beyond those picked up by the Carpathia. The captain of the Parisian states that if any of those wrecked clung to the wreckage they must have perished from exposure. The liner Touraine on Wednesday entered the icefield, and quitted it on Thursday. She warned the Titanic on Friday, receiving the captain’s thanks.

It is officially stated by Messrs. Harland and Wolff, who built the Titanic, that after colliding the Titanic must have swerved and careered along the edge of the ice floe, by which her side was ripped open. Otherwise the bulkheads would have saved her.

Eight representatives of the firm were aboard.

Many entertainments in Southamp ton have been abandoned.

The Mayor has opened a relief fund for the families of the crew.

The King, Queen .Mary, Queen Alexandra, and the Kaiser condoled with the victims and their relatives. The newspapers are opening relief funds.

The owners’ compensation to the drowned seamen’s relatives is computed at £IOO,OOO.

The Titanic’s wireless apparatus ceased to work two hours after the collision.

Seventy-nine men were saved, of whom sixty-eight belong to the crow, who were necessary to man the boats. The Daily Mail says that the Titanic provided 10 per cent, more bout accommodation than the Board of Trade requirements, but the provision proved altogether inadequate. The Financial Times estimates the total loss at five millions, including the vessel, cargo and mails, life and other insurances, NEW YORK, April 17. The community is stunned by tho disaster. Scarcely a largo city in the Stales is not contributing a victim. Major Butt, Mr. Taft’s chief military aide-de-camp, is among the missing. The Carpathia is slowly traversing the icefield. The Virginian arrived too late, the Carpathia being first on the scene. Tho newspapers declare that tho Titanic had insufficient boats. Tho second, third, fourth and fifth officers and tho junior Marconi operator were saved. AN UNTRUE STORY. (Received April 18, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 17.. The Now York Herald’s details that tho Titanic, while steaming at 18 miles an hour, ran bow foremost on a berg and was shattered from bow to amidships, are ficticious. Reuter denies the existence of any of the marconigrams alleged by the Herald to have been received from the steamer Bruce. Lady Cosmo Gordon and Mr. C. M. Hays, president of the Grand Trunk Railway were rescued.

PATHETIC SCENES IN ENGLAND. LORD MAYOR’S FUND OPENED. (Received April 18. 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, April 17. Pathetic scenes continue outside the White Star - offices. Usual bookings are not being interrupted, and there has been no cancellation of passages. Fifty relatives stayed outside Cockspur Street office all night. The wives and children of tho crew arc crowding at Southampton at night, awaiting the names of those saved,, and crying and begging for information. Tho crowd includes five sisters, a husband of each of whom is aboard. ' There will be a memorial service at St. Paul’s on Friday. The Lord .Mayor has opened a Mansion House fund, and ho suggests that every newspaper in the United Kingdom should acknowledge donations, and in a week they could probably raise an adequate fund. There were 3000 sacks of mails on the Titanic, including 1556 sacks from London. Alexander Carlisle, the Titanic’s builder, opines that if she struck at tho stem the masts would probably have been buckled, and it would be impossible to scud wireless messages. In tho future vessels would probably have a smaller number of bulkheads, the doois of which would bo closed at sunset and sunrise, and have increased boat accommodation. The Parliaments of Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, and Capetown have passed resolutions of sympathy in reference to tho Titanic disaster. SOME OF THE MISSING. (Received April 18, 10.30 a.m.)

LONDON, April 17. The following are still missing: Isidor Straus, George D. Widcncr and Benjamin Guggenheim, millionaires, Washington; Holding, constructor of Brooklyn Bridge; Daniel and Mrs. Marvin and Clarence, well-known Ncv York residents; Thomas Andrews, director of Harland and Wolff’s; Ridge-loy-Cartor, United States Minister to Roumania; and Charles Milliams, racquet champion. A steamer has been dispatched to search for bodies. The Carpathia on Wednesday afternoon wires all well. (Received April 18, 10.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, April 17. Among the Titanic's passengers were Messrs. Dodge, bankers; Mrs. Levisson, a New York hostess; Clarence Jones, stockbroker; Robert .Chisholm, fibre manufacturer; futrellc, novelist; C. Head, cx-Mayor of Chelsea; Jonkheer Reuchlin, director of the HoilandAmerican Line; F. 1). Millet, artist; Henry B. Harris, theatrical producer. THE NUMBER OF SURVIVORS. CARPATHIA ARRIVING TOMORROW. ■ (Received April 18, 12.45 p.m.) NEW- YORK, April 17. The Carpathia sent a wireless message that 705 survivors were on board. She expected to arrive early on Friday. An- nnvouchcd for wireless message reports that 250 passengers arc aboard the Baltic.

THE DANGERS OF THE TRACK. (Received April 18, 8. 5a.m.) LONDON, April 17. The Times questions whether it is not time to call a halt in the construction of mammoth steamers made for speed competitions, and the selection of a track which is dangerous at certain seasons, when a safer route exists. It appeals for a saner and sounder public, opinion oh the subject. OPINION IN GERMANY. (Received April 18, 8.5 a.m.) BERLIN, April 17. The papers condemn the rage for speed, and describe the Titanic’s voyage as an attempt to break the Olympic’s record. German underwriters lose £70,000 on the Titanic. German ships have been instructed to make the southern route to America. SYMPATHY IN SYDNEY. (Received April 18, 9.45 a.m.) SYDNEY, April 18. The 1-ord Mayor has cabled messages of condolence to the Mayor of New York and the Lord Mayor of London, regretting the international and appalling loss on the Titanic. AUSTRALASIAN MESSAGES. (Received April 18, 12.45 p.m.) LONDON, April 17. The New Zealand Government and the Lord Mayor of Sydney have cabled sympathy in the Titanic-disaster.

BOAT ACCOMMODATION. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, April 17. There is a good deal of discussion locally as to whether tho Titanic could have sufficient boats to accommodate the largo number of passengers on board. As a matter of tact she has boat accommodation, for over three thousand passengers. Why, then, were so many p«usengers drowned? 1 put this ques-r tion to a shipping authority to-day, and his reply was that the vessel may have gone down by the peak, and also probably would quickly acquire a considerable list. In this case some of the forward boats would be put out of action, while others would bo swung inboard by the list, and there would be great difficulty in launching these. On the other hand, it appears to bo an arguable question as to whether the .boat accommodation provided for by the Board of Trade regulations is ioali> sufficient in the case of a serious disaster to such ships. A recent writer m Tne Navy, Mr. E. K. Roden, points out that these modern ships, with their watertight compartments, are supposed to bo practically misinkablo, yet several have been sunk in a few minutes, and experience teaches that it is impossible to build an nnsinkahle ship.. Lifohcms should therefore* form the mam auxiliary on which dependence is to be placed in case of wreck. Mr. .Roden says he is safe in asserting that not more than two-thirds of tho passengers earned by the large ships cofild ho accommodated in the boats and rafts. UNDERWRITERS FARE BADLY. A local insurance manager static that he would not bo at all surprised if some of the insurance men at Home tail as tho result of losses in connection with the wreck of the Titanic. Already the marine underwriters’ losses for the year are remarkably heavy. For the hist three months they amounted to no less than a million and a half sterling. THE GOVERNOR'S CONDOLENCES. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, " April 17. The wreck of the Titanic was fcolinclv referred to to-day by the Loterno'r in his speech at the opening of a branch of the .Overseas Club. He was lie said, voicing the sentiment that was in the hearts of everyone m the Dominion in expressing the. deepest grief at the appalling calamity. At the- moment they could only hope that the news had been exaggerated, and that later particulars would show that the disaster was less serious than it now appeared to lie. Evidently it was a tragedy so appalling as to bo almost unprecedented in its force as a maritime catastrophe. On behalf of tho people of the Dominion ho voiced their deepest sympathy with their fellow British subjects who were going through hours of anxiety and sorrow, and coupled with it their sympathy and compassion for those over the water who were, in many respects, their kith and kindred, tho people oi the United States, where so many families were now in a state of bereavement and anxiety. The Governor lias dispatched the following message to the Secretary of State for the Colonies: ‘‘My Government and the people of New Zealand are deeply grieved’ at the terrible catastrophe' that has overtaken their friends both British and American, in tho loss of the Titanic. Kindly convey New Zealand’s grief at tho appalling loss of valuable lives.—lslington.” BENEFIT AT DUNEDIN. DUNEDIN, April 18. A mammoth benelit in aid of the Titanic sufferers was held in tho Brydanc Hall last night. expressions of sympathy. DUNEDIN, April 17. Sir Joseph Maid this afternoon cabled to .Mr. Asquith, expressing his great sorrow at the terrible loss of life occasioned by the foundering of the Titanic. ■WANGANUI. April 1 .. A large meeting of ratepayers who had assembled to hear a speech by a candidate for the Mayoralty to-night passed a resolution of sympathy in connection with the Titanic wreck. A copy of tho resolution is to bo forwarded to the Prime Minister, GISBORNE, April 17. Very feeling reference was made to the Titanic disaster by Mr. J. R. Kirk, of tho Chamber of Commerce, at a meeting held to-night to decide on what form a presentation to Sir Jas. Carroll should take, and on Mr. Kirk’s motion a resolution expressive of tho sympathy of tho citizens of Gisborne with those bereaved was recorded. The Mayor was requested to wire the Prime Minister to transmit the motion to tho proper quarter. The motion was carried in silence, those present standing, and the meeting adjourned as a further expression of sympathy, CHRISTCHURCH, April 17. At a meeting called by Air. H. Holland, a candidate for tho Mayoralty, to-night a resolution was proposed by Mr.' L. M. Hitt, M.P., and passed expressing profound sorrow and sympathy with the bereaved relatives of the crow and the passengers of the Titanic, and placing on record the meeting’s admiration of the gallant conduct of the officers and men in placing so many of the women and children in the boats. MOTION BY FARMERS’ UNION. HAVER A, April 18. The Taranaki Executive of the Farmers’ Union to-day passed a resolution of sympathy with British and American subjects in connection with the foundering of the Titanic, and expressed admiration of the action of the men on the steamer in upholding the best traditions of the sea. ’ SAFETY v. LUXURY. NO DECREASE IN SEA PERILS. At the present time (said a recent writer in the, American Review of Reviews) there is being exhibited in New York City by one of the transatlantic steamship companies a model, complete to the minutest detail, of one of the enormous twin liners in course of construction for passenger service. The model itself is a thing of beauty, leav--ing no room for doubt as to what tlio actual ships will bn—the finest vessels afloat. No expense is to be spared to attain every conceivable comfort that a man or woman of moans can pos-

sibly ask for. The average mull fakes it for granted that the steamship Company, besides providing for luxurious comforts enumerated, has done everything to ensure the safety of passengers* in case of shipwreck, and that the boats, rafts, lifebelts,, etc., are the best that nioney, experience, and inventive genius can supply. Does the steamship company deserve the confidence and trust thus reposed in it by the public? Mr. E. K. Roden, writing in tho Navy, says ho believes this questionof sufficient importance to warrant the placing of it for a moment or two in the limelight of fair, considerate investigation. Of several points maintained by ibis writer, the first is that a ship should be “absolutely independent of assistance from without, because conditions might be such as to place the ship in a position where she must rely on her own resources. ’’ But it may bo asked,

“How, in these days of watertight compartments, can a ship of modern construction sink?” In-reply, it will be sufficient to cite some shipwrecks mentioned by Air. Roden.

“Tho Pacific liner Dakota, equipped with twelve bulkheads, sank off the coast of Japan. Tho Columbia, having four watertight bulkheads —one more than required by law in a ship of her size:—went down within eleven minutes after being struck by the San Pedro, off tho Mendocino coast. The "White Star liner Republic, equipped with bulkheads and every device for closing her watertight doors, etc., sank, after collision with the Florida, off the shoals of Nantucket.”

Experience teaches that it is impossible to build an uiisinkalile ship; lifeboats should therefore form the main auxiliary on which dependence is to bo placed in case of wreck. Mr. Roden nays he is safe in asserting that not more than two-thirds of the passengers carried by the large ships could oe accommodated in .tile boats and rafts. That the steamship companies do not profess to carry sufficient boats to rescue everyone is shown by the following letter from the line operating the Baltic, the steamer which rescued tho passengers and crow of the ill-fated Republic. It was published in the Now York Herald, January 27, 1900: “It is a well-known fact that it is impossible for a steamship in passenger service to carry enough lifeboats to accommodate all hands at once. If tin's were done, so much space would he utilised for lifeboats that there Mould be no room on deck for the passengers. The necessary number of lifeboats, would be carried at tho cost of many of the present comforts of our patrons.” Another factor of safety to which steamship companies ought to give more attention is that of the davits now in common nee. Even with a list of but three or four degrees it is difficult to get boats clear of the high side, and the boat capacity of the ship is thus practically reduced one-half. Then again, in the matter of life-boats and Hfc-prcservers there is strong temptation to the shipbuilder-to buy bis material where it costs him the least, and as a result the shipowner is in many oases furnished with the cheapest kind of material. While ships are growing bigger and bigger, the perils of tho sea grow no less, as is shown by a table of losses of life during the past twenty-four years, presented by Mr. Roden in his article. Tho lowest loss was 252, in 1900, and the highest, 1451 in 1904. To reduce the loss of life to a minimum the co-operation of the shipowner and his willingness to adopt appliances tested and approved by competent authorities must be enlisted. The advertising columns of tho marine journals show that there are on the market:

“Modern davits by which the heaviest loaded lifeboat can be launched in any weather, whether the ship is isted or not; the line-carrying projectile by means of which a line- can be thrown from a stranded ship to the shore for use in rigging the breeches buoy; life preservers that cannot rot; the -collapsible lifeboat that, when folded, takes up hut one-third the space of an ordinary boat, and other innovations tending" to increase the safety of travel by sea.”

If the shipbuilders would incur the comparatively small extra expense involved in fitting their new ships with these appliances the advantages to themselves as well as to their patrons would soon be apparent. And. as Mr. Roden remarks, the sooner the realisation of this fact, is reached the better for all concerned.

THE CAPTAIN. Captain Smith, who was in command of the Titanic at tho time of her loss, was the oldest servant in the White Star Line. Flo was between 68 and 70 years of ago, and had commanded all th.o latest vessels of the fleet, with tho exception of the Oceanic. THE ICEBERG PERIL. CAUSE OF MANY SEA TRAGEDIES. Icebergs abound in the North Atlantic during tho early summer months, and form one of tho principal daggers to navigation. They are seldom seen below 40 degrees north latitude, and none have been known below 36 N., but those latitudes are sufficiently low- to bring them right across the track of the liners between New York and Great Britain. The bergs drift along with some Polar current—such, for example, as tho Labrador current, which flows in a generally southerly direction round the coasts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. It is in this track that the icebergs aro most frequently found. Tho blocks are many of them hundreds of millions of tons in mass. As they drift south they gradually melt away, the molting being most rapid in tho portion of tho berg under water—only one-ninth of an iceberg appears above the surface. The fear of tho icebergs (ivritcs Mr, G. E. AValsh in Harper’s NVeekly) has boon partly removed in recent years by wireless telegraphy, but their presence on the seas is still menacing enough to cause anxiety to many a captain. Experienced sea captains possess a certain instinct for detecting tho presence of icebergs. Some captains claim that they can smell an iceberg miles away. Something in the atmosphere warns them of the dinger, and thev double the watch :;nd reduce speed until out of the danger zone. Then, again, when near an iceberg, the air grows suddenly cold and chilly, and sometimes there is u d op of several degrees in the tempers cure. On the other hand, riauy instances are on record of icebergs crashing out of the dark without any warning, and wrecking ships. Marvellous escapes and disastrous wrecks have thus been recorded, and each incident makes a captain shudder at this unseen terror of the seas, Tho oce.an liner has little more chance of escape in collision with an iceborg than tho smallest., sailing. craft. The

rotten ice towering hundreds of feet above tho water level is ready to fall | in great masses tho moment a slight shock is given to its base or sides. Many unaccounted disappearances of ships and steamers are attributed to tragic collisions with icebergs ships and all on board going to tho bottom without so much as a remnant left to tell the tale. To this cause mariners and marine insurance companies attribute the mysterious vanishing of tho City of Boston from the face of the ocean with all its passengers. There is the unparalleled case of the steamer Portia in Notre Dame Bay. In clear daylight an iceberg was sighted and passengers and crew begged the captain to approach nearer in order that they might inspect and photograph it. The Portia, therefore, was steered close to the towering sides of the mighty berg, whose highest pinnacles glistened several hundred feet above the sea. Then the unexpected happened. There was an explosion like the shock of a volcanic eruption, and the mighty berg was riven in sunder. One of the'pieces split apart, grew topheavy, and toppled over, its base far under water catching the Portia and lifting her high and dry some ten or twelve feet above the sea. The mighty overturning of the berg created-enor-mous swells and these huge waves were the only thing that saved the ship from destruction. The weight of the ship caught on its shelf of ice kept the berg from turning a complete somersault, and a huge swell picked up the vessel and launched her again, stern first, in the sea. This sort of rough launching was not the kind a ship expects, and the force carried her so far down into tho sea that the captain and crew never expected her to come up again. But she battled bravely for her equilibrium, and finally righted herself, and steamed away from the dangerous spit. The whole mishap had taken onlv a few minutes of time, and before the crew and passengers had time more than to catch their breath they had been into the jaws of death and out again.