Luxury Cruiser Titanic Sinks
(MAIN NEWS ARTICLE)
The departure of the Titanic was a much anticipated one, but the cruise could not have ended in a less expected and horrifying way. On the morning of April 15th, 1912, the already-famous luxury cruiser sank. As of now, the death count is believed to be roughly 1,500 people, whose graves are now in the depths of the Atlantic. Only the arrival of the Cunard liner Carpathia prevented any more deaths, although it arrived one hour and twenty minutes too late.
It was at 2:20am that the ship sank en route to New York City, USA, 400 miles south of Newfoundland. It was broken into two pieces by the deathly scratch of an iceberg, slowly flooding the ship as passengers played on deck with fragments of the shattered iceberg. Not many took the disaster seriously, even after they had been lowered into their lifeboats.
Passengers were sent onto lifeboats in the order of women and children in first class down to men in third. Not only were the lifeboats filled in order of first to third class, third class persons were also barricaded away from higher classes, a precaution meant to stop the spread of disease that secured these people to their deaths. While these people were trapped below deck, the first few lifeboats, built to carry 65 people, departed with less than half that amount. However, even if the boats had been filled to capacity, the Titanic only had 1,178 spaces for the 2,224 people aboard.
One reason that the lifeboats weren’t filled to capacity was because officers filling the boats had not been given the records of their “rigorous testing”. Therefore, they were not sure how much the lifeboats could endure. For this reason, and probably comfort reasons as well, ships were only half filled, until it was discovered that this could not be continued. From then on, the lifeboats were more properly filled.
The night was foggy and black, and therefore, the lookout did not immediately spot the iceberg. When it was seen, the captain was immediately warned. Should the ship have gone headlong into the iceberg, less damage would have been done to the ship. However, a last minute attempt to turn was made, and therefore the iceberg was forced to scratch along its weak sides. Five compartments were slit, and the Titanic could not withhold this- it had only four watertight compartments.
Last night, the passengers were oblivious to the danger of the situation. In fact, some enjoyed the thrill of it as ice showers sprayed the deck- passengers began playing with the ice! Many slept through the initial hit of iceberg on metal, and woke up to chaos on board. Many couples were split up as they were sent to board the lifeboats, still unaware of the disaster taking place around them. While people were arousing themselves to the truth of the sinking, the band continued to play on deck, and kept playing until the ship sank.
As this luxury liner was one of the highest caliber and class, many wealthy British citizens were aboard it. In addition to these persons were prominent American and other Europeans. One such passenger, William Thomas Stead, was a noted British journalist. Both heirs to the famed Straus and Astor fortunes perished on Titanic’s maiden- and only- voyage as well.
The Titanic had other purposes, outside of carrying passengers from one end of the Atlantic ocean to the other. Its official title, the R.M.S. Titanic, stands for the Royal Mail Service Titanic. The Titanic carried mail on its way to America, and had many people on board with the main job of specializing with the mail. One such person, Albert Theissinger, was responsible (along with five others) for trying to drag 200 sacks of unregistered mail up onto the deck of the ship to save it. He was, needless to say, unsuccessful, and all the mail clerks perished as well on the voyage.
The Titanic was the ultimate symbol of power, beauty and luxury, all in one. It was a privilege for those who got tickets to ride it, whether they were third or first class. Such luxuries were two first class stairways, a swimming pool, a Turkish bath, a gymnasium, and the Cafe` Parisian. Most of these things were available only to first class passengers, but even so, everyone on board the Titanic had it better than on previous luxury cruisers.
The word Titanic itself means “having great stature or enormous strength; huge or colossal: titanic creatures of the deep”. It was adopted to enforce the invincibility of the luxury liner, though now the word will forever symbolize death and misfortune in the deep waters of the Atlantic. One and all will remember the fateful night, and morning, that made the Atlantic Ocean a memorial for hundreds of passengers who left Liverpool, England, anticipating the ride of their lives… and met just the opposite- tragic death at the bottom of the sea.
The Passengers Aboard Titanic
(STYLE)
Whenever a tragic event occurs in history so large as this, when so many lives are lost, one expects that at least one well-known name has perished. In the case of this top-of-the-line ship, there were many famous, prominent people aboard. Especially in the first two classes of the ship’s passengers, notable names lurked.
It was a majority of people from Britain, America, and other parts of Europe that boarded the Titanic on April 10th. They left expecting to disembark in New York on the 15th with the memory of a beautiful and luxurious trip left in their minds. They never reached their destination. From first class to third, lives were lost and families and friends will mourn.
One prominent British man was Colonel John Jacob Astor IV . He was heir to the Astor fortune and did not believe that the lifeboats and other extremities were necessary when the ship first hit the iceberg. Still, he was advised to get his wife on a lifeboat. He requested to ride with her, and was not allowed to- men could only board after women and children. The couple was separated and this separation was deathly- Mrs. John Astor survived the tragedy while her husband met his death.
There were many other notable deaths, and ones not so widely announced. The renowned British journalist William Thomas Stead died, as did the heir to the Strauss fortune- along with many others. Third class passengers, blocked by barricades used to prevent the spread of disease, were trapped in the lower compartments of the ship, and could not get on deck to the safety of the lifeboats. The event in its entirity left many, many people buried at the bottom of the sea.
Still, amongst those who died, were those who survived. The famous Margaret (Molly) Brown was one who lived and was a great help aboard Carpathia. She helped to get people aboard lifeboats until she was forced to board one for herself, and when picked up by the Carpathia, she used her language skills in English, French, German and Russian to help survivors find their friends and family. From the time it took Carpathia to go from the wreck of Titanic to New York, she had already raised almost $10,000 to help “destitute survivors”. Brown’s newest title is Heroine of the Titanic.
Though many died, the people who survived will be loved and celebrated, while lives lost will be mourned. The Titanic was a huge disaster that will go down in history as the sinking of the Unsinkable ship.
One Ship Brings Down the Economy
(Business)
Titanic, being the luxurious and beautiful ship that it was, attracted many ticket-purchasers. It was built sturdily and was seen as graceful and amazing in its singular power, all at once. The ship was expected to last many more voyages across oceans, and therefore, raise money to pay off the immense prices necessary to build it.
This is not so, as now, the ship lies on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. There have been dramatic money losses, especially in the ship itself- the money used to do huge things like build the first class cabins, down to minute details like chandeliers in the drawing rooms, has all been lost.
In addition to this, lawsuits are anticipated. Many of the survivors and families of those who died on the fateful voyage will likely sue the companies responsible for the trip and the making of Titanic. For one, the Titanic did not have enough lifeboat spaces for its 2,000+ passengers. The fact that it had only four watertight compartments is also controversial and is expected to arise much discussion and argument.
Charities are likely to be put together funding the huge losses of the Titanic. Still, this is not expected to cover just that- Titanic’s huge losses.
All in all, the business economy has suffered a strong blow by the sinking of the Titanic. Passengers will be less likely to be willing to travel by sea after the huge losses and tragedy surrounding the famous Titanic. If the “Unsinkable Ship” was sunk by an iceberg, who is to say that any other ship could withstand the things an ocean entails?
Unsinkable? Unprepared- The Titanic
(Editorial)
People in many different regions and countries of the world are currently in mourning, or are holding onto that last thread of hope assuring them that their loved one is safe. The Titanic took many lives with it as it plunged into the murky depths of the Atlantic, and as people mourn, they look to someone, something- amything- to blame. A common question in tragic times such as these is “why?” Why did such a disaster have to befall such a light-hearted journey? Why did fate leave it so that the Carpathia should come barely an hour and a half too late? Why should so many lives have been lost, lives just beginning and lives that should have come to a more peaceful close?
Let us ask this question while we examine the ship. This ship, this unsinkable, luxurious and beautiful ship, equipped with all sorts of “necessities” to the life of a wealthy person. There were four elevators, three for first class passeners and one for second class. There was a swimming pool and a gym, as well as deluxe cabins for first class passengers down to third (which were more spacious than other ships).
Yet one cannot help but wonder if there was too much time spent in examining and ensuring a high level of comfort for passengers on the Titanic- and not enough spent making sure it was well equipped for… anything. People called it invincible and unsinkable, but quite obviously it has been shown to be the opposite. With only four watertight compartments, all it took was that fifth compartment to be torn open and the ship was flooded with water.
In addition to this, there weren’t enough lifeboats for the people aboard, although it had far more than British regulation calls for (962 lifeboat spaces per ship). With 1,178 spaces and 3,511 passengers and crew, even if the boats were filled to capacity there was no saving everyone. Worstly of all, the boats weren’t filled to capacity. With first class women and children boarding the boats first, they were left quite empty for comfort reasons. They only reached a rate of 41 people in a boat built for 65 when the fifth lifeboat was launched.
Now, you are left to question the true vulnerability of the seemingly magnificent ship, Titanic. It was as tall as an eleven story building, with nine decks and an intimidating and fascinating outward appearance, leaving an imprint on all who saw it set sail- destined for disaster- on April 10, 1912. Appearance, however, is not everything, and the arrogant attitude those riding it and those who designed it donned only caused them to fall farther when the ship made the Atlantic Ocean a grave.
Captain Henry Smith Goes Down With the Titanic
(Metro)
Henry Smith’s name, already well known among the sailing and sea-faring industry, has made its impact on history as of April 14th, 1912. It is said that in his last hours of leadership, the man lost his solid air of confidence and keen intelligience under pressure. As of now, little is known of his actual actions, but his body has either not been recovered or has not been identified. The captain clearly went down with his ship after over ten years of service to the sailing industry.
Smith was known for “quiet flamboyance”. It was true among many of the crew and passengers who knew him personally that they refused to sail under any other captain. He smoothly dealt with problems, which was shown through the way he handled the incident occurring at the very beginning of the Titanic’s maiden voyage. A ship near to the Titanic, New York, broke from her moorings and swung dangerously close to Titanic. The captain prevented any premature damage by steering clear of the unchained ship, though it was considered a bad omen for the beginning of a voyage.
Smith’s schooling lasted until he was 13, when he left his home for Liverpool, where he planned to begin a career in sailing. Before commanding the Titanic, Smith found himself in charge of the Republic, the Coptic, Majestic, Baltic, Adriatic, and the Olympic. He also participated in the Boer war, commanding troopships to the Cape. The captain earned a good reputation among his fellows, continually rising in the sailing hierarchy.
On the night of April 14th, 1912, Smith was dining with the most prominent citizens aboard Titanic. He had received many warnings of a zone littered with icebergs directly in the path of the ship. He warned the lookout to keep a close eye and report to him immediately if he was at all concerned. At 11:40pm, Smith awoke when the ship initially hit the iceberg. Throughout the rest of the night, his characteristically confident actions were cautious and hesitant. In fact, although he immediately ordered the lifeboats to be prepared, he would not lower them until later that night.
Captain Henry Smith met the same fate as his ship. As of now, it is unsure if he made any attempt to save himself- instead, he ordered the final abandonment of the Titanic and went down with her. The Captain left behind a wife and daughter, Eleanor Smith and Helen Melville Smith. His death, like the deaths of everyone else aboard the Titanic on that fateful night, was tragic, and the event in its entirity will be remembered.
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