Voices from the Titanic (35 page)

She reports that the
Titanic
foundered about 2.20 a.m. in latitude 41 deg. 16 min., longitude 50 deg. 14 min.

The Leyland liner
California
is searching in the vicinity of the disaster.

NEW YORK, 9 p.m. – The
Titanic
survivors on board the
Carpathia
are stated by the White Star offices to include all first-class passengers. She is expected to reach New York on Friday morning.

NEW YORK, 9.50 p.m. – The White Star officials now admit that probably only 675 out of 2,200 passengers on board the
Titanic
have been saved.

The White Star clerks state that the
Carpathia
is proceeding to New York with the survivors.

NEW YORK, April 15, Later – At the White Star offices it is believed that many of the
Titanic
's passengers are aboard the
Parisian
or
Virginian
.

Mr Franklin now admits there has been a horrible loss of life. He says he has no information to disprove the Press despatch from Cape Race that only 675 passengers and crew had been saved.

The monetary loss could not be estimated tonight, but he intimated that it would run into millions.

MONTREAL, April 15 – It is announced at the Allan Line offices that the
Virginian
retransferred the passengers she took from the
Titanic
to the
Carpathia
shortly after she received them, and that the change was made because the
Carpathia
was bound for New York, while the
Virginian
was east bound with mails.

NEW YORK, April 15 – A telegram received here from Montreal says the liner
Virginian
reports herself in wireless communication with the liner
Titanic
, which is reported to have been in collision with an iceberg and to have requested assistance. The
Virginian
is hastening to her aid.

MONTREAL, April 15 – A wireless message was received late last night from the Allan liner
Virginian
, which sailed from Halifax yesterday morning, and which reports that the huge White Star liner
Titanic
has struck an iceberg off Cape Race.

It is understood that the
Virginian
is now on the way to answer the wireless call for assistance which was given by the liner, and is prepared if necessary to take off the
Titanic
's passengers.

The Allan Line officials have received no further news, but are expecting a message at any moment.

NEW YORK, April 15, 3.45 a.m. – A telegram from Cape Race at 10.25 Sunday evening says: The
Titanic
reported she had struck an iceberg.

The steamer said that immediate assistance was required.

Half an hour afterwards another message was received saying that the
Titanic
was sinking by the head, and that the women were being taken off in lifeboats.

NEW YORK, April 15, Later – A Cape Race telegram says the wireless telegraph operator on the
Titanic
reported the weather calm and clear.

The
Virginian
at midnight was 170 miles west of the
Titanic
and is expected to reach her at 10 a.m. today.

The
Olympic
is also hastening to the
Titanic
.

The liner
Baltic
has reported herself within 200 miles of the
Titanic
, and is speeding to her help.

The
Virginian
's operator says the last signals from the
Titanic
were blurred and ended abruptly.

NEW YORK, April 15 – Messages which are arriving here from Newfoundland are reassuring in so far as they show that a number of vessels are within call of the
Virginian
. The
Mauretania
is responding to the signal, as well as the German liners
Prince Adelbert, Amerika, Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm
, and other smaller ships.

A wireless message which was sent to the
Virginian
and other vessels in the vicinity of the disaster has failed up to the present to bring any response.

NO NEWS TRANSMITTED TO WHITE STAR LINE

NEW YORK, April 15 – Up to 8 a.m. the officials of the White Star Line had not received a word regarding the reported accident to the
Titanic
.

The company in a statement say, ‘It is very strange that the
Titanic
's sister ship
Olympic
, which has a wireless installation of sufficient strength to send a message across the Atlantic, should have sent us nothing. The
Olympic
should be alongside the
Titanic
at two o'clock this afternoon.'

The Central News was informed at the head offices of the White Star Line in London yesterday morning that no official information has been received there regarding the disaster which had overtaken the
Titanic
.

On learning of the accident from the papers the managers immediately telephoned to the firm's offices at Liverpool, but no information was to hand there.

STATEMENT BY INTERNATIONAL MERCANTILE MARINE OFFICIAL

NEW YORK, April 15 – Mr Franklin, vice-president of the International Mercantile Marine, has issued the following statement: ‘We have nothing direct from the
Titanic
, but are perfectly satisfied that the vessel is unsinkable.

‘The fact that the Marconi messages have ceased means nothing. It may be due to atmospherical conditions, the coming up of the ships, or something of that sort.

‘We are not worried over the possible loss of the ship, as she will not go down, but we are sorry for the inconvenience caused to the travelling public.

‘We are absolutely certain that the
Titanic
is able to withstand any damage. She may be down by the head, but would float indefinitely in that condition.

‘We figure that the
Virginian
will be alongside the
Titanic
at 10 o'clock this morning, the
Olympic
by three this afternoon, and the
Baltic
by four o'clock.'

The Canadian Pacific liner,
Empress of Britain
, which arrived at Liverpool from Halifax on Sunday, reports the presence of an immense quantity of ice in the Atlantic.

Last Tuesday, when three days out from Halifax, she encountered an ice field 100 miles in extent with enormous bergs, and she steered a wide course.

The
Empress of Britain
had previously received a wireless message from the Allan liner
Virginian
warning her of the presence of ice.

The extent of the ice was regarded as phenomenal, and the bergs seemed to be joined to the ice field, which appeared as an enormous white line on the horizon.

The following messages were also received yesterday but, in view of the latest cablegrams giving the awful news of the loss of life, they are obviously of a contradictory character:

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, April 15 – A message just received here states that the
Titanic
was still afloat at half past eight and her engines were working. She was crawling slowly in the direction of Halifax, and towards the
Virginian
.

It is further reported that the women and children aboard are in the lifeboats, which are ready to be lowered in a moment's notice, but this will not be done until it is certain that the vessel is actually sinking.

The weather continues to be clear and calm.

The
Titanic
's pumps are working at their utmost power.

The forward holds are full, but the watertight compartments are holding. There is good hope of the vessel making port.

NEW YORK, April 15 – A message from Montreal timed 8.30 a.m. says the
Titanic
is still afloat and heading towards Halifax with her own engines.

The women and children have not been taken off though the lifeboats are ready in case of emergency.

It is thought the bulkheads will prevent her sinking.

A later message says wireless telegraphy brings word that two vessels are standing by the
Titanic
and all the passengers have been taken off.

NEW YORK, April 15 – A despatch from Halifax states that all the passengers of the
Titanic
had left the ship by 8.30 this morning – Reuter.

NEW YORK, April 15 – The
Montreal Star
reports from Halifax that the
Titanic
is still afloat, and is making her way slowly to Halifax..

NEW YORK, April 15, 10.40 – A wireless message has just come through from the
Virginian
stating that the
Titanic
is sinking.

The
Olympic
, which sent a wireless message to the
Titanic
direct at 24 minutes past four, was informed in a reply that great damage had been done.

The captain reported he would tranship the passengers to the first steamer which came alongside. The
Virginian
, which will in all probability be the vessel, will it is believed, go back to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

NEW YORK, April 15, 11.30 a.m. – A wireless message says 24 boat loads of passengers have already been taken aboard the
Carpathia
from the
Titanic
. The
Olympic
is nearing the
Titanic
, as also is the
Baltic
, while the
Parisian
and
Carpathia
are in attendance. An unofficial message says the
Virginian
has taken the
Titanic
in tow. – Reuter.

NEW YORK, April 15 – An official message, via the cable ship
Minia
, off Cape Race, says steamers are towing the
Titanic
and endeavouring to get her into shoal water near Cape Race for the purpose of beaching her.

A Halifax message states that the Government Marine Agency has received a wireless message that the
Titanic
is sinking.

The vice-president of the International Mercantile Marine today gave out the following, received from the White Star Line's Boston office: ‘Allan Line, Montreal, confirm report
Virginian, Parisian, Carpathia
in attendance, standing by
Titanic
.'

NEW YORK, April 15 – The transfer of the
Titanic
's passengers was made safely in calm weather to the
Carpathia
and the
Parisian
. The
Baltic
was reported at three o'clock hurrying to get to these vessels for the purpose of taking over the
Titanic
's passengers who should reach Halifax tomorrow. Most of the
Titanic
's crew remained aboard. It was reported at 4 o'clock that all the passengers had been transferred from the
Titanic
. – Reuter.

The following cablegram was received last night at the White Star Line offices, Liverpool:

‘Captain Haddock of the
Olympic
wires: The
Parisian
reports the
Carpathia
to be in attendance on the
Titanic
, and has picked up twenty boats of passengers. The
Baltic
is returning to give assistance. Position not given. It is reported that all the passengers are saved, and that the
Virginian
is towing the
Titanic
towards Halifax, Nova Scotia. The report is also confirmed that the
Virginian, Parisian
and
Carpathia
are in attendance on the
Titanic
.'

The Press Association's Godalming correspondent telegraphs: Mr and Mrs Phillips, of Farncombe, Godalming, parents of a wireless telegraphy operator on the
Titanic
, last night received the following message from their son: ‘Making slowly for Halifax; practically unsinkable. Don't worry.'

(
Western Daily Mercury
, 16 April 1912)

A Godalming correspondent telegraphs that the message stated to have been received last night by Mr and Mrs Phillips from their son, the wireless operator aboard the
Titanic
, turns out not to have been from him at all, but from another son in London. On receiving the message the father came to the conclusion that it was from his son on the
Titanic
, but this morning he stated that he felt he was mistaken.

(
Liverpool Evening Express
, 16 April 1912)

With the movement of the ice southwards each year the perils of the Atlantic passages are increased. Ships' captains warn each other of the presence of these great floating islands, but they are often hidden by fog – even in broad daylight there may be only a few feet of a monster floe visible above the surface – and there is little warning of their presence.

Monster bergs have been reported in the month of May. The French liner
Lorraine
saw one in a recent May which was 675fthigh and 1,500ft long. The steamer
American
sighted another in June 1905, in the very neighbourhood from which the urgent calls came from the
Titanic
, and that berg was 300ft high and 900ft long.

Generally the portion of the berg visible above water is only one-eighth or one-tenth of the total depth.

Many ships have been wrecked by these floating monsters. In 1903, 23 steamers met with serious accidents through contact with ice near the Banks, and two were totally lost.

In 1879 the liner
Arizona
drove her stern against a berg almost to the foremast, but floated owing largely to the fact that 300 tons of ice were jammed in her forepeak. She had 650 people on board, but got them all to port.

The
City of Berlin
, with a company of 700, had a similar experience. In the spring of 1899 ten large tramp steamers were all put on the list of missing, and each of them was in the neighbour-hood of the Newfoundland Banks when last heard of. Another bad ice year was 1909, when the ice peril was exceptionally severe.