At 2.20am on the morning of the 15th April 1912, the most famous passenger liner ever built slid beneath the waves less than three hours after colliding with an iceberg on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic. The pride of the White Star Line was supposed to be unsinkable. Lady luck along with some bad decision making played their part in completely destroying that myth.
In only a few minutes over 1500 lives were lost. From a compliment of over 2200, only 711* survived the voyage. * The figure of 705 was revised at the British inquiry and the new figure of 711 was agreed by all parties.This is arguably one of the most fully documented disasters that ever happened. At least twelve films of the event have been made. For me "A Night to Remember" is perhaps the most accurate as far as events are related. (The film's technical advisor was Titanic's third officer).
In his film "TITANIC", James Cameron uncannily captures the atmosphere of those last few moments when the vessel finally disappears beneath the icy waters, leaving a heaving mass of people struggling against hope on the surface for survival. Finally, all is silent. The Sage family, a total of eleven, all died in the tragedy. It is not difficult to imagine them all huddled together in despair in those last few desperate moments.
A great deal has been written about the event. The accepted reference book for serious researchers must surely be "TITANIC Triumph and Tragedy" by John Eaton and Charles Haas. Every fact imaginable is contained in this book, from a detailed cargo manifest, (3 cases of tissues for the Manhatten Shirt Co. to the "Unsinkable" Mollie Brown's insurance claim.) It is a must if you are interested in the facts about TITANIC and well worth the expensive price tag. Another book worth a look at is "TITANIC" by Leo Marriott. Lots of interesting facts and pictures. "Extra Titanic" by Eric Caren and Steve Goldman tells the story of the Titanic in American newspapers of the day. Good material for researchers."Anatomy of the Titanic" is a rare insight into the building of the vessel. The author, Tom McCluskie, is the son of a fifth generation shipbuilder who worked for Harland and Wolff, and was the Firm's technical advisor for the film "TITANIC". It contains a quantity of seldom seen photographs.
If you don't want to move away from the comfort of your PC then "TITANIC an Interactive Journey" from Europress is good value for money. It takes you step by step through the events from the laying of the keel to the enquiry in New York. Many photo's and newsreel clips are used, and the commentaries really give you a feel of the atmosphere at that time.
One aspect of this disaster that may or may not make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, are the premonitions of the event. To single one in particular out, lets look at a fictional story written by American author Morgan Robertson.
His book "Futility" is the fictional story of a huge liner that crosses the Atlantic in the month of April and is sunk with huge loss of life after striking an iceberg. The similarities between his vessel and Titanic are astonishing. He wrote this book before Titanic was even dreamed about let alone any plans drawn up.
The most chilling fact is the name that he decided ti give his fictional ship - he called it..............TITAN.
Flag of Registry...................................TITAN/British...............................TITANIC/British
Time of sailing....................................April.............................................10 April 1912
Displacement......................................70000 tons.....................................66000 tons
Length................................................800 feet.........................................882.5 feet
Propellers...........................................3....................................................3
Top Speed..........................................24-25 knots....................................24-25 knots
Compliment........................................2000..............................................2230
Number of lifeboats............................24..................................................20
Number of bulkheads..........................19.................................................15
Engines..............................................3...................................................3
Iceberg struck......................................starbord side...............................starboard side
Many of the other premonitions are well documented and related by people of impeccable character.
JC Middleton of Cleveland, the vice president of the Canton and Akron railroad told friends of the following dream he had ten days before the disaster. Two friends signed an affidavit confirming what he had told them. "I was to have sailed on the Titanic having booked my passage on March 23. On the night of April 3, I experienced this terrible dream. I saw the Titanic go down in mid ocean and hundreds of people struggling in the water. The next night I had the same dream. When I told my wife she immediately importuned me to cancel our passage and I did so after ascertaining that business in America did not necessitate my return at this time." - Good decision! I hope that this has perhaps whetted your appetite on what is an absorbing subject and that like me you will find it fascinating. Have a look at the Passenger List.
This photo clearly demonstrates the distance from the rear of the ship to the surface of the sea. In the final minutes, Titanic was almost vertical in the water to about the second or third funnel. It is likely people fell or jumped several hundred feet into the water.