The tragedy that touched Titanic

Compiled by Amal HEWAVISSENTI

 

The fateful voyage of Titanic left millions distressed and distracted throughout the world and produced indelible memories and haunting impact on them to last for generations. The Titanic was the biggest ocean liner ever to be built when she set sail at Southampton, England on April 10, 1912, on her maiden cruise to Newyork.The ship builders and the shipping company were overconfident of her massive strength which led everybody to believe her "unsinkable". The enormous luxury liner R. M. S. Titanic was absolutely a city on water with 2,228 passengers and crew who were in sheer luxury and security until the fourth day at sea.

The ship was moving through the water at the speed of almost 25 miles an hour. It was around midnight with the sea lying flat, air cold and clear but nobody on board the ship had the slightest idea as to what their ill fated journey had in store for them.

Suddenly there was a terrible shake in the ship's movement. The ship had obviously collided with an iceberg unseen in its own haze. A passenger, lucky to have survived, later said, "It was as if somebody had drawn a giant finger along the hull of the ship." An incredibly powerful gush of water sprang into the interior of Titanic as the iceberg opened up the ship's hull below the water line.

Captain Edward J. Smith was aware that the ship was sinking and he gave orders to his officers to lower the lifeboats. Unfortunately very few lifeboats were available on the ship as it was assumed to be unsinkable. In the great turmoil, many passengers were able to lower themselves for survival and more then 1500 passengers remained behind with lack of life boats, but finally all of them witnessed death as unsinkable Titanic disappeared into the deep waters of North Atlantic.

There were several ships in the general area, but they were unaware of Titanic's distress calls.

Tragedy - Hour by Hour

April 14, 1912. Titanic maintains a fair degree of speed. Throughout the day, the ship's radio operators receive reports of ice ahead, from other ships. The sea remains calm as night covers the pole and the lookouts are alerted about any waves to splash against any ice berg.

11.40 p.m. ......The look outs are non plussed to spot on iceberg ahead at about 500 yards. They sound an alarm. The captain gives the order to turn the ship. Again he orders to stop and reverse the engines. It is too late. The iceberg hits Titanic's side and breaks open the ship's hull.

April 15, 12.25 a.m. ....Most obviously Titanic is sinking slowly. Children and women begin to get onto life boats as the ship's band plays music.

2.18 a.m. ....As the survivors recall, the music band has stopped its final song "Nearer My God, to Thee". Now the front section of the ship has plunged in the water lifting the backward side of the ship into the air. With a deafening sound, the ship breaks in two. The forward section sinks.

2.20 a.m. ....From life boats, passengers watch as the stern goes from view into the water. Titanic plunges down 12,500 feet into deep depressions of North Atlantic.

Wreck Rediscovered

As most of survivors recollect, some first-class passengers, expecting maximum luxury, paid so much as 50,000 dollars for the planned six day journey. In 1985, a special team of American and French Scientists rediscovered the wreck and in 1986, some marine scientists thoroughly explored this strange scene. The ship lies more than 2 miles down and it will never be raised to the surface again. The rusted parts of the ship, furniture and articles used by passengers lie scattered on the deep ocean bed and give scientists a lively impression of life and death on the ill-fated luxury ship.