Monday, April 14, 2014

April 14th, 1912.

Passengers are still enjoying the ship's luxury. Titanic has received many ice warnings by now, but continues to steam on. This was not unusual in 1912, it was actually normal for a ship to full speed ahead through a ice field. That night, a iceberg is suddenly spotted right ahead. Lookout Fredrick Fleet, up in the crow's nest with Reginald Lee, rings the bell 3 times, and picks up the phone. In the bridge, 6th Officer Moody picks up. He says "What do you see?" Fleet replied "Iceberg right ahead!" Moody then said "Thank you" and hung up. Moody tells Murdoch, and Murdoch ordered "Hard-a-Starboard!" and ordered the engines stopped. Slowly, Titanic's bow starts to swing to port, but it isn't enough. The Titanic hits the iceberg. The iceberg puts 6 slits in the hull, which floods 6 compartments. Titanic can survive with any 2 compartments, or her first four compartments, flooded. However, 6 forward compartments are flooded. Titanic is doomed. Over time, Titanic's bow slowly continues to sink. Captain Smith orders the lifeboats to be lowered. Murdoch is charge of the starboard side, while Lightoller is in charge of the port side. Murdoch had the rule "Women and Children first",  but Lightoller has a stricter rule: Women and Children only. One by one, lifeboats are launched. Overtime, people start realizing Titanic is sinking. Panic starts breaking out. Distress rockets are also fired into the sky, to try to catch attention of other ships. If these rockets were white or colored remains a mystery. In the wireless room, distress signals are sent out. A ship named the Carpathia responds, and starts racing toward Titanic. However, they will reach there too late. The bow is now completely underwater, and the ship continues to sink. Water has now reached the boat deck, and complete panic breaks out. People are jumping off the ship, hoping someone will rescue them. The first funnel collapses, crushing John Jacob Astor and lots more people. Then, the second funnel collapses, crushing even more people. Then, the ship splits in front of the 3rd funnel and the power fails. The 3rd funnel collapses when the ship splits, and the bow sinks first. The stern floats at the surface for a minute or so, then sinks. The fourth funnel collapses when water reached it's supporting wires. People in the lifeboats are stunned, and hundreds, maybe thousands, of souls are left in the water. Only a few lucky ones are saved from the water, the others perish. May all those who died rest in peace, and may they never be forgotten.

No comments:

Post a Comment