The Titanic
Horror at Sea
Captain Smith raced to the bridge. After Murdoch briefed him on what happened, Smith and the ship’s designer, Thomas Andrews, hurried down to the lower levels to look at the damage. They found the iceberg has punched deep gashes in the ship’s steel-plated hull over an area about three hundred feet long. The icy water was rushing into the ship’s watertight compartments. There was no way to seal the holes, and the water was coming in too fast to be pumped out. Smith and Andrews knew the ship was going to sink.
Andrews estimated they had an hour and a half until the entire ship was underwater. They immediately ordered Phillips and Bride to begin sending repeated telegraph messages to neighboring ships for help. They know there’s 2,208 people on board, and not enough lifeboats for everyone. They need another ship’s help.
The stewards tell passengers to report to the decks with their life jackets on. Very few people are worried—they think this is precautionary and they’ll be sent back to bed soon. The ship’s band is playing lively tunes to keep passengers entertained on deck. But a few people below deck notice strange things. Carl Jonsson was getting dressed preparing to go to the deck when he noticed water creeping under his door.
Shortly after midnight, Captain Smith ordered the lifeboats launched. People were hesitant to fill in the lifeboats. The crew was concerned the lifeboats would crack or buckle under the weight of the people as they’re lowered to the water. Passengers didn’t want to get in the boats—the sea seemed dark and scary. Besides, the ship didn’t seem to be sinking. Because of all of this, many of the lifeboats deployed were only half-full.
In the telegraph room, Phillips and Bride sent out distress calls for help, over and over again. Carpathia responds they’re on their way. But they’re fifty-eight miles away, meaning they won’t reach Titanic for four hours. Titanic won’t stay afloat that long. There were not enough lifeboats for everybody. Captain Smith knows people are going to die, and he knew he would be one of them.
The quartermaster began firing rockets into the sky, in the hopes that someone would hear them. At the sounds of the rockets, passengers realized that this was serious. Some began to pray, and some panic. The crew began restricting the lifeboats to women and children only. Families were separated as wives, daughters, and sons were loaded into lifeboats, without their husbands and fathers.
Marjorie Collyer and her mother clung to their father, Harvey. A crew member tore Marjorie from her father’s arms and threw her into a lifeboat. They pushed Marjorie’s mother in behind her. Harvey stood calmly on the deck watching the lifeboat be lowered into the water. They would never see Harvey again.
Ida Straus refused to be separated from her husband. Isidor tried to put her into a lifeboat, and she responded, “We have been living together for many years. And where you go, I go.” The couple sat down in deck chairs and waited together.
John Jacob Astor helped his young, pregnant wife into a lifeboat. He politely asked if he could join her. He was refused, and stepped away. Madeleine and her unborn baby survived. Astor did not.
Samantha’s Log: Tragedy in the Water
The morning of April 17, Samantha reads in the New York News that only 868 people are alive out of 2,200 that were on Titanic. There is no hope for anyone else to be rescued. Samantha’s mouth goes dry. She’s grateful Jenny and Bridget haven’t come downstairs yet. Uncle Gard’s hand covers Samantha’s. Samantha sees his eyes are filled with tears. He tells her that he still hasn’t forgotten Samantha’s parents, who both died in a boating accident when Samantha was five. Samantha’s mother was Uncle Gard’s sister. Samantha squeezes Gard’s hand—they must be strong, for Bridget and Jenny, and for each other.