The Titanic Tragedy: Stories from the Mighty Titanic
Arnot P. McIntee
Table of Contents
The Journey Ahead
The TITANIC—the Titan of the seas. She was the result of a dream that would end in a nightmare. J. Bruce Ismay, the President of the White Star Line, and his friend Lord James Pirrie, Chairman of Harland and Wolff Shipbuilders, were the two visionaries who would dream her into existence. In their dreams, she would be the biggest, most luxurious and fastest ship afloat. The Titanic would be outfitted with the latest in marine technology and safety equipment. Passenger comfort, too, would receive every consideration, including luxurious staterooms, elaborate dining rooms, graceful winding staircases, four passenger elevators, one of the first swimming pools on an ocean liner, a gymnasium, lounges and bars, plus other amenities making the Titanic a floating palace.
To enclose this marvel of marine engineering, a hull 882.5 feet in length and having a beam of 92 feet would be required. It would be constructed of one-inch thick steel plates rigidly fastened together with three million rivets, which in themselves weighed twelve hundred tons. Three huge propellers would drive her in her quest for speed. In the unlikely event they were needed, she was equipped with anchors having a total weight of thirty-one tons. From her keel to the top of her four familiar funnels she measured one hundred and seventy-five feet.
Everything about the Titanic was impressive, including her passenger list. It included some of the most wealthy people of 1912 and gave reason to her being called “The Millionaires’ Special.” They would enjoy every amenity on this ship of the century. The second- and third-class passengers would also enjoy comforts not previously known by that class of traveler.
On the thirty-first of May 1911, 100,000 people had shouted themselves hoarse as they excitedly watched the huge black hull slide down the well-greased incline in just 62 seconds to float free of the dry dock in which she had been conceived. On the day of her departure from Southampton, she would have a weight of 50,000 tons and be driven by 24 boilers, each fifteen feet high. They would generate 215 pounds of steam per square inch and provide 50,000 horsepower. This sovereign of the sea had been built in the Harland and Wolff Shipyard, of Belfast, over a period of three years, by approximately 10,000 men of numerous skills and trades who received an average pay of ten dollars per week.
On board this floating city was an interesting group of 2,223 people embarking on a 3,000-mile journey. The passenger list named men and women who had crossed the Atlantic on numerous occasions and others who were on their first Transatlantic voyage and were very apprehensive about it. As Ruth Blanchard shared her concerns with the Purser, he assured her the ship could not sink, as its watertight compartments would keep her afloat in the event of an accident. What he did not tell her was that many of the watertight doors did not go all the way to the underside of the deck above. So it was possible that water could actually flow from one compartment to another to do its damage. The mother of seven-year-old passenger Eva Hart had made her feelings emphatically known when she stated she felt for a ship to be declared “Unsinkable” was flying in the face of God.
In command of this technological giant was Captain Edward J. Smith, a veteran Master with forty-three years on the sea. As the Commodore of the White Star Line, he was both proud and pleased to be invited to be in command of the Titanic on her maiden voyage before he entered retirement. He had every confidence in ships of that era and had once stated he could not think of a condition that would cause such a ship to founder.
The confidence of Mrs. Albert Caldwell was less obvious. When boarding she had asked a seaman, “Is this ship really unsinkable?”—to which he confidently replied, “Madam, God Himself could not sink this ship.” Tragically, for more than 1,500 on board, that statement would prove a vain boast in only four days.
The trip aboard this luxury vessel was routine for Mr. and Mrs. Isidor Straus. As the Founder and President of the Macy Department Store organization, Mr. Straus was able to look back over life from the vantage point of success. His many business and political accomplishments had been recognized on both sides of the Atlantic. Their wealth enabled the Strauses to cross the ocean at will, but to do so on the Titanic promised to be their voyage of a lifetime. Although life had been good, it was to end very, very soon.
Aboard the Titanic were the known and the unknown, the rich and the poor, the scholars and the scoundrels. Its lengthy passenger list covered every stratum of society, wealth and influence. On the upper decks were the first-class passengers, while in descending order were the second- and third-class passengers. When disaster struck, a large group of third-class passengers, located in the bow of the ship and at its lowest point, would be deprived access to the upper decks and safety. Within that helpless group were three young Irish girls. A seaman carried out his orders by refusing to let them move up a stairway to safety; that is, until an angry young Irishman forcefully demanded he unlock the gate and let the girls through. He did so very reluctantly.
Two thousand two hundred and twenty-three people were on board this super-ship heading for New York. Today, billions like you and me are traveling a more important route, not from Southampton to New York, but from time into eternity. Unlike the Titanic, there are no class distinctions ranging from first to third class. Our God, who oversees our great journey, sees but one class traveling this route and He classifies all as sinners. It is not a very pleasant name and description, but it is true according to the Bible. In Romans 3:23, we read, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” It is an all-inclusive statement covering all of humanity. None are excluded. All on the Titanic were passengers or crew. All of us on the journey of life are sinners. As of 11:40 p.m., on April 14, 1912, all on board the Titanic would need to be saved, and so it is on our journey through life. We, too, need to be saved, not from the frigid North Atlantic, but from the eternal abode of lost sinners the Bible calls “hell.” The good news is that there is One who is both willing and able to save lost sinners like you and me. To do so, He left heaven, went to Calvary, and there died for the sins of all mankind. By personally placing your faith in Him, you can have everlasting salvation. Jesus Himself said, “He that believeth (or places his faith) on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
Not all scheduled to sail on the Titanic were as enthusiastic as those who left Southampton. As the giant vessel was about to move from her berth, a small group of stokers who had been recruited for the trip were late arriving for departure, and after arguing unsuccessfully with an officer at the gangway cursed him and stood bewildered as the ship moved smoothly into the channel. Their positions had been filled by last minute replacements who had gathered at the pier, hoping for just such an opportunity.
In contrast to their disappointment were the feelings of the family of Rev. Walter Duff when they heard of the Titanic tragedy. Six months before the Titanic was due to sail, Mr. Duff had booked passage on the unsinkable ship for his wife and four children so they could join him in America. However, the weeks of separation from her husband were too much for Mrs. Duff and she changed her booking for a ship that was sailing earlier. The family arrived in America the day the tragic news was announced. How thankful they were that God had led them to book passage on an earlier ship which had provided them with safe travel.
The Rich, The Famous and Others
When the great Titanic left Southampton for the open sea and her never-to-be-completed maiden voyage, she represented man’s crowning technological achievement. To those who could pay the $4,350 for a one-way ticket, she provided unbelievable luxury in each first-class cabin. These passengers could enjoy hot and cold running water, the warmth of a coal-burning fireplace and the comfort of a magnificent four-poster bed. Every comfort was theirs. Within the great vessel was the first swimming pool ever to be installed on a ship. Four elevators were available for passenger convenience. A squash court, a gymnasium and a hospital were all available to serve as desired.
The list of first-class passengers read like a Who’s Who of the rich and famous. They were the reason the ship had been nicknamed “The Millionaires’ Special.” John Jacob Astor, who was the wealthiest, had gained his fortune through an inheritance from his grandfather and through his own astute business practices in the field of real estate. When his lifeless body was pulled from the 31-degree water of the North Atlantic, $2,500 in cash was found in his jacket pocket. His great wealth could not assure him of a safe arrival in New York. Also included on the list of millionaire passengers were the names of Mr. and Mrs. Isidor Straus. On the night of the tragedy, Mrs. Straus had placed her foot on the very edge of a lifeboat, only to draw it back, choosing to remain with her husband of many years rather than be separated from the man she loved. Their deep love for one another has assured their names being listed together forever as “Lost” when the Titanic took her fatal plunge.
Benjamin Guggenheim was returning to New York with his mistress. He was a member of the family that had made its wealth through copper smelting in the United States, gold mines in Alaska, tin mines in Bolivia and rubber plantations in Africa. The last that was seen of him on that memorable night was as he stood with his valet on the sloping deck resplendent in evening dress. He was determined his life would end with a “bit of class.”
Moments before the last lifeboat was lowered to the sea, he gave a note to a lady as she entered the lifeboat. It read, “Tell my wife I’ve done my best in doing my duty.”
On the list of those who perished were 1,517 names of the known and the unknown, the rich and the poor, the educated and the illiterate, but all met their common foe—death. John Jacob Astor, the Strauses, Benjamin Guggenheim and hundreds of others all had an appointment to keep. Of it the Bible says, “It is appointed unto men (regardless of class) once to die” (Hebrews 9:27). Each of us should make certain we are ready to die. For we must die. It was George Bernard Shaw who said, “The ultimate statistic is, one out of one dies.”
Aboard the Titanic were more than 700 whose names were relatively unknown. They occupied the sparsely furnished third class cabins located deep in the cavernous hull of the great vessel. The single men of this group were located in the bow and the unattached young ladies were in the stern. Families were located at the same low level, but in the mid-section of the ship. Many of the young men located in the bow of the vessel were among the first to realize the seriousness of the Titanic’s encounter with the iceberg when the waters of the Atlantic invaded their cabins. Fortunately, valor was not limited to the elite on the upper decks for many of the young men of the third-class group immediately ran to the stern of the ship to help young ladies who were traveling alone. Their bravery equaled the heroism of notables on the upper decks.
The great Titanic, with its precious human cargo of 2,223 passengers, carried people of every age and level of society. On that memorable night, social standing, wealth, and position were unimportant. Much of the wealth of the prosperous was locked away in the safety deposit boxes in the Purser’s Office and would go to the bottom of the Atlantic with the ship and all she held. On the night of April 14, 1912 all on board had one common need—salvation from a sinking vessel and the frigid Atlantic. Almighty God sees all men and women on the voyage of life in the very same way. They, too, all need a Savior in their spiritually lost condition. Many have heard the warning that danger and destruction are ahead if one dies without the Savior. God’s solemn warning is in the Bible’s book of Job chapter thirty-six and verse eighteen where we read, “Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with His stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.” For some on the Titanic there would be rescue and salvation, while others would lose not only life itself, but also their hope of going to heaven. As you quickly travel through life on your way to the eternal shore, is your soul saved? Have you placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners? Is He your personal Savior? Each person on the Titanic possessed an eternal soul which is living today...but where?
There was, however, another group on board and they had no souls to lose. It was a large group of dogs belonging to wealthy passengers. In these their owners placed a great deal of pride. Each day it was the assigned duty of a crew member to walk each pet. The exercise would help prepare the animals for an impromptu pet show scheduled, but never held, on Monday, April 15th. As the passengers were concerned for their own safety, they also worried about the well-being of their pets housed in the ship’s kennels. Following the tragedy, it was learned one of the passengers had released the dogs from their kennels so they would not go trapped to the ocean’s bottom. Of all on board, only two dogs, a Polonaise and a Pomeranian, escaped. They did so when they were carried by their owners unnoticed into nearly empty lifeboats.
Young and Brave
They were four brave young men. Two, Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee, were high above the Titanic’s deck in the crow’s nest which was being assaulted by thirty-one-degree weather, at a speed of twenty-one and a half knots.
Lower in the ship, and located on the Boat Deck, were twenty-five-year-old Jack Phillips, the Senior Wireless Operator and his assistant, twenty-one-year-old Harold Bride. Before the night of April 14th had seen the dawn, these four brave young men would have justifiably placed their names in the Annals of Marine History.
The first of six wireless messages had been received by the Titanic stating a large ice field was present in that area of the North Atlantic. It was strange, however, that if danger was present there was no slackening of the vessel’s speed. Rather, as Fleet and Lee had taken their watch in the crow’s nest 50 feet above the deck, they had merely been informed that they were in the area of icebergs. In those pre-radar days, the young men who would take their turns scanning the sea for danger were the “eyes of the ship.”
Icebergs were difficult to detect at night on a calm sea—and the sea was calm on that cold, starry, but moonless night. During the night watches, the lookouts in the crow’s-nest would watch for ribbons of white water lapping at the base of the icebergs, but the sea was too calm to provide that visual alert. Fleet and Lee looked into the darkness without the aid of binoculars, for they were not available for that important task. An article date lined New York, April 16, 1912 and carried in the Kansas City Star recorded the ice conditions in that fateful year in this way: “The drift ice this spring has been farther south than for years. Vessels arriving here and abroad have reported ice fields extending far down into the southern track and skippers have told of being shut in by ice as far as they could see on every side of the horizon. The size of the bergs which have been encountered recently vary greatly, but according to reliable reports, bergs reaching from sixty to one hundred feet to the top of their walls, with pinnacles and spires extending to a height of two hundred and fifty feet or more have not been unusual. Below the water, some of these giant bergs extend to a depth of possibly eight hundred feet.”
Into such an ice field of 78 miles in length, and 400 miles from Newfoundland, the Titanic was now entering, and Fleet and Lee, in spite of the bitter cold, were on the alert. Occasionally, words were exchanged between the two, but when Fleet spotted a huge black object coming toward them, he sprang into action. Three times he hit the crow’s-nest bell sounding the emergency danger signal. Then, lifting the phone he called the bridge and the calm voice of an experienced officer merely asked, “What do you see?” “Iceberg right ahead,” was the reply. A curt “thank you” sounded in Fleet’s ear as did the click of the telephone receiver being replaced. An eternity of thirty-seven seconds followed as Fleet waited for the eight hundred- and eighty-two-foot giant to begin changing course. During those thirty-seven seconds the ship and the mountain of ice came closer and closer and Fleet watched as the towering iceberg, high and wet, moved closer with ever increasing speed. Coming nearer and nearer, it was estimated to be one hundred feet high. Thirty-seven seconds had elapsed since the warning bell had sounded and, finally, the bow began its slow move to port. A direct collision had been averted, thought Fleet, as the ship brushed the side of a great mountain of ice. A direct collision had been avoided, but not the catastrophe that followed.
One of the six warnings received and ignored by the Titanic had come from the Californian just ten miles away which had stopped for the night. Captain Smith had no such intentions of so directing the Titanic’s crew. It was known ice was in the area and that a collision and ultimate disaster were possible, yet safety precautions were not ordered. When sailing the North Atlantic, danger was always present and sailing the sea of life is no different, but the issues are of even greater importance. They are not for time, but for eternity. The Titanic never arrived within the safety of a harbor because of warnings it ignored. God is deeply concerned about your never-dying soul and He sounds a warning to you and me in the Bible’s John 3:36, which reads, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” Isn’t that a solemn warning? God’s wrath abides on those who do not accept His Son as Savior. However, there is good news. In Romans 5:8, we read, “God made known His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” If individuals will believe they are sinners, as the Bible clearly states, and that Jesus died as their substitute on Calvary’s cross, they will have everlasting life and be assured of a safe arrival in the heavenly port at the end of life; they need never perish. Jesus said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” I am confident that all aboard the Titanic would like to have had that assurance.
Frederick Fleet had done his job well. As soon as he was aware of danger, he had sounded the alarm. Now, another brave young man was to enter the picture and announce to the world that a collision had taken place between the “unsinkable” Titanic and a huge iceberg. Jack Phillips and his assistant had had a busy and tiring day. Wireless was in its infancy and passengers had been anxious to use this latest technology to inform family and friends in America of their voyage on the world’s greatest liner and of their anticipated arrival time. Consequently, many messages had been sent and received. So absorbed was Phillips in the work he enjoyed that he failed to feel the unusual jarring and vibration which had gone through the ship at 11:40 p.m. Captain Smith had certainly felt it and soon after ordered several investigations to determine the damage. When he received his first report, he left the bridge for the wireless room to inform Phillips, “We’ve struck an iceberg. Send a message for assistance.” Having been handed a slip of paper on which was the ship’s position, Phillips began sending out the international distress code, “C.Q.D., C.Q.D.” The urgent call crackled across the cold Atlantic to be heard by ships at varying distances from the now sinking Titanic.
The Californian was the closest, but its wireless operator, Cyril Evans, was tired and ready for bed. Then, too, he had keenly felt the insult he received when he attempted to warn the Titanic it was sailing into heavy ice. Its reply had simply been, “Shut up.” His message of concern had been emphatically rejected.
Sadly, people reject the God-sent warning regarding the salvation His Son died to make possible. One of God’s many warnings is sounded in Ezekiel 18:4, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” If God’s clear and direct warning is rejected, eternal death will result. Soon, however, the attitude aboard the Titanic would change. After tapping out, “Shut up,” some time ago to those warning of ice in the area, Phillip’s key would plead, “Come as quickly as you can.” The reason for the change was all too evident. The “unsinkable” ship with its precious human cargo was soon to begin its two-and-a-half-mile descent to the floor of the Atlantic.
Often when individuals who have ignored the Savior’s invitation realize they are in danger of eternal death, they, too, have a change of attitude as they near a Christless grave and a never-ending eternity. It is then they call to heaven asking for the forgiveness of their sins and for God’s free salvation. Could it be that you have rejected the Savior’s love and now wish to tell Him you, as a sinking sinner, need to be saved? He is anxious to save you. In the Bible, Romans 10:13, we learn, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
On that memorable night, Frederick Fleet and Jack Phillips had taken the first steps to inform the world of the never-to-be-forgotten events which were unfolding on the vast North Atlantic and of more than 2,000 people who needed to be rescued.
An Appointment With Destiny
At 11:40 on the night of April 14, 1912, the giant Titanic felt the shock of its encounter with an iceberg. Several hours later, the world would be stunned when the news of the tragedy was announced by wireless operator John Phillips. Men who knew the sea and ships were quick to assess the damage inflicted on the “unsinkable ship.” Captain Smith had gone quickly to the bridge, and throwing open the door asked, “What have we hit?” The dreaded word, “ICEBERG,” no doubt sent a chill through the man who had sailed these waters for 38 years. Instinctively, he ordered the closure of the fifteen watertight doors and the sounding of the warning bell. Then he moved to the starboard side of his ship, but there was no iceberg to be seen. If only he had been on the bridge at the time of the mishap as his vessel was passing through the ice infested waters, possibly the accident would not have happened. Bruce Ismay, the Managing Director of the White Star Line, arrived on the bridge soon after Smith. He, too, had been wakened by the impact the ship had experienced and knew something very serious had happened. Soon he left the captain to conduct his own investigation. When Thomas Andrews, the Titanic’s designer and builder appeared, Ismay was informed the ship had suffered a 300-foot gash in the starboard side and that five of her watertight compartments were open to the sea. He would eventually inform Captain Smith the ship was beyond help. She was doomed, and that seemed impossible to the three men who knew the ship so well. The latest technology had been built into this monarch of the sea: a double steel bottom and sixteen compartments that could be sealed by the flick of a switch on the bridge. These features, along with recently introduced wireless telegraphy, all combined to making this safe ship safe. Sadly, the confidence of passengers and crew had been misplaced. The riveted steel plates and watertight compartments were no match for a monstrous North Atlantic iceberg.
Thomas Andrews knew the ship well. He had built her. Once he and Captain Smith had conducted their inspection, he informed Smith the Titanic was finished. The designer-builder knew the seriousness of the situation as no other. As we journey to the eternal shore, our Creator-God knows our sad and ruined spiritual condition.
We may try to allay our fears, as was attempted by some aboard the Titanic, but it won’t work. The vulnerability of the Titanic would eventually be known, as is man’s weakness and vulnerability to sin. It is in the Bible’s book of Romans chapter 3 and verse 23 we learn, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” It also states in Numbers 32:23 “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Man’s sin and weakness is known by himself and what is worse, known to God. In such a spiritual state we, like the Titanic, are unable to help ourselves. We, too, desperately need help. We need someone who can correctly assess our personal condition and take corrective action. In our spiritually-damaged state there is only One who can meet our need and His saving name is Jesus. The Apostle Peter said in Acts 4 and verse 12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Sinners, damaged and ruined by sin need to be saved and, according to the Apostle Peter, the only One who can save them is Jesus (Acts 4:12). He is the only One who can fit the lost for the eternal port called heaven.
The seriousness of the situation was readily realized by Smith and Andrews. Their ship was destined for the depths of the North Atlantic, but how soon they did not know. They did know there were 2,223 people aboard and only 1,178 places in the lifeboats. More than 1,000 would die. Although the existing standards of marine safety had been met, there were not enough places for all in the lifeboats. I am so thankful that when my Savior offers to save you and me, He has the necessary means of doing so. In the gospel of John chapter 3 and verse 15 this truth is very clear, “Whosoever believeth in Him (the Lord Jesus) should not perish, but have eternal life.”
It was soon after the collision that those on the bridge knew the results of the impact. Many of the passengers and crew, however, would not learn of their real danger until sometime later. Some had wondered what caused the shudder to pass through the ship at 11:40 that night, but they weren’t too concerned. Some thought the vessel had lost a blade from one of its huge twenty-three-foot diameter propellers, or that an anchor had been lowered. Harry Colyer was anxious to know the truth and so, to satisfy his wife’s curiosity, he made a quick trip around the deck. He returned to say they had struck an iceberg, but everything was all right. Hearing this comforting news, Mrs. Colyer lay back in her bunk and was soon fast asleep. She was asleep to her danger and that of all her fellow passengers.
Deep in the cavernous vessel, a seaman responded differently when he exclaimed, “Blimey, we’ve hit an iceberg.” His exclamation of concern was in sharp contrast to those who jokingly suggested they could use some of the ice which had suddenly appeared in the staircase to cool their drinks. To many, it all seemed like a big joke, but not to the men in the boiler and mail rooms. Soon after the awesome shearing, tearing sound, cold Atlantic water began appearing at their feet. As one seaman reported,
“She’s making water fast.” In one area, the water rose 4" in only 10 minutes. Loud hissing sounds signaled escaping air from tanks in the bow. Eventually, even those unlearned in the ways of the sea realized the situation was desperate. Even those who recently had gone back to their beds or drinks were now much more concerned, and fear was written on every face.
Many today on their voyage through life think all is well. They feel it is only the alarmist preacher who is sounding his words of warning who is concerned. But that is not the case. Our almighty God knows the danger of the spiritually lost like no other. Their dreaded position is more serious than the passengers aboard the Titanic. Many on board were about to lose their lives. The people who ridicule the God-announced danger of the spiritually lost are in danger of losing their souls for eternity. Aboard the Titanic were those who were sleeping on a sinking ship. Today there are those who are oblivious to their danger of rapidly passing time and the nearness of eternity. God, through His Word, sounds the warning note in Job 36:18 which says, “Because there is wrath, beware lest He take thee away with His stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.” Every one of us needs God’s salvation and yet many are asleep to their desperate need. The question is asked in Hebrews 2 and verse 3, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” There is no escaping God’s wrath if a person neglects God’s salvation.
Back on the bridge, Captain Smith had no time to think of what might have been. His immediate concern was for the safety of his passengers and crew for whom he was personally responsible. Lifeboats must be readied, crew and passengers awakened and, above all, panic was to be avoided.
Rockets
It was 12:45 a.m. when the first blinding flash appeared high above the disabled ship. At the command of Captain Smith, rockets were to be fired skyward every five minutes with the hope of attracting ships in the area.
Fearfully, passengers realizing the seriousness of the situation were beginning to form into small groups on the now slanting decks. Captain Smith watched each rocket burst with a shower of light and he, too, was very concerned about his once proud ship. Ten miles away, an officer on board the Californian thought it strange that a distant ship was going lower into the water. He ordered an apprentice to inform the captain an unidentified ship had fired eight rockets. “Were they all white?” he asked. “Yes,” was the reply and the captain rolled over and went back to sleep. Why did he not order his vessel to investigate and immediately go to the rescue of the stricken Titanic? Was he reluctant to endanger his own ship in the ice field between his ship and the Titanic, or was he just not thinking clearly when wakened from a sound sleep? Regardless of the reason, sadly, he took no action.
Meanwhile, twenty-five-year-old wireless operator Jack Phillips continued tapping out the new International Distress Call SOS, SOS, along with the ship’s location 41 degrees, 46 minutes North and 50 degrees and 14 minutes West. On the starboard side of the ship, Quartermaster Rowe had been busy firing his rocket gun when the Captain asked if he could operate a Morse Lamp. When he replied, “Yes, Sir,” he was ordered to send a message in the direction of the light the Captain had identified and hoped was a ship. When no response was received, the Captain studied the light through his binoculars and realized it was a distant planet. Every means of communication was used to summon help to the disabled vessel, her passengers and crew. A few hours before, wireless operator Phillips had rebuffed the Carpathia’s warning of a nearby ice flow with a curt, “Shut-up,” but the recent collision now changed Phillip’s tone as he pleaded, “come at once. We have struck a berg. It’s a CQD, old man. Position 41-46 N—50-14 W.”
Like the Titanic, many individuals, and you may be one, have indifferently brushed aside the warnings of God. His solemn warning is clear and direct. If you reject His free offer of everlasting salvation you will be lost eternally. The Bible asks in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 3, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” It is one of scripture’s great unanswered questions. There is no escape.
High on the upper decks, every effort was being made to place as many passengers in lifeboats as possible. Deep in the cavernous vessel, stokers and firemen were doing their best to keep the boilers and generators functioning to keep lights in and outside the ship illuminated. Hopefully, other ships in the area would see them and come to their aid. Men were risking their lives to help and to save others. In Boiler Room Number Five, safety valves blew, filling the room with steam. Confused in the thick vapor, John Shepherd tripped and broke his leg. Two of his work mates carried him to the Pump Room, but when unwelcomed water rushed toward the injured man, he disappeared in the torrent of cold Atlantic water.
On the upper decks, passengers noticed the ship was further down at the bow. On the various decks, stewards busily locked state room doors to make certain no looting took place and that passengers’ possessions would be safe until their anticipated return to the ship.
In the two hours and forty minutes from the collision until the sinking of the “Unsinkable Titanic,” numerous acts of heroism were played out, and among them there must be included the eight members of the ship’s orchestra. These were hand-picked men with unique musical skills.
As panic and concern were sweeping the ship, these gallant musicians continued to perform, moving to various locations on the ship in an effort to calm the passengers. From their broad repertoire they played selections from ragtime, operas, waltzes and hymns. There has been much speculation as to the last hymn played before these brave men went with the ship to the bottom of the Atlantic. Some of the rescued gave differing reports. Some said the last hymn was Sarah Adam’s immortal “Nearer My God to Thee,” while others said it was the Episcopalian hymn, “Autumn.” Harold Bride, the assistant wireless operator, stated that he had heard the band playing while he frantically tapped out the distress call. The last he heard from them was as he floated on the icy waters. “It was then,” he said, “I heard them playing Autumn. How those brave fellows ever did it, I cannot imagine.” The third verse includes appropriate words for those who were passing through the horrific ordeal. They are:
When temptations fierce assault me,
When mine enemies I find,
Sin and guilt and death and Satan,
All against my soul combined,
Hold me up in mighty waters,
Keep my eyes on things above—
Righteousness, divine atonement,
Peace and everlasting love.
Sadly, when the list of those lost at sea was posted, the names of these eight valiant men appeared. In their final few minutes, the last lines of their last hymn may well have been their final prayer.
Hold me up in mighty waters,
Keep my eyes on things above,
Righteousness, Divine atonement,
Peace and everlasting love.
Men and women who were engulfed in the cold Atlantic waters may well have heard that tune as they slipped into eternity. They were words of hope for those in a hopeless situation. What words were these to be recalled at the hour of death, “Righteousness, Divine atonement!” For the drowning there was hope for eternity through the divine atonement made possible through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross. The message remains the same today; “Peace and Everlasting Love” are available for all who will turn from sin and avail themselves of the Savior’s atonement.
Mr. and Mrs. John B. Thayer, along with their son Jack, had been enjoying the voyage in their luxurious first-class staterooms. Late on the evening of April 14th, seventeen-year-old Jack had called “good-night” to his parents from his stateroom. Soon their joy would be shattered when ship and iceberg met. In the trauma that followed, parents and son were separated. Mr. and Mrs. Thayer worked their way through the crowd toward the lifeboats. At one point en route, she became very frustrated when a crew member gave conflicting orders. “Tell us,” she said, “where to go and we will.” Eventually, Mrs. Thayer was placed safely in lifeboat number four and did more than her share of handling a heavy oar.
Jack and his father searched for each other on the inclined decks of the doomed vessel, but sadly never made contact with one another. They were separated for eternity. When Jack and his mother were reunited on board the rescue ship, they realized that only two of their three family members would reach New York. Mr. Thayer had gone to the bottom with the Titanic.
Weren’t those interesting words of Mrs. Thayer’s? “Tell us where to go and we will.” She was looking for clear directions from an informed seaman. Unfortunately, he was unable to give them. Thankfully, there are clear directions for you and me to follow, and they are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. If they are followed, they assure the believer of a safe arrival in heaven. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). Place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him. Only then will you be assured of a safe arrival on heaven’s shore.
Greater Love Hath No Man
In two hours and forty minutes the fate of 2,223 aboard the ill-fated Titanic would be history. The trip of a lifetime had become the disaster of all time. Many were the responses of passengers who now realized their lives were rapidly coming to a close. The sloping decks now caused even greater alarm and concern for what was ahead.
Unlike many on board, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ryerson, a fine-looking couple, had begun their voyage with heavy hearts. While vacationing in France, they had received word of the death of their son in Pennsylvania. Their quickest way to America was aboard the Titanic. Before leaving France, Mr. Ryerson had made arrangements for his son’s funeral to be held on April the nineteenth. That would allow two days after their arrival in New York to make final arrangements, but that was all in the future.
Now along with 2,223 and more passengers and crew, the Ryerson’s busied themselves in an effort to leave the sinking ship with their thirteen-year-old son who was traveling with them. When they were about to leave their stateroom, Mr. Ryerson realized their young maid, Victorine, was without a life jacket. Quickly, he removed his own and fastened it about the trembling young woman. Now prepared, the four left for the Promenade deck. Approaching a lifeboat, Mrs. Ryerson was informed the boy could not accompany her. Vehemently, the mother, who a few days before had lost another son, informed the objecting crew member the lad was only thirteen and he was going with his mother. Her insistence was rewarded, and mother and son boarded the lifeboat as they said a tearful good-bye to a husband and father standing misty-eyed at the ship’s rail.
When finally the funeral was held for the older son of the Ryerson’s, Mr. Ryerson was not there. Having given his life jacket to save the life of his maid, he had gone with the Titanic to its final resting place.
Mr. Ryerson’s selfless action pictures the devotion of the Lord Jesus Christ of whom the gospel writer says in John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Mr. Ryerson’s devotion was for a young person he knew and appreciated. The love of the Lord Jesus, as displayed on Calvary’s cross, was for all the sinners of all time. He loved and died for all to make possible their everlasting salvation. That precious truth is so clear when we read Romans chapter five and verse eight, “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Many were the acts of heroism as the Titanic experienced her death throes. A number of men traveling on the first-class decks displayed great bravery in those final hours. They encouraged ladies to enter the remaining lifeboats and then comforted them in their moments of danger. One such was Henry Harris, who accompanied his wife to the nearest lifeboat. Hopefully, they would both be permitted to enter a boat before it was lowered. However, the shout of an officer announced it was, “Women and children first.” Mr. Harris realized the shout was directed at him, “All right,” he replied, resignedly. Giving his wife her final farewell kiss, he said, “good-bye, my dear,” and then stepped back into the shadows to eventually be listed among the “Lost.”
During those fear-filled hours, people did unexplainable things. One gentleman returned to his stateroom for four oranges and died in the attempt.
Many were the heart-breaking good-byes seen that night. Husbands and wives bade their final farewells with promises exchanged to meet in one of the boats or in New York. Fathers gave children a final embrace and an affectionate word of encouragement. A few panic-stricken men tried unsuccessfully to enter lifeboats in spite of the previous order, “Women and children first.”
How unlike the invitation of the Savior who said in John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” His all-inclusive statement is for every person alive today. Have you accepted it to know you are on your way to heaven? O, I pray you have.
Acts of heroism were many in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912, and they were performed by men and women. Twenty-five-year-old Elizabeth Evans died that night so that others might live. She was safely within a lifeboat about to be lowered when it was realized it was overloaded. She was seated by Mrs. J. J. Brown, a mother of several children, when she turned to her and said, “Your need is greater than mine. You have children who need you and I have none.” Then rising, she left the boat and disappeared into the shadows of the ship which was slowly making its way to the bottom. No doubt Mrs. Brown and her children, who knew her loving care so well, were grateful through life for the great sacrifice made by Elizabeth Evans on their behalf. She died that others might live, reminding us of the Lord Jesus who died that those who accept His sacrifice of love might live eternally.
Colonel John Jacob Astor was one of the wealthiest men on board the Titanic and on that never-to-be-forgotten night proved his bravery. When he was urged to take a place in one of the descending boats, he emphatically refused, stating he would not do so until all the women and children were safely placed within the few remaining boats. One eyewitness recalled seeing him lead Mrs. Astor to the side of a lifeboat and help her in. She was overcome with grief and insisted upon waiting with him until their rescue together would be possible. With calming reassurance, a word of comfort and a tip of his hat he joined other men on the sloping deck. Later that night he ordered a lifeboat to stop as it was being lowered past a port hole and then assisted two women safely into it.
Of many named for bravery on that cold night is the name of Major Archibald Butt. He was a military aide to President Taft of the United States. Some reports say that the actions of Butt were grossly overrated. However, Mrs. Henry Morris said she would forever remember him as he directed men and calmed hysterical ladies. He helped sailors rearrange ropes and chains. When one young man insisted on entering a boat, Major Butt took him by the arm, as if he were his big brother, telling him to keep his head and act like a man. When he had placed Miss Marie Young, a music teacher to the President’s children, in a boat, he tenderly reassured her all would be well as he said, “Good-bye, Miss Young, good luck and please remember me to the folks back home.” Then he stepped back and waved his hand as the boat was lowered.
Many who were rescued from the Titanic owed their lives to the bravery and self-sacrifice of men and women like Edith Evans, John Jacob Astor and others who gave their lives for people they did not know.
Many who have lived on this planet feel they owe their all to the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who sacrificed Himself on the cross when He died for those He knew to be sinners. It was the Apostle Paul who wrote in Galatians 2:20, “The Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Those rescued from the Titanic would experience a life for which they would be so very grateful. Those, however, who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior have been rescued from a life of eternal suffering in the place the Bible calls the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior? If not, do so before you read another word. Then you will have a confidence given you by God that you will spend eternity with Him and His Son forever.
There was a touch of theatrical flourish with the way in which millionaire Benjamin Guggenheim and his valet approached the fatal hour of 2:20 a.m., on the morning of April 15, 1912. They were dressed in full evening attire as they stood at the ship’s railing declaring, “We have dressed in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen.” And they did.
It was before the ship and the iceberg had met that John Harper, a Baptist preacher, turned to his daughter and sister-in-law as he looked at the afterglow of the setting sun and said, “It will be beautiful in the morning.” For many who rowed in the lifeboats in icy waters surrounded by floating ice, it was far from a beautiful morning. John Harper’s body had gone to the bottom with the Titanic, but his spirit had gone safely to his heavenly home to be with the Savior he loved and had faithfully served. For him it was, indeed, a beautiful morning.
An unknown poet thought of his heavenly home this way.
O think of stepping on shore
and finding it heaven,
Of taking hold of a hand
and finding it God’s,
Of breathing new air
and finding it celestial air,
Of feeling invigorated
and finding it immortality,
Of passing from storm
and stress to perfect calm,
Of waking and finding it glory.
“The Titanic had everything for enjoying life, but not much to save it.” Detroit News
Help on the Way
Soon the last lifeboat was lowered and the last collapsible slid into the sea which registered a temperature of 31 degrees Fahrenheit. The ship’s decks were largely male dominated. Some clung to the railing, looking in vain to identify loved ones to whom they had recently said their last, loving farewell. Others stood in the shadows, lost in thought, no doubt reviewing life and contemplating the one to come. Approximately 1,500 people were still on the doomed vessel and approximately 700 passengers and crew were in lifeboats designed to accommodate close to 1,200.
There were frightening moments for even those in the lifeboats. They still considered the Titanic a fine vessel, which commanded respect and admiration. But before their very eyes, the unbelievable was happening. She was at an awful angle and now rising upward at the stern. Gradually, she rose to an almost vertical position, then for close to thirty seconds she remained motionless. Her lights flickered off, then on and then finally off for good. One survivor recalled a frightening sound: “It was partly a roar, partly a groan and partly a rattle.” Dotting the motionless sea was wreckage from the world’s greatest ocean liner, the bodies of some who had sailed on her and chunks of floating ice. What a traumatic end to a journey that had only begun four days earlier. None aboard expected such an abrupt and tragic end to a voyage offering such pleasure.
On the journey of life, it seems the Bible anticipates the unexpected by saying, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). If you had been on the ill-fated Titanic, where would your eternal soul be? Would it be in heaven because you had accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior? Or would it be in hell because you had rejected His Calvary-love and chosen your own plan for heaven.
At 2:10 a.m. on the morning of April 15, 1912, the Titanic’s wireless sent its last message. Ten minutes later, she would be seen no more above the surface, but would begin her long plunge of 13,000 feet to the dark bottom of the North Atlantic.
Earlier, Jack Phillips, at Captain Smith’s direction, had sent out a variety of urgent messages as he desperately attempted to attract the attention of ships in the area. Some had read: “We’re going down fast,” “Sinking head down,” “Engine room flooded.” The last message sent simply said, “Come at once old man. We’ve struck a berg. It’s a CQD old man. Position, 41.46 N, 50.14 W.” The wounded vessel’s plea for help had been heard and her position noted. Thank God that when individuals who have been wounded by sin send their sinner’s prayer heavenward, help and forgiveness are immediately dispatched from heaven. It reads: “Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom” (Job 33:24).
The Carpathia, on her way from New York to the Mediterranean, was closest to hear the Titanic’s urgent call. She was under the command of Captain Arthur Rostron, who was wakened from his sleep at close to 1:00 a.m. with a message given him by his first officer and radio operator. Quickly, the Captain asked for details and then instructed a message be sent immediately to the Titanic 58 miles away, “We will come as fast as we can.” In no time, Rostron was on his feet and quickly giving orders to his crew, now on one of history’s greatest errands of mercy.
With the mind of a man ready to meet emergencies at sea, Rostron systematically gave orders to the men under his command. All off-duty seamen were ordered on deck immediately. The engineers were directed to bring their boilers to maximum efficiency. Gradually, the speed of the Carpathia began to increase from 14 to 14 ½, to 15 and eventually 17 knots as she cut her way through the ice-infested Atlantic. All available men were ordered to the bow of the ship and told to watch for ice. Then, without slackening speed, she wove her way through the iceberg-dotted sea. Inside the ship, other seamen were brewing coffee and preparing hot soup. Blankets were placed in the dining rooms which would serve as hospital-like receiving areas. Along the sides of the vessel, lifeboats were being uncovered and readied to be lowered when the Titanic’s position was finally reached.
The Titanic’s last location had been given and, in that area to which Captain Rostron was guiding his rescue vessel, passengers of the Titanic were in various emotional and physical states. Many were overcome with the grief they had just suffered and with which they would live a lifetime. Those in the lifeboats longed to return and hopefully pick up some of those destined to be drowned. It was feared this would mean the capsizing of some of the boats and further loss of life. Some of the men tried to sing in an effort to keep the women and children from hearing the cries of the drowning. Others rowed harder to get away from the wreckage scene and the debris strewn sea. Waiting sufferers kept an eye out for lights and several times it had been shouted that lights from a steamer had been sighted. But they turned out to be a light in another lifeboat or a star low on the horizon. It was hard to keep up hope.
The voice of one immigrant lady was heard above the rest as she kept shouting, “My God, my poor father! He put me in this boat and would not save himself. Oh, why didn’t I die. Why didn’t I die. Why can’t I die now!” Frequently she was restrained when she tried to jump into the sea.
Rostron and his crew were doing their utmost to get to the wreckage site as quickly as possible. Like those exposed to the peril of the frigid sea, men and women are exposed to the perils of sin and God’s wrath against it. As Rostron was traveling to the aid of the peril-stricken, so the Lord Jesus left heaven to come to our aid when we were lost sinners. His lengthy journey from the glory to the cross on Calvary terminated when He died to make possible our salvation. As Paul wrote in Romans 5 verse 6, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Jesus arrived on planet earth and died just in time to save us from our sins. Will you believe that He died for you and know the joy of being saved for all eternity?
One of the heroines of the Titanic tragedy was millionairess Molly Brown from Denver, Colorado. With 22 other women and 5 men, she was adrift. In the panic of the early morning, she took charge of her lifeboat and organized women into rowing groups and directed panic-stricken men to do as commanded. After the rescue of all in her boat, she became known as “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” To show her gratitude to the rescue crew, she had a medal struck for each member of the Carpathia’s crew.
At least 13 ships had heard the Titanic’s distress call, but the Carpathia was the first to arrive. At about 2:35 a.m., Captain Rostron spotted a green flare on the horizon. Ten minutes later, his vessel spotted her first iceberg. The numerous icebergs appeared to surround the Carpathia, and Rostron dodged them on every side. The large, free-flowing bergs remind us of the Satan-directed hindrances that appeared in our Savior’s path to the cross. But, “He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Will you respond to such love and devotion by accepting the Lord Jesus as your Savior?
Without slackening speed, Rostron dodged every iceberg sighted as he steered toward the green flares he spotted from time to time. Finally, at 4:00 a.m., the Carpathia arrived at the Titanic’s last radioed position, but there was no Titanic. The valiant efforts of Captain Rostron and the crew had failed to make the 58-mile journey before the monarch of the seas took her fatal plunge. The Titanic’s distress calls had been heard and responded to, but the Carpathia was too late. Thankfully, when a sinner sends his distress call to heaven for God’s salvation, the Savior always arrives on time. Jesus said, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).
Rescue
At least 13 ships had heard the Titanic’s distress signals, but the first to arrive at the disaster site was the Carpathia. Its Captain, Arthur Rostron, observed a green flare on the horizon at 2:35 a.m. It was ten minutes later when the Carpathia had spotted her first iceberg. Soon it seemed the sea was covered with mountains of ice. However, Rostron had been a man on a mission and had threaded his ship through the icy maze. His eyes were set on green flares which had appeared from time to time. It was nearing 4:00 a.m. when Rostron checked the Titanic’s final radio position, but there was no sign of the Titanic and her familiar four funnels. All engines in the Carpathia were ordered stopped and Rostron waited for a crew member to fire the next green flare. When it lit the sky and the sea, Rostron saw the outline of a nearby lifeboat. It was number 2 lifeboat under the command of fourth officer Joseph Boxall. Ever so gently, he worked his lifeboat to the ship’s side and then began the work of transferring people from the lifeboat to the Carpathia. It was 4:10 when Elizabeth Allen slowly climbed up the swinging ladder and fell into the arms of the Carpathia’s purser. In the gray light of the dawn, other lifeboats were seen scattered over a four-mile area. They were almost indistinguishable from the scores of small icebergs.
From 16 lifeboats, the eyes of all survivors were directed to their only hope of rescue—the Carpathia. All in the lifeboats prayed they would soon be safely aboard the vessel which had come to their rescue. The Carpathia presented their only means of safety. So it is with men and women on the sea of life, who realize their need of salvation from sin and its penalty. The Carpathia was their only hope, as Jesus is the only hope of perishing mankind. In Acts chapter 4 and verse 12, the Bible says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.” It is also clearly stated in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold now is the day of salvation.” Between the time the Titanic struck the iceberg and the rescue of all passengers from the 16 lifeboats, unusual events took place. Some argued about the handling of their boat. In others, there were disputes when it was suggested that their partially filled lifeboats should return to rescue life-jacketed passengers who were still afloat in the near freezing waters. In a nearby lifeboat, dissension arose when it was suggested the group pray. A vote was taken, and it was learned the group was comprised of Episcopalians, Presbyterians and Roman Catholics. Finally, it was agreed that they would unite in reciting the Lord’s prayer. In Collapsible A, prayer was also discussed as their overloaded boat settled deeper into the water. All in her, it appeared, were nearing eternity. For them, life would soon be over and yet they were questioning whether or not they should pray to the God they might soon meet. They finally prayed, but would their prayers be too late? The Bible tells us in Luke of a man who prayed for the forgiveness of sins while yet he had time. It also tells us of a man who prayed too late. The story is told in Luke 16 of a man who died and in hell he opened his eyes, being in torment. It was then that he prayed, but he prayed too late. May I encourage you to pray the prayer of another, this time in Luke 18:13 who prayed, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” It was a simple, sincere prayer which was answered by the Savior of sinners. The Savior still answers that prayer and is prepared to do so this moment if it comes from your repentant heart. Jesus came to die for sinners, including you and me. Ask Him, as you read these lines, to forgive your sins and accept you as one for whom He died. He said, “Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).
Rostron and his crew were busily engaged in preparing to receive more than 705 survivors of history’s greatest marine disaster. He had ordered the ship’s three doctors to each be in charge of a dining room which had been converted into three make-shift hospitals. The Chief Steward was directed to have large amounts of soup, hot drinks and blankets ready for the rescued and for the Carpathia’s crew, who would, no doubt, need such comforts.
Although the Carpathia had arrived at the disaster location, it would take some time before each of the lifeboats would arrive at her side to discharge their precious human cargoes. Boat No. 6 had room for at least 10 more passengers, but those it carried included some very interesting personalities. Quartermaster Robert Hichens had been placed in command by a senior officer of the Titanic as it was lowered to the sea. He was now responsible for a diverse group of 4 men and 20 women. They presented an interesting study in human relations as they braved the sea and waited for rescue.
Hichens, although designated as in charge, soon proved by his pessimistic nature he was neither qualified nor deserving of the responsibility. He frequently made inappropriate remarks which did more to discourage than to encourage his colleagues. When his fellow passengers could stand no more, they forcefully informed him that if he did not keep quiet, he would be thrown overboard. It was at this point Mrs. J.J. Brown proved her leadership qualities and effectively took command. Years following the disaster, she would be given the name “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” It was a nickname the wife of the Colorado millionaire would have enjoyed in life, but it was given to her after her death in 1932.
With the arrival of the Carpathia and the dawn, rescue efforts which would last for four hours became intense. From the distant points, lifeboats would weave their way through chunks of floating ice. The Carpathia now stood motionless on the glassy sea and by its very presence was an invitation for all to come to the safety and hope she offered. To men and women adrift on the sea of life and in danger of being lost eternally, the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, stands to offer everlasting salvation. Listen as He says in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” As in the case of the Carpathia, it was the responsibility of those desiring rescue to make their way to the rescue ship. Let me encourage you to make your way to the Savior as you read. Don’t be like some of whom the Savior said, “Ye will not come to Me that ye might have life” (John 5:40).
Wallace Bradford, of San Francisco, was sailing on the Carpathia when he was wakened by the imagined smell of smoke. The hour was 4:30 am, but he quickly dressed and ran on deck to learn the luxurious Titanic was now on the bottom of the Atlantic and the Carpathia was on its way to rescue the survivors. Taking his place at the ship’s railing, he peered into the darkness. Later he reported seeing two lifeboats nearing the Carpathia, but neither one was crowded. If only some of those who had refused to leave the Titanic had entered one of these, they would have now been safe. As other lifeboats came along side, Bradford noted they were predominantly filled with women, some of whom were at the oars.
As Captain Rostron viewed and directed the rescue operation, he was impressed with the efficiency of his crew and the way the survivors responded to their instructions and care. Some of the rescued showed the serious effects of the sinking and their hours of exposure to the cold, open sea. As the lifeboats arrived at the Carpathia’s side, individuals faced the perilous climb up rope ladders hanging at the ship’s side. Before they started their long ascent, a rope was tied under their arms. In at least one case the climber lost her footing and hung like a sack at the end of her safety rope. As some were about to begin their long climb to the Carpathia’s deck, they realized their hands or feet were so terribly swollen they failed to function. One even discovered his arm had been broken at some time during the disaster. For such, extra help was needed.
When Captain Rostron felt he and his crew had done all that was humanly possible and that there were no more survivors, he asked that two brief religious services be held—one a service of thanksgiving for the living and a memorial service for those who had been lost at sea. Following the services many of the rescued still lined the railings scanning the sea for signs of life, but there were none.
At 8:30 a.m., on the 15th of April 1912, the Captain sent the first reliable message to a waiting world regarding the great disaster. It read, “Titanic struck iceberg—sank Monday 3 a.m.—41.46 N 50.14 W—Carpathia picked up many survivors—am proceeding to New York. Captain Rostron.”
The rescue completed, Rostron’s attention was fully occupied with navigating his ship in and around the ice field and then through an approaching storm and its fog. New York was 800 miles away and there waited thousands of relatives and the story-hungry press. The story of the Titanic was to be written and there was much to follow.
New York - At Last
The journey which began at noon hour on April 10, 1912, was finally drawing to a close as the Carpathia slowly worked her way to the side of Pier 54 in New York harbor. It was now Thursday evening, April the 18th, at 9:30. Twenty-two hundred and twenty-three people had excitedly started the journey of a lifetime which was now ending as a never-to-be-forgotten nightmare. Only seven hundred and five were arriving safely in New York City. An iceberg and the cold Atlantic had claimed more than fifteen hundred who were aboard the largest, fastest and most glamorous ship yet to be built.
Much to the annoyance of the families of the survivors and the New York press, no news had been received from the Carpathia as she sailed westward. Captain Rostron had chosen to keep his wireless free for emergency messages only. But now the truth of the Titanic’s tragedy would soon be known. Thousands had waited from early morning to welcome loved ones. Others had come hoping that what they feared was not true and that their family members would be aboard the rescue ship.
The first to disembark were the surviving members of the Titanic’s first-class passengers. Despair was written on every face. Carefully descending the gangway and into the well-lit reception area were Mrs. J. B. Thayer and her seventeen-year-old son. When asked for her comments by an overzealous reporter, she replied, “It was the most awful thing that anyone could conceive.”
Most of the passengers were able to walk down the gangway, but some were carried. Among the latter group was Harold Bride, the twenty-one-year-old Second Wireless Operator. He, with Chief Operator Jack Phillips, had valiantly stayed at their posts sending out distress calls until the cold sea water had invaded the wireless room. When Bride had been able to leave the Titanic and was in the sea, he climbed on top of the overturned Collapsible B with several others. During the hours of exposure to the near-freezing water and the night breeze, his feet were frozen, and it was now necessary for two strong men to carry him from ship to shore.
As more and more disembarked, the excitement rose and shrieks of delight were heard as loved ones were spotted in the growing crowd. All, however, did not experience the thrill of greeting family or friends. Small groups here and there sobbed when dear ones failed to appear and hopes of seeing them again were dashed forever.
For days since the tragedy had been announced to a disbelieving world, newsboys had cried, “Extra, Extra” and sold bits of unreliable news. Large posters at the newsstands announced, “TITANIC DISASTER. GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.” Newspapers of the day carried what little news there was available and when it was in short supply, they made up their own stories. The day following the sinking, the New York Times published what it described as a “Partial List of the Saved.” Eventually on May 12, 1912, the White Star’s final list of “Saved and Lost” was issued. Its publication was so final. Those saved numbered 720 and the Lost 1503. None of the lost ever expected to appear on such a list. Sadly, many who begin the journey of life never expect to be lost for eternity. Think about it. You and I began life’s journey the moment we were born, and it is a journey that will eventually be terminated with our arrival at one of two destinations, either heaven or hell. In the case of the Titanic’s passengers, those who failed to arrive in New York didn’t because of a bad decision and the rejection of numerous warnings. During our journey of life, the way of salvation and the way to heaven have been learned. When salvation’s message is believed, that all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and that Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3), we become possessors of eternal life.
Our safe arrival in heaven is assured. But if we reject the message, as the warnings to the Titanic were rejected, we make the wrong decision and will be lost forever.
The list of the Saved and the Lost issued by the White Star Line was unalterable. There was no in between position or possibility of moving from the List of the Lost to the List of the Saved. The finality of God’s list of the Saved and the Lost is also unalterable. Speaking of those two categories of people, Jesus said in John’s gospel, chapter three and verse thirty-six, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.” As you read of those who journeyed on the Titanic, I pray you will apply these thoughts to your journey through life. Realizing you are lost to God, and that if you continue that way you will be lost for eternity, decide now to trust the only One who can save and assure you of a safe arrival in heaven when your journey of life is over. The Apostle Peter said in Acts 4 and verse twelve, “Neither is there salvation in any other (than the Lord Jesus Christ).”
Eva Hart was only seven years old when she walked down the gangway with her mother that rainy night of April 18, 1912. They had left a husband and father on the Titanic. It seemed only wise to return to England as soon as possible, and they did. In later life and after a successful career in Social Work, Eva Hart emphatically said, “A long time has gone by since the sinking and many things have happened in the world, but I do feel that the 1,500 people who died that night must remain in our memories as a perfect example of man’s arrogance. And this will go on...people will think they have invented something more perfect...like a ship that wouldn’t sink. We’ve got to be reminded that is not so—and I think the Titanic will always be the biggest reminder of all.”
As an adult, Eva Hart knew human nature and spoke of “man’s arrogance.” Mankind is still arrogant when it comes to accepting God’s simple plan of free and everlasting salvation. Men would sooner attempt to gain heaven on their own merits and adhering to their own foundationless philosophy than believing on the Lord Jesus Christ who came from heaven and wants to take repentant sinners there, as He said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”
Many were the never-to-be-forgotten dramas that would unfold on Pier 54 that wet night, and they would happen to those in every stratum of society. The wealthy Mrs. John Jacob Astor who, like Mrs. Hart, had said good-bye to her husband on the sloping deck of the doomed vessel, was met by Vincent Astor with two cars and two doctors. Mrs. Widener was met by a train, as was Mrs. Charles Hays. However, many of the steerage class were far less fortunate. Many were immigrants arriving in the United States for the first time. They had no family members in the crowd of 30,000 to meet them. Fortunately, the authorities had thought of these unknown and unnamed arrivals who had been given third class treatment as the Titanic sank. In the reception area, and clearly identified, were members of various nationality groups. Many of the arrivals had arrived with some of their families missing, but much to their surprise they were spoken to in their own language, given a welcome, some clothes and a place to stay.
Sadly, at the end of life’s journey all families will not be complete. I pray that when that day arrives all members in your family will be together to enjoy eternity. In retrospect, space was available in the 16 lifeboats, but some of the lost had been denied entry. Thankfully, none are denied entry into heaven, if they are prepared to come God’s way. For Jesus said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).
To this day, the disposal of the Titanic’s boats remains an unsolved mystery. They were left by the Carpathia at the White Star Lines Pier before she docked at Pier 54, but their final disposition will likely never be known. It has been assumed that they found their way on to the decks of other White Star liners, as they had only been used once and in some cases not even filled.
At Pier 54 a variety of emotions was evident as loved ones were greeted by family members with cries of joy and others sobbed out their grief for those who had been claimed by the Titanic and the Atlantic.
Shock waves from the Titanic disaster were far reaching, as they touched every level of society, from the world’s leading business tycoons to the unknown man on the street.
In a fitting cablegram to President Taft, King George of Great Britain stated: “The Queen and I are anxious to assure you and the American nation of the sorrow which we experienced at the terrible loss of life that occurred among the American citizens, as well as my own subjects, by the foundering of the Titanic. Our two countries are so intimately allied by the ties of brotherhood that any misfortunes which affect the one must affect the other, and on the present terrible occasion they are both equal sufferers.”
“George R. and I.”
President Taft’s reply read:
“In the presence of the appalling disaster of the Titanic, the people of the two countries are brought into a community of grief through common bereavement. The American people share in the sorrow of their kinsmen beyond the sea. On behalf of my countrymen, I thank you for your sympathetic message.”
“William H. Taft.”
The Ship That Won't Sink
Although the Titanic is gone, her memory is very much alive. From April 15, 1912, when the unsinkable sank, many books have been written, movies produced, and theories advanced as to what might have happened to avert the Titanic Tragedy. The statement is often made, “If only.” If only additional precautions had been taken. If only other materials had been used. If only more time had been available. If only rescue ships had come more quickly. Many are the never-to-be-answered questions.
It was seventy-four years after the Titanic had taken her fatal plunge that Dr. Robert Ballard and his scientific expedition found the Titanic’s grave. Under his expert leadership, with the aid of a mini-submarine named Alvin, the use of extremely bright lights and super-sensitive cameras, he learned some answers that had been hidden for decades. Within his tiny submarine, he and his two fellow crew members methodically crisscrossed the wreckage and photographed it from every conceivable angle. His photographs have greatly contributed to our knowledge of the Titanic’s descent and demise.
On the memorable night of April 14, 1912, when Mr. Andrews, the ship’s designer, reported its damage, Captain Smith was informed that a lengthy gash along the starboard side had opened the first six of the ship’s fifteen watertight compartments to the sea. However, Ballard’s observations noted it appeared the collision had caused many of the rivets holding the thick hull plates together to pop, thus letting the ocean water do its deadly work.
When boarding the luxurious liner in Southampton, most felt she was perfectly safe. None dared think that the much-acclaimed one-inch-thick double hull would ever be pierced or broken by an iceberg. Journeying through life, many trust the salvation of their eternal soul to the unsafe philosophies and practices of men. The Bible, God’s infallible Word, states in 1 Timothy 2:5, “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Jesus alone can save, keep and assure poor self-confessed sinners of an eternal home in heaven. If men and their philosophies could design effective plans of salvation, why was it necessary for the God of the universe to give His only Son to die on a cross outside Jerusalem? The answer is simple. There was no other way. To trust in any other person or plan conceived by men, is like trusting in that which is destined to sink eternally. God’s plan of salvation is not only for time, but also for eternity, and is found, among other places, in Acts 16:31, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
Many of those who dared to look at the Titanic as she slid beneath the surface of the sea stated she had gone to the bottom in one piece, but 17-year-old Jack Thayer insisted she broke in two. The bow section was the first to be claimed by the sea and then just before the stern section disappeared, she assumed an upright position for approximately a minute, before beginning her plunge to join the bow, and to settle more than 1,200 feet from it.
When Ballard and his colleagues examined the site, debris from both sections littered the ocean floor. Since 1912 when the unsinkable succumbed to 39,000 tons of sea water which invaded her massive hull, not a bone of 1,500 people who went down with the Titanic has been found. The one-inch thick steel hull is gradually disappearing as iron-eating microbes have consumed 20% of it. But some things remain, including a full set of dinnerware used in the first-class dining room. In addition, a jar of olives, a steward’s jacket, stock certificates, and love letters have been found. These, along with 300 other items, were recovered from the opulent liner between 1987 and 1994 and now form a part of a traveling exhibit.
IF ONLY
Since 1912 the question has been asked— “What would have happened if only there had been more lifeboats and if there had been an adequate number of lifeboat drills?” Interestingly, the number of lifeboats exceeded the number required by Marine Law. However, after the disaster, the law was rewritten to make it compulsory that every ship carry lifeboats which would have sufficient accommodation for all on board. If only it had been the case for the Titanic.
If only there had been a slight ripple on the water rather than a glassy sea on April 14. When watching for icebergs, a slight ripple would have provided an easy-to-see ribbon of white at the base of the icy giant. Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee would have more readily detected the iceberg, but danger was not evident until too late. If only the danger had been detectable. The danger of rejecting Christ as Savior is clearly stated to souls traveling to eternity. In Job 36:18 the Bible states, “Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with His stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.” Sadly, God’s eternal wrath awaits any who fail to heed the Bible’s warning.
If only binoculars had been provided Fleet and Lee as they kept their cold vigil in the crow’s nest, but there were none. It has been suggested that the huge black ice form would have been more readily recognizable and an earlier warning might have been sounded, saving many lives. It may have been different for lookout Reginald Lee when he climbed down from his perch from his ill-fated watch to be assigned to help fill lifeboats.
If only the distress calls had been heard and heeded by the operator aboard the nearby Californian, but just forty minutes before the impact he had been rebuffed by Phillips, the wireless operator on duty on the Titanic, and turning off his set had gone to his cabin. Being within ten miles of the Titanic, the Californian could have been at the scene much earlier than the Carpathia and a greater number of lives would no doubt have been saved. At 2:37 a.m., only 3 minutes before the Titanic took its plunge, Bride and Phillips removed their earphones, and with water entering the cabin went on deck. All lifeboats had left, so they swam in the icy waters to an overturned lifeboat and clung to it for safety. Of the two devoted men, Bride lived, but Phillips died.
If only the Californian had heard and responded to the call for help. Through more than 19 centuries, millions have called in their distress of sin to the Savior who saves. In Romans 10 and verse 13, the Apostle Paul says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” His “wireless set” is never turned off. His ear is always open to the cry of a repentant sinner. Send your call to Him today.
If only the six warnings of ice in the area which the Titanic had received had been heeded and the Captain had ordered the ship to reduce speed, as the Californian had done. Hopefully, the collision would not have been so severe. But that order was never given.
If only Captain Smith had given greater direction during the final two hours and forty minutes of the ship’s life. It has been suggested that he could have given greater leadership, as the ship’s master, during its final 160 minutes of life as the “unsinkable ship.”
If only some of the lifeboats had returned for some of the hundreds who had fallen into the frigid water from the ever-slanting decks, then a greater number would have been rescued. There were frantic screams from those in the freezing darkness, but none of the boats returned, fearing they would be swamped by a large number attempting to climb into them. That is certainly not the case with the Lord Jesus Christ. He clearly states in Matthew 11:28 “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
If only the stricken ship had begun its turn to port earlier than the 37 seconds which followed the warning from the crow’s-nest.
If only the 101-ton rudder that stood six stories high had more quickly directed the Titanic clear of the unyielding iceberg. For the 2,200 aboard, the warnings had been received, but carelessly ignored. Now the super-ship, in these final moments, was unable to avoid a deadly collision. God in heaven has a warning for all who refuse His warning note. In Proverbs 1:24, 26, He said, “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded ... I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh.”
If only this vessel of greatness had struck the iceberg head on, it is possible less damage would have resulted. The bow would, no doubt, have been seriously damaged and several hundred would have died, but it is felt fewer watertight compartments would have been opened to the sea and fewer aboard would have died. The unsinkable ship may not have sunk.
If only the steel used in the massive hull had been of higher quality. Tests conducted by retired metallurgy professor, Phil Leighly, of the University of Missouri at Rolla, have proven the steel used was brittle and almost certainly permitted the ship to snap in two and to sink earlier than it would have had superior steel been used. The fracture inflicted in the portion of the ship is now 45 feet below the ocean floor. William Garzke, a naval architect who investigates ship accidents, feels the Titanic did not suffer a 300-foot gash, but that “the brittle steel may have had some role to play in the punctures that let the sea water in to flood the Titanic.” He feels popped rivets that allowed the steel hull plates to open and buckle were more likely the culprits.
If only these and other events had not happened, the Titanic may not have become the legend it has and 1,500 lives may not have been claimed by the North Atlantic.
It is so unfortunate to look back and say, “If only.” I sincerely pray that no reader of the “Titanic Tragedy” will ever look back over time from eternity and say, “If only” I had accepted the Lord Jesus as my Savior in life when He said to me from John 3 and verse 16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Before you close this book, believe that when the Lord Jesus Christ died for sinners, He died for you. You will then know for certain the truth of the Gospel according to John chapter three and verses seventeen and eighteen. There we read: “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”