TITANIC COLLISION WITH AN ICEBERG

COLLISION WITH AN ICEBERG – Great Liner’s Call for Assistance – PASSENGERS REPORTED DISEMBARKED – S.S. VIRGINIAN TO THE RESCUE

The huge White Star liner ‘Titanic’, the largest vessel afloat, while on her maiden voyage to New ‘fork, about 10.30 last night collided with an iceberg off Cape Race.

 

A wireless call was sent for assistance and other liners hastened to the spot.

 

According to a message from Halifax the damaged vessel was endeavouring to make for that port with pumps working at their utmost power and the lifeboats held ready. A Reuter message, however, states that the passengers were disembarked.  The liner Niagara has been slightly damage by also encountering ice.

 

MONTREAL MONDAY MORNING

A wireless message was received late last night from the Allan liner Virginian which railed from Halifax yesterday morning.  The Virginian reported that the huge White Star liner Titanic has struck an iceberg off Cape Race.  It is understood that the Virginian is now on the way to answer the wireless call for assistance on the way to answer the wireless call for assistance which was given by the liner and is prepared if necessary to take off the Titanic’s passengers.

 

The Allan line officials have received no further news but are expecting a message at any moment. – Central News.

 

NEW YORK, Monday. A Cape Race telegram received at 10.35 on Sunday evening says the Titanic reports she has struck an iceberg. Immediate assistance was required. Another message half an hour later stated that the Titanic was sinking by the head and that the women ace being taken off in lifeboats.

 

The liners Virginia, Olympic, and Baltic are hastening to the assistance of the Titanic.

 

The Virginia in 170 miles away, and the Baltic 2130. The Virginia’s operator says the last signals from the Titanic were blurred and ended abruptly.  Reuter.

 

NEW YORK, Monday. (Later.) A despatch from Halifax states that all the passenger of the Titanic had left the ship by 3.30 this morning.

The liners Carmania and Niagara encountered icefields in the Atlantic. The Niagara had two holes knocked in the bottom and several plates bent.  Reuter.

 

HALIFAX (Nova Scotia) Monday. A message just received states that the Titanic was still afloat at half-past eight, and her engines were working. She was crawling slowly in the direction of Halifax and towards the Virginian. It is further reported that the women and children aboard are in the lifeboats, which are ready to be lowered in a moment’s notice. but this will not be done until it in certain that the vessel is actually sinking. The weather continues to be clear and calm. The Titanic’s pumps are working at their upmost power. The forward holds are full, but the watertight might compartments are holding. There is good hope of the vessel making port. – Central News

 

NEW YORK, Monday.

A telegram from Cape Race, Newfoundland, states that the Titanic is sinking by the head, and the women and children are being put into the lifeboat. The weather is calm and clear. It is calculated that the Titanic struck the iceberg at about halt-past ten last night. – Central News.

 

The Central News was informed at the head offices of the White. Star Line in London this morning that no official information had been received there regarding the disaster which had overtaken the Titanic.  On learning of the accident front the papers, the managers immediately telephoned to the firm offices at Liverpool, but no information was to hand there.

 

NEW YORK, Monday Morning. Advices from Cape cod state that. the position of the Titanic when she struck the iceberg wan 41.46 north, 50.14 west.

 

At midnight. the Alan Liner, Virginian, was 170 miles distant, and she is expected to reach the Titanic early this morning.  The White Star 1.112C14 Olympic and Baltic are also hastening with all possible. speed to the leviathan’s assistance.

 

The last signals from the Titanic were received on board the Virginian at 12.27 this morning. The operator on board the Allan liner says the wireless message came over indistinctly and ended abruptly. The accident actually occurred at 25 minutes past ten. The message reporting that the vessel was sinking came about half an hour later. – Central News.

 

NEW YORK, Monday

Messages which are arriving here from Newfoundland with regard to the Titanic are reassuring in so far as they show a number of vessels are within call of the Virginian and the disabled leviathan. The Mauretania and Cincinnati are responding to the signal as well as the German liners Prinz Adalbert Amerika, Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm, and other smaller ships. Mr. A. S. Franklin, Vice- President of the International Mercantile Marine, in a statement this morning, says no message has been received reporting the accident, and if the collision has occurred the vessel is in no danger; since she is absolutely unsinkable there is no cause for serious anxiety. A wireless message which was. seat to the Virginian and other vessels in the vicinity of the disaster has failed up to the present to bring any responses. No news is expected for some hours. – Central News.

The Central News says:  rate of fifty guineas per lent is being quoted by underwriters this morning business in reference to the Titanic. In an interview a prominent underwriter in the city said: “Even if the vessel gets into port her owners will have to calculate on a loss of at least £150,000, but if she becomes a total less it will be a very serious matter for the company. The ship cost two million to build, and her hull valued for insurance purposes at a million sterling. Then there are all sorts of miscellaneous matters which have to be taken into account disbursements, passage money, freight (mostly paid in advance), stores, baggage, and other things. I do not suppose the owners are covered to the extent of more than a million and a quarter, or at the utmost a million and a half. So far as can be ascertained there is no specie on board the Titanic, but the Central News learns that the vessel was carrying a large number of valuable postal packets.

 

NEW YORK, Monday. 7 a.m.

The liner Carmania, which arrived yesterday, reported there was a huge icefield in the track of west-bound steamers, a thousand miles east of Sands Hook. Many of the icebergs were mountainlike in their hugeness. The French liner Niagara and other vessels have been damaged by the ice. An ominous, silence continues, and there has been no wireless message about the Titanic since half past four o’clock. – Central News.

 

NEW YORK, Monday.

Mr. Franklin, vice-president of the international Mercantile Marine, has issued the following statement: “We bare nothing direct from the ‘Manic, but are perfectly satisfied that the cosset is unsinkable. The feet that the Marconi messages have roamed means nothing; it may be due to atmospheric conditions, the coming up of the ships or something of that sort. We are not worried over the possible loss of the ship, as she will not go down, but we are sorry for the inconvenience cowed to the travelling public. We are absolutely certain that the Titanic is able to withstand any damage. She may be down by the head but would float indefinitely in that condition. We figure that the Virginian will be alongside the Titanic at ten o’clock this morning, the Olympia by three this afternoon, sad the Baltic by four o’clock” The Olympia which sent a wireless message.

 

The steamer “Titanic” it the largest vessel at present afloat and is a wonderful achievement of British shipbuilding.  She was built by the Irish firm of Messrs. Harland and Wolf, of which firm Lord Pirie is chairman and was launched from their yard at Belfast on the 31st of May 1911.  Since taking the water, just a little under a year ago she has been frequently referred to as a floating hotel and indeed when her gigantic dimensions are taken into account, this epithet is not at all out of place.

 

Recognised by experts to be the finest and most up to date liner in existence. this modern vessel has the same dimensions as her sister ship the Olympic – the latter ship it will be remembered, was in collision with a cruiser recently and suffered considerable damage happily above the water line – being 882 feet in length and 92 feet in breadth.  He gross tonnage however of 46,382 tons is 1,004 tons greater that the Olympic, while she has a displacement of about 66,000 tons.

 

The “Titanic” belongs to the White Star Line and is engaged on their passenger service between Southampton, Cherbourg, xxxxxx and New York.  The number of passengers carried by this giant liner is sufficient to populate a good-sized town, she is having accommodation for no fewer than 2,500 persons, with a crew of 860.  She is a triple screw vessel.

 

The Titanic although built both practically on the same lines as the Olympic, has nevertheless many new features, the chief of which is a gymnasium, Turkish bath, squash rackets court and swimming bath are all to be found, and as all have been installed in the Olympic, it may be naturally presumed that they have been appreciated by the public.  The propelling machinery consists of the same combination of reciprocating engines and turbines as is fitted in the Olympic.

The “Titanic” sailed on her maiden voyage from Southampton on Wednesday 10th April.

BNA ©  Retyped by Linda Taylor nee Staton