Titanic Words of the Titanic

100 years ago on April 10th 1912 the Titanic set sail the Titanic the largest ship the world had ever seen and her end was the greatest maritime disaster known I felt a sudden vibrating jar runs with the ship then and not until then did I realize the horror of an accident scene these are the stories of the ships passengers and crew in their own words I was in a whirlpool of water swirling round and round as I still try to cling to the railing as the ship plunged to the depths below beautiful Titanic gone to her doom in this film diaries letters and memoirs are set to dramatic reconstruction and images of the time to evoke the spirit of Titanic's fateful voyage in 1912 the two richest and most powerful cities in the world New York and London were linked by the world's most important shipping now a new ship had been launched but was equal to their wealth and status the ship was being fitted out in this Belfast drydock when her officers came to join her amongst them was Charles Lightoller it is difficult to convey any idea of the size of a ship by the touch I think when he could actually walk miles along decks on passages it took me 14 days before I could with confidence find my way from one part of that ship to another by the shortest route for Lightoller the Titanic was a promotion and he had the honor of conducting her sea trials everybody's admiration of the ship increased for the way she behaved for the total absence of vibration for her steadiness on April the 2nd Titanic left for Southampton there a full complement of 900 crew joined the ship they came from all walks of life one stewardess was 24 year old violet Jessop the daughter of Irish immigrants who had moved to London in search of work everything struck us as wonderful about this second new ship Titanic it was there for like a big expectant family that we joined her even Jenny the ship's cat and part of the crew had immediately picked herself a comfortable corner we infused over the novel idea of small private decks for the best Suites the superb lace bedspreads we each had in our sections we marveled at the masterpieces of wood carvers art from Ireland and Holland Julie there was nothing missing to satisfy the long list of distinguished names on the first-class passenger list on April the 10th passengers joined Titanic for her maiden voyage Lawrence Beesley was a public school science teacher on his first foreign trip he paid 13 pounds the equivalent of a thousand pounds today for a second class cabin inspected the various decks dining saloons and libraries and so extensive were they that it is no exaggeration to say that it was quite easy to lose one's way on such a ship we wandered casually into the gymnasium on the boat deck and were engaged in bicycle exercise when the instructor came in with two photographers and insisted on our remaining there while his friends as we thought at the time made a record for him of his apparatus in use it was only later that we discovered that they were the photographers of one of the Illustrated London papers we went to board and found our cabin it's most beautifully fitted in white pink shines like a mirror and the rest is mahogany with silver-plated fittings we have two hanging wardrobes several drawers in fact plenty of space for everything Titanic had 1300 passengers there were 700 in third class or steerage 280 in second class and 325 in first class one of them was Colonel Archibald Gracey a New Yorker returning home after spending the winter in the South of France his ticket cost 29 pounds around 3,000 today's money even the wealthy Gracey found Titanic extravagant pleasure and comfort which all of us enjoyed upon this floating palace with its extraordinary provisions for such purposes seemed an ominous feature to many of us including myself who felt it almost too good to last without some terrible retribution inflicted by the hand of an angry omnipotence my husband had a strange premonition at Southampton as we entered the big gate leading to the pier he turned back suddenly and his face went white what is it I asked oh nothing he said later he told me he felt something was going to happen at midday titanic's that say before she even left the harbor there was a brush with disaster as she moved from the dock Titanic's huge size created a current which nearly caused a smaller ship to collide with her to the casual observer the whole incident would have been just a thrill perhaps not much more even though they had been a collision that for us would have been something deeper a ship can hate her men then she frequently becomes known as a killer for three days Titanic steamed westwards into the North Atlantic covering more than 500 miles in a day I enjoyed myself as if I were in a summer palace on the seashore surrounded with every comfort there was nothing to indicate or suggests that we were on the stormy Atlantic Ocean emotions ooh ship and the noise of its machinery was scarcely discernible on deck or in the salons either day or night my dear mom and dad it doesn't seem possible we're out on the briny writing to you so far we're having a delightful trip the weather is beautiful and the ship magnificent is like floating town I was up early before breakfast and met the professional racquet player and a half hours warming up repair Ettore for a swim in the six-foot deep tack of salt water heated to a refreshing temperature in no swimming baths and I ever enjoyed such pleasure it was all so happy and peaceful if the Sun did failed to shine so brightly on the fourth day out and of a little cold nip crept into the air as the evening set in it only served to emphasize the warmth and luxurious nests within grey skies replaced sunshine but the calm sea continued the calmness that only the ocean knows perfect serenity for miles the change in the weather troubled few passengers with messages from other ships warned the crew of unusual sea conditions ahead on Sunday morning April 14th this marvelous ship the perfection of all vessels hitherto conceived by the brain of man had for 3 and 1/2 days proceeded on her way from Southampton to New York over a sea of glass so level it appeared I can look back and see every detail of the library that afternoon the beautifully furnished room with lounges armchairs and small writing or card tables scattered about night fell at 20 minutes to midnight Titanic was steaming west of 20 knots a thousand miles from the American coast they came what seemed to me nothing more than an extra heave of the engines and a more than usually obvious dancing motion the mattress on which I said nothing more than there no sound of a crash or anything else no sense of shock no jar that felt like one heavy body meeting another I was just ready for the Land of Nod when I felt a sudden vibrating jar runs of the ship it was not by any means of violent concussion that's just a distinct and unpleasant break in the monotony of her motion Titanic slowed and stopped to most of her passengers and crew there was no further sign there was anything amiss at midnight on April the 15th 1912 the Titanic has stopped unexpectedly in the middle of the North Atlantic such a biting cold air poured into my stateroom that I could not sleep and the air had so strange an odor as if it came from a clammy cave I've always loved both day and night on shipboard and I'm never fearful of anything but now I was nervous about the icy air I jumped out of bed slipped on a dressing-gown over my pajamas put on my shoes and went out of the cabin into the hall near the saloon here was a Stuart leaning against the staircase and I said why have we stopped I don't know sir he replied I don't suppose is anything much well I said I'm going on deck to see what it is and started towards the stairs he smiled indulgently as I passed him and said all right sir but it's mighty cold up there my friend was by this time dressed pretending to eat a sandwich her hands shook so that the bread kept parting company from the chicken and I saw she was frightened and for the first time I was to the fourth officer Boxhall opened my door and seeing me awake quietly said with his nice berg I replied I know you've hit something he then said is up to f deck in the mail room that was quite sufficient not another blood past an officer's cat past the door I asked is there an accident or danger of any kind none so far as I know was his courteous answer spoken quietly most kindly this same officer entered a cabin a little distance down the companionway and by this time distrustful of everything I listened intently and distinctly heard we can keep the water out for a while then and not until then did I realize the horror of an accident at sea through the windows of the smoking-room we saw a game of cards going on with several onlookers I went in to inquire if they knew more than we did one of them had seen through the windows an iceberg go by towering above the decks general impression is we had just scraped the iceberg with a glancing blow on the starboard side they had stopped as a wise precaution one of the planners pointing to his glass of whiskey standing at his elbow said just run along the deck and see if any ice has come aboard I would like some for this when he spoke the forward deck was covered with ice there was about two feet of ice lying in the scuppers on the starboard side it was very bright overhead and there was a tremendous number of stars but there was also a slight mist on the water I did not stay on the top deck long as I did not regard things as serious we all thought she was unsinkable at five minutes past midnight on April the 15th Titanic sent out a distress call require assistance position 41 degrees 46 minutes north 50 degrees 14 minutes west struck iceberg Titanic a watchman came and said All Hands in the saloon that was the first order and while we were getting ready the second steward came down and said everyman get on deck at once put on warm clothing and lifeboats good faithful old Stanley one of my bedroom stewards came knocking at the door his face whiter than usual as he remarked casually I'm calling on all our people sister he always addressed me as sister when we were alone anything you'd like me to do for you on my way you know the ship is sinking sinking of course Titanic couldn't be sinking what nonsense she is so perfect so new yet now she was so still so inanimate put on some underclothing sat on the sofa and read for some ten minutes when I heard a loud shout from above all passengers on deck with lifebelts on shepherded by the crew passengers began streaming up from below deck the rule women and children first was to be strictly enforced my mother dressed me and took me by the hand and led me upstairs I had a big dolly that I got to Christmas before and we were in such a hurry that I left it behind I cried for my dolly but we couldn't go back I had returned to my room when I saw Stanley at the door again watching me he almost shouted as he seized my arm my god don't you realize that the ship will sink that she's struck an iceberg that you have to follow the rest upstairs as quickly as possible I tied on a borrowed scarf locked the door and called out so long Stan come up soon yourself won't you halfway up I looked down and waved to stand he was standing with his arms clasped behind him in the corner where he usually came his evening watch he suddenly looked very tired we passed by the palm room where two short hours before me he's listened to a beautiful concert he's happy laughing men and women constantly passing up and down those broad strong staircases how different are those staircases now no laughing throng but on either side quietly bravely the stewards all equipped with a white ghostly life preservers few passengers yet believed that Titanic could sink there's no panic or hysteria no cries of fear no running to and fro to discover what was a matter all the time people were pouring up from us tears and adding to the crowd Titanic says tell captain we are putting the passengers off in small boats ask the Titanic what weather he had he says Carmen clear our distance from Titanic five hundred and five miles out of Titanic's 2,200 passengers and who ships 20 lifeboats only had room for a thousand women and children were loaded first I helped in the loading of two boats lowered from the deck above it was now that the band began to play and continued while the boats were being lowered we consider this a wise provision tending to allay excitement it was not one woman who shed tears or gave any sign of fear or distress that was not a man at this quarter of the ship who indicated desire to get into the boats and escape with the women there was not a member of the crew whose shirt all left his post the coolness courage and sense of duty that I here witnessed made me thankful to God and proud of my anglo-saxon race that gave this perfect and superb exhibition of self control at this hour of severus trial we went onto the boat deck where women were already getting to lifeboats my father helped us into a lifeboat and then turned away that was the last I ever saw of him I saw him standing there with his back towards us he never turned round for us to see him the awful goodbyes the quiet look of hope and the brave men's eyes the wives were put into the lifeboats and others said we should all put on life preservers I'm a Martha put one on me and fastened one around herself / pilot one on - I was crying my dolly but no one could go back and get her then someone said but she'd all get in boats and then my father lifted me up and put me in a boat between one boat being lowered away and the next boat being prepared I usually nipped along to have a look down the very long emergency staircase leading to wreck from the boat deck and acetic to gauge and speed with which the waters rising that cold creamed crawling its ghostly way of that staircase was a sight that stumped itself indelibly on my memory Titanic's passengers still had no idea what lay ahead for him but her crew now knew the ship was doing two hours after Titanic hit the iceberg it was clear that the ship would soon sink in the rush the remaining lifeboats often left half for our lifeboat with 36 in it began lowering to the sea this was a done amid the greatest confusion rough seamen all giving different orders no officer aboard as only one side of the ropes worked the lifeboat at one time was in such a position that it seemed winners capsized in midair I went to fill up boat 13 and got about 35 women and children into it we shouted for more women but there were none forthcoming we had a few first-class male passengers in an officer ordered two of us to get in and help row the boat and I happened to be one of the fortunate ones to be ordered in my arm was suddenly jerked and I turned to see young Mason who had been busy filling a boat his face looked weary and tired but he gave a bright smile as he ordered my group into the boat calling out good luck as we stepped in helped by his willing guiding hand then young Mason hailed me and held something up calling as he prepared to throw it look after this will you and I reached out to receive somebody's forgotten baby in my arms the report went round the men on the top deck the starboard side that men were to be taken off on the portside it was acted on by almost all the men leaving a starboard side almost deserted I can personally think of no decision arising from reason thought that induced me to remain rather than to cross over almost immediately after this I heard a cry from below of anymore ladies and looking over the edge of the deck saw a lifeboat the boat was almost full and just about to be lowered the call for ladies was repeated twice again but apparently there were none to be found just then one of the crew looked up and saw me looking over any ladies on your deck he said no I replied then you better jump i sat on the edge dropped and fell in the boat near the stern Lawrence Beesley was one of only 14 out of 168 second-class male passengers who made it into the lifeboats only loud at the lucky few in the boats realize the magnitude of what was happening imagine a ship nearly 1/6 of a mile long there hundreds of portholes all her saloons and other rooms brilliant with light and all around her little boats filled with those who until a few hours before had trod her decks and red in her libraries and listened to the music of her band in happy content and who are now looking up in amazement at the enormous mass above them and rowing away from her because she was sinking I started unconsciously to count the decks by the rows of lights one two three four five I stopped surely I had miscounted I went over them again more carefully hushing the whimpering baby meanwhile know I've made no mistake there were only five decks now then I started all over again only four now the sea level and the rows of lights should have been parallel should never have met and now they met at an angle inside the black hull of the ship there was nothing else to indicate she was injured nothing but the apparent violation of that simple geometrical law fifteen hundred people remained on board with no hope of escape when I first saw and realized that every lifeboat had left the ship this sensation felt was not an agreeable one the ship - the slights but definites plunge probably a bulkhead would and the sea came rolling up in a way over the steel fronting bridge along the deck below us washing the people banging dreadful other those that didn't disappear under the water right away instinctively started to clamber up that part of the deck still out of the water and work their way towards the stern which was rising steadily out of the water as the bow went down it was a sight that doesn't bear dwelling on there were women in the crowd as well as men and they seem to be steerage passengers who had just come up from the decks below and you only too well the utter futility of following that driving instinct of self-preservation and struggling up towards the stern it would only be postponing the plunge and prolonging the agony even lessening ones already slim chances by becoming one of the crowd there was only one thing to do and I might just as well do it and get it over so turning to the fore part of the bridge I took a header I was in a whirlpool of water is swirling round and round as a I still try to cling to the railing as the ship plunged to the depths below dah I went it seemed great distance on the book dick was a huge rectangular air shaft right to the bottom of the ship covered with a wire netting I suddenly found myself drawn held flat against this the pressure of the water just glued me there whilst the ship sank slowly below the surface although I struggled caped for all I was worth as impossible to get away for as fast as I pushed myself off I was irresistible dragged back every instant expecting the wire to go find myself shot down to the bowels half that I was drowning she tilted slowly up and there she remained motionless as she swung up her lace which had shown without a flicker all night went out suddenly came on again for a single flash then went out altogether and in this position she continued for some minutes I think as much as five minutes then first sinking back a little at the stern I thought she slid slowly forward through the water and died slightly down with a thundering roar of underwater explosions ah proud ship a beautiful Titanic gone to her doom she left us with something we would willingly forget forever something which it is not well to let the imagination dwell on the cries of many hundreds of our fellow passengers struggling in the ice-cold water a cry that called to the heavens with a very injustice of its own existence a cry that clamped for its own destruction amongst those sucked down by the ship was Charles Lightoller are still struggling and fighting when suddenly a terrific blast of hot air came up the shaft blew me right away from the air shaft and onto the surface the many around in the water by this time some swimming others mostly men thank God definitely drowning archibald Gracie was still being pooled on the water it was just then that the thought that this was my last moment came upon me I wanted to convey the news of how I had died to my loved ones at home as I swam beneath the surface of the ocean I prayed my spirit would go to them and say goodbye until we meet again in heaven to what extent my prayer was answered but mrs. Gracie described in her own words I was in my room at my sister's house where I was visiting in New York after retiring being unable to rest I I questioned myself several times over wondering what it was that prevented the peaceful slumber lately enjoyed what is the matter I uttered a voice in reply seemed to say on your knees and pray instantly I literally obeyed with my prayer book in my hand which by chance had opened at the prayer for those at sea underwater there came to me at a new lease of life and strength until finally I noticed by the increase of light that I was drawing near to the surface when my head at last rolls above the water I could see no Titanic inside 20 lifeboats carrying 700 survivors now floated on the empty freezing ocean when and if they would be rescued no one knew the sensational news the Titanic had hit an iceberg had been delayed by other ships back to America and Europe early reports were confused on Sunday the White Star liner Titanic came into collision with an iceberg and immediately flashed out wireless messages for help it was at length known that every soul was safe and that the vessel herself was proceeding to Halifax Nova Scotia towed by the Allen line of Virginia but Titanic at Sun at 2:20 a.m. on April the 15th leaving 700 survivors in lifeboats a thousand miles east of the American Coast we rode for around seven hours all the time I was frightened a whole lot and sometimes I cried I cried hardest when I thought of my journey back there in the water with nobody to mind it we keep it from getting wet as the faint streaks of dawn lit the horizon majestic shapes of icebergs like fairy castles crossed our vision passing in panoramic procession we saw what seemed to be two large fully raged sailing ships near the horizon in a few minutes more the light shone on them and they stood revealed as huge icebergs peaked in a way that already suggested a ship but help was on its way somebody woke from their lethargic state and pointed a trembling finger at a dark speck on the horizon a ship all night long I had heard a light each time it proved to be one of our other lifeboats someone lighting a piece of paper anything they could find to burn and now I could not believe someone found a newspaper it was lighted and held up and I looked up and saw a ship we were to be saved a straw hat was offered in mrs. Davidson's it would burn longer the ship was the Cunard liner Carpathia which had steamed over 300 miles in response to Titanic's distress call she now began picking up the frozen survivors one lifeboat at a time the lady pulled up just ahead of me was very large and I felt myself being jerked fearfully when I had someone say careful fellas she's a lightweight I bumped and bumped against the side of the ship and till I felt like a bag of meal as we reached the deck glasses of neat brandy were poured down our throats it went down like molten fire while I stood still clutching the baby in my frozen arms a woman rushed up snatched the child and ran away with it I did wonder why whoever its mother might be she had not expressed one word of gratitude for her baby's life then started the saddest search it has ever been my lot to witness alas so few were reunited lifeboats kept coming in and heart-rending was the site as Widow after widow was brought aboard each hope some lifeboat ahead of hers might bought her husband safely to this waiting vessel but always though we had to sleep on the floor on the new ship and it wasn't so nice as it was on the Titanic but everyone was very kind to us we thought papaya would be there but the boat he was on didn't get to the ship with the survivors picked up Carpathia term for New York deeply regret advise you Titanic sank this morning 15 after collision iceberg resulting serious lost life everything possible being done for comfort of survivors please maintain standby in New York anxious relatives perceived two white stars offices for news of their loved ones the White Star officials now admit that probably only 675 out of 2,200 passengers on board the Titanic have been saved limited radio communication made it difficult to get accurate information at 8 o'clock my sister mrs. deliverer Dutton came softly to the door newspaper in hand to gently break the tragic news that the Titanic had sunk and showed me a list of only 20 names saved but my husband's name was not included I could only pray for strength unlaid of that day believing myself a widow why I wrote to my daughter who was in the care of our housekeeper and servants in our Washington home cannot you see your father and his tenderness for women and children helping them all and then going down with the ship Archibald Gracey had sunk with the ship after surviving minutes underwater he'd come to the surface beside an upturned lifeboat along with a handful of other men Gracie had spent the whole night standing on it's upside down off sunken hull the situation was a desperate one and was only saved by the refusal of the crew especially those at the stern of the boat to take aboard another passage a Charles Lightoller had also been in this up to work now one was in a condition to help and the fact that a slight but distinct swell that starts to roll up rendered help from the still-living an impossibility but they too have been rescued by the Carpathia there were a round total of 711 saved out of 2201 on board 1,500 of all ranks and classes had gone to their last count apart from four junior officers ordered away in charge of boats I found I was the solitary survivor of over fifty officers and engineers who went down with her after two days Carpathia reached New York the exhausted survivors were unprepared for the reception that awaited them surrounded by tugs of every kind from which as well as from every available building near the river magnesium bones were shot off by photographers my reporter shouted for news of the disaster and photographs of the passengers the Carpathia drew slowly to her station at the Kunar pier the gangways were pushed across and we set foot at last on American soil very thankful grateful people ships were sent to scour the ocean for more survivors they found only the bodies of the 1500 who died their mass burial at sea was described in the diary of one young sailor Frederic Hamilton 51 we've taken on board today two children three women and 46 men still see seems true for nearly an hour the words for as much as it hath pleased Almighty God to take himself songs of our dead brother here departed we therefore commit his body to the deep I repeated and at each interval comes splash the weighted body plunges into the sea let's sink to a depth of about two miles Squatch splash it's clashed many survivors found it hard to put the sinking behind them second officer Charles Lightoller career was blighted by the association with Titanic he was passed over for promotion and eventually left White Star Line he died in 1952 Elizabeth shoots remainder governess and died unmarried in 1949 Lawrence Beesley went back to work as a school teacher and died in 1967 violet Jessop like all of the crew at her pace stopped from the moment of the sinking she joined another white star steamer and died in 1971 Archibald Gracey was reunited with his wife but soon after he fell ill and just eight months after the sinking he died aged only 53 even the most hardened must reflect hopes and fears the dismay ER despair those whose nearest and dearest in support and pride have been wrenched from them by this tragedy here on YouTube II we move into our late late lineup just after 1:00 a.m. and taking us up to that we've highlights to the Aviva Premiership Rugby Union coming up next you

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Views: 424,237

Rating: 4.7339668 out of 5

Keywords: Titanic, Words, of, the, Titanic, thebox, e45

Id: KTGLWzuUY7s

Length: 46min 4sec (2764 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 22 2012

Reddit Comments

[u/thriftgirl82]

I thought I’d seen most Titanic docs but I’d never heard of this one - thanks so much for sharing!