Titanic: The Beginning of the End

Countless articles, movies, books, you name it, it‘s been done or thought of when it comes to the legend of the Titanic. The reason for writing this article is not to be added to the very long list of those who have profited from the disaster.

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This article is to pay homage to all the classes who have periled from one of the disasters that the world can’t forget nor should it. One of the many lessons we must learn, from the unfortunate incident, is to take nothing for granted. One moment you can be on the world’s safest ship, the next, you’re kissing your loved ones good bye only to become number on the long list of souls who never made it to their final destination or to their brave new world called America. No matter how many hours or the best people we get to make anything safer, there will always be room for error. The only thing we can do is learn from the disasters so their deaths won’t be a total loss. It was on this day 98 years ago (but not at the time you are reading this unless you are reading this at 10:25 p.m.) that wireless operator Jack Goodwin at Cape Race, Newfoundland, said the words that made the world cry "My God, Gray, the Titanic has struck a berg!" On April 14 Walter Gray, Jack Goodwin and Robert Hunston were serving at the Marconi Company wireless station at Cape Race, 400 miles west of Titanic. After the first distress call, Robert Hunston started this message log. April 14th 10:25 p.m. (EST) J.C.R. Goodwin on watch hears Titanic calling C.Q.D. giving position 41.44 N 50.24 W about 380 miles SSE of Cape Race.10:35 p.m. Titanic gives corrected position as 41.46N 50.14W. A matter of five or six miles difference. He says "have struck iceberg.” 10:40 p.m.Titanic calls Carpathia and says "We require immediate assistance.” Gray on duty.10:43 p.m. Titanic gives same information to Californian, giving Titanic's position.10:45 p.m. Caronia circulates same information broadcast to Baltic and all ships who can hear him RH on duty.10:55 p.m. Titanic tells German steamer "Have struck iceberg and sinking.” 11:00 p.m. Titanic continues calling for assistance and giving position.11:25 p.m. Establish communication with Virginian here and give him all information re: Titanic, telling him to inform captain immediately. OK.11:36 p.m. Olympic asks Titanic which way latter steering. Titanic replies "We are putting women off in boats.” 11:55 p.m. Virginian says he is now going to assistance Titanic. Titanic meanwhile continues circulating position calling for help. He says weather is calm and clear. The British ship RMS Titanic sank at 2.20 a.m. on April 15th 1912. The last survivor of the Titanic died less than a year ago on May 31, 2009. Miss Elizabeth Gladys Dean was just two months old when the ship sank. The 97-year-old Dean died of pneumonia on the morning of the 31, the 98th anniversary of the Titanic’s launch at a home care in Ashurst, Hampshire. On Oct. 24, 2009, her cremated remains were scattered from a launch at the docks in Southampton where the Titanic set sail. Whether it’s a 1912 ship disaster or Sept.11, 2001 if we do not learn from these disasters (along with many others) and change our world for a safer and better tomorrow then all who have perished have died for nothing. We have indeed learned to become safer and the Titanic will continue to sail in place we call It’s Our History, Our Country. Quick facts: The Titanic was 882 feet and eight inches long (268 meters) and weighed over 46,000 tons. The ship was approximately 11 stories high. The majority of the ship was painted with a glossy black, while the hull trim was painted white. The exact number of survivors tends to vary, however the most common reported number is 705. 1517 people lost their life on the Titanic. Among the dead were: 130 first-class passengers, 166 second-class passengers, 536 third-class passengers, 685 crew members It cost $7,500,000 to build the Titanic. Today it would cost an estimated $400,000,000. titanic.gov.ns.ca titanic-facts.com titanic-nautical.com