Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-17

+ November. 1898, her whereabouts a
the hour, and perhaps the very mo
known. AT that distance off the New
England coast, the whole story of he
impending fate would have beer
flashed to stations along the shore,
But when we consider these phase
of Mondays catastrophe, we are lex
to inquire: Where was the equipmen
of life boats that should have bcei
sufficient to have provided escape fol
all on board" Had it been Il buckles;
dred men, OF the Grand Banks. ",
should have expected. in such weather
as prevailed OFF the North Atlantic
| coast, Sunday night and Monday
morning, that all would have reached
shore in safety, And yet" the rctort
comes to us from searfaring men, 9TH,
chances of half a hundred experienced
seamcn, in such a disaster, are one
thousand fold better than are those OF
and fear maddened women and chill
dren."
on the other hand, the very conf
dence of these hundreds in the unslnk
able attributes of the gigantic craft
contained danger. Undoubtedly many
of those on board the Titanic felt that
their escape from the great ship with
their valuabes and personal belong
ings They knew that other steam
ships had been summoned and their
boats would soon be ready to take
them off, should danger ne imminent.
1t is within the realms of proba bility
that, up to the moment of the sinking
of the Titanic, many of those who
ent down with her were blissfully
ignorant of their impending fate.
The Titanic is said to have cost $40
900 900. and to have been insured for
half that sum. 1t is presumed that
these great steamship companies have
figured to a nicely the chances of gain
and loss in such a vast enterprise. on
the probability that this great steam
ship would live To carry hundreds of
thousands of people across the Allan
tic, they had based their chances of
profit. on the record of years. they
based their figures against disaster, for.
in decade. there has been no serious
disaster in the trans Atlantic pathway,
where steamers have carried 2,0Oa 900
people annually. In a record Of ten
years. Il is shown that more than 20, =
600 900 have been fcrrieG safely across
the Atlantic.
OF coarse the first demand when
civilization arouses from the stuperac-
ton caused by the disaster itself will
be to know the names of the rescued.
Eternally will spring the hope in the
breasts OF thousands Of relatives and
friends that others we're 1niraculously
saved in boats that have not yet been
reported: in boats that have been pick
ed up 10y ciaft steaming or sailing for
distant ports, and long months may
expire before friends will ACCEPT The
inevitable aud own to Themselves that
their loved ones are cntunbe in the
hull of the Titanic.
Five years ago Captain Smith. who
a short time ago was given command
of the new floating city, had declared
that the days of great ocean steam
ship disasters had passed. Yesterday
he went to his death in disaster be-
fore which all others in history pale.
Late dispatches. Tuesday, tell us
that the loss of life is something more
than 1900 and that it is probable many
American notdbles have persisted with
the others. In the hour when we turn
in horror from such a tragedy, we
know no difference between the multi
iillilDiidiFS allu the Httillbtl VI tue
crew. but in the names which figure
frequently in the rews of the day, some
of us feel a personal loss, even though
we are fortunate enough not to have
had friend among the victims. In the
passenger list Of the Ti.anic, we find
the names Of Mr.. and Mrs, John Jacob
Astor; Major Archibald Butt, aide 10
Presidep. Taft; Charles M. Hayes
president of the Grand Trunk system
OF Canada, with his wife and daughter:
w r. Stead. Benjamin Guggenhein,
+. ID. MiIlet, the artist, and j. C. Wild
ener, of Philadelphia; Mr.. and Mrs. Is
ador Strauss; j. b. Thayer. vice presi-
dent Of the Pennsylvania K. r.; j,
Bruce Ishay; Henry t. Harris the