Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1912-04-24
WHERE. THE TITANIC MET HER FATE.

other. This is what the survivors had
to face. IL
While cowardly men were fighting
to get into the boats to save. them
selves, a score Of fearless women re-
manned steadfastly at the sides OF
their husbands and refused to be
saved. These went down into the
trough OF the sea-, defying death for
love.
From the steamship Bruce, bound
for Sydney, earlier in the day3came 4
report.
The Bruce obtained its story OF the
disaster from wireless messages
picked up from several OF the ships
which had been in closest touch with
the last hours Of the mammoth White
Star steamship and which afterward
We're in the zone OF communication
with the Bruce's apparatus.
When the Titanic struck the noun
tain Of Ice that sent 1t to the bottom
within four hours after the impact, it
was steaming at the rate OF 18&knots
IN hour. The shock almost demol-
ished the proud vessel, which its build
ers had believed nothing could mas
ter.
Hitting the impenetrable ice mass
fairly with its towering bows. the ship
al rent asunder at the first blow.
It's decks n ripped and torn; its
sides and bulkheads were split and
shattered as with the hammer OF some
Titan from the bow to a point almost
amidships.
Some Of Boats Wrecked
It's upper works and some OF its
boats were s%plintered, while q shower
Of debris from its spars fell upon the
decks like giant hail. Though the
ship had struck the monster obstruc-
ton head-on, as It's bow rose clear OF
the water. smashed to an unrecogniza-
BILE mass Of bent and shivered steel,
the vessel listed heavily to port and
threatened to turn turtle before the
frecoil slide OF what was left or its
proud form back to an even KEEL
The Titanic had forced its giant
bulk away up on q submerged spur OF
the iceberg, a phenomenon which is
not infrequent in the most disastrous
collisions with these ghostllke senti-
nels of the banks.
In mounting upon the jagged ice
spur and In sliding back from its posi-
ton the ship had torn out many OF
its bottom plates from the midships
section forward to the bow.
Ship Goes Down by Head.
AS a result Its compartments from
amidships forward were speedily,
flooded. They took in water at a rate
that defied the efforts Of the pumps
and the ship began to settle by the
head, listing heavily to port and roll
Ing in the trough OF the sea as it be-
came gradually disengaged from the
ice, many tons of which had fallen
upon its upper decks and contributed
to the demolition and confusion.
The force OF the blow had been SO
that the vast ship wa
started in its every joint and every
thing movable Throughout its superb
OF luxurious cabins and
saloons was tossed into heaps like dis
carded junk.
6C0ul0AoAlp ~ AAu y.3 uASeS
prevailed and It did what little
might be done as we'll as dauntless
could do it. Every officer and
man leaped to his post, while Captain
Smith. megaphone in hand, beloved
his orders over the rolling hulk that
an hour before had been the proudest
ship ip Christendom. Sufncient order
maintained to launch safely most
Of the boats, the greater number OF
which had remained seaworthy, de-
spite the ordeal through which they
had passed.
Within less than an hour after the
doomed queen Of the ocean fleets had
struck 1t had settled SO fast that the
water had flooded its engine rooms
and then its wireless apparatus went
out OF commission. At the same time
The failing OF its dynamos extinguished
It's electric lighting system, and the
craft was plunged into
Stygian darkness except for such fee /
lie CLEANS as were afforded by the use
If torches and lanterns.