Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-04-20
THRILLING DETAILS
OF TITANIC DISASTER
Many Women Rendered Temporarily
Insane by Horror.

! Wellfast, Mass, April 13.--The fol
lowing additional details of the Titan,
disaster were received by wireless:
The only survivors are those VIII
put to sea in the lifeboats and were
picked up by the CaYpathia, Womef
and children were placed in the life
boats, which were manned by two anC
three men. Many were in scant attire
and suffered greatly from exposure
The Carpathia's hospital Is overflow
ing. The Titanic struck what is called
blue iceberg" which is a thin Low
Baze. The ship was proceeding at a
speed OF ten knots, speeding its WA
through thick field of ice. The be. z
was not seen until the ship was dead
upon 1t, too late to retard her speed
or alter her course.
The bow was stove In for a eonsid
cradle distance and the bottom OF the
hull was ripped out from the bow tc
amidships. The ships officers felt GER
tain that the vessel would be able to
fears of the passengers. most OF when
had retired and were thrown fnOJ
their berths when the liner STRUCK
with deafening crash. Scenes OF in.
describable horror occurred when taa
dynamo room was flooded, causing TIC
electric lights to go, out and plung .Its
the ship into darkness.
Many Women Eendered Insane.
r>bo ,.,iraI.cc apara4or ,onnaoad r.
transmit Calls. for help before the
power failed and then turned to the
accumulation Sst, whieh was weak an
barely capable of carrying a greater
distance than 100 miles. Lifeboats had
a hard time keeping aloat in the fie c
of ice and many women were rendered
temporarily insane by their haTrowi g
experience. Many were in even n
gowns, Which afforded small prot5t
ton. Several bodies were seen flo
ing around in the wreckage and IL
hut no effort was made to recover any
of them. Colonel Astors body is nc
ON the Carpathia and not likely to b
on board any other ship. There IS nc
trace of Major Archibald Butt, VIII
probably lost his life The Carpath 6
YVES asked by the cruisers Chester ane
the first officer WHIP realized the peril.
but he did not believe that his boat,
which he had expected 10 pilot to
glory on this, her maiden trip, was in
danger of going down. AS, a. precau-
ton, however, he instructed. the wire
less operator to send out the IS. o..
S" call, the international signal of
distress ON the seas, so that aid would
be ON hand If it came to the worst
This was before the power failed
and the terrifying signal was sent into
the night asking for assistance. The
operator had barely clicked his instru-
ment for the final letter of his, message
when the water flooded the dynamo
room. He turned to his accumulation
set, which was weak, spluttsring mas
sages were sent out. but they were in
capable of carrying a. greater distance
than 100 miles.
Bodies Seen, FIoatIsg.
The first IS. o. s." call was picked
up by the Carpathia, which headed at
once for the scene of the disaster The
Titanic had gone down before the Carr
pathia reached the spot, but numerous
pieces of wreckage told tha story OF
what had happened. A number of bod.
les were seen floating about in the
ice field They were evidently those
who had sought refuge on the ioat-
ing cakes of ice OF in cliagng To the
pieces OF wreckage The cold same
over them and they persisted while the
Carpathia and a number of other lin
ers were rushing TO their aid. No at
tempt was made to recover the float
ing bodies,
With the f1nnl realization that his
splendid craft was doomed, Captain
Smith ordered the lifeboats lowered.
His orders were obeyed with alacrity,
and the women and children were low
cred into them. The lifeboats were
rocked and. swayed by the wind and
the rolling OF the boats and great diff
ficulty was experienced in getting tae
women aboard without misaap.
Many Women in Evening Gowns.
There was an assemblage In the
grand salon on Sunday night. attend
ed by men and women of the frst
cabin in evening clothes. Many OF
the women were lowered into the
boats in their evening gowns, which
afforded but scant protection from the
chilly winds and water
Guided by the cries OF the distressed
survivors, the Carpathia cautiously
made her way through the dangerous
ice fields, picking up boat load after
boat load of frenzied women and chill
dren. Many of the women were
made temporarily insane by their har
rowing experience and are still undei
the care of physicians in the Carpa
thias hospital