Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-04-20
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ever, that the message was consider.
ably longer than the above,
one OF Mr.. Franklin's assistants in
announcing earlier that the Titanic
had gone Gown said that the Car
pathia was proceeding to New York
with survivors"
So far as could be ascertained at
. the White Star Offices 1t was not
known there whether there were any
passengers aboard the virginian and
Partisan.
Vice President Franklin positively
the message received from Captain
Haddock, OF the Olympic. reporting
the sinking OF the Titanic. This atii
tude led to the belief that the message
intimated loss OF life, which the
company desired to confirm before
spreading alarm.
Vice President Franklin later con
coded that there had been "a horrible
loss of life" In the Titanic disaster.
He said that he had no Information to
disprove the report from Cape Race
to the effect that only CTS of the pas
sengers and crew had been rescued.
He said that the monetary loss could
not be estimated, although he intimat-
ed that II would run into the millions.
I'VE can replace the money" he
added, but not the lives"
Admits Heavy Loss Of Life.
Mr.. Franklin later said:
so far as we know II has been ru.
mored from Halifax that three steam.
ers have passengers on board. namely.
the virginian, the Carpathia and the
Partisan. Now, we have heard from
Captain Haddock that the Titanic
sank at 220 Monday morning. We
have also learned from him that the
Carpathia had CTS survivors on board.
1t Is very difficult to learn II the vir.
ginian and the Partisan have any sur.
yiyors on board We have asked Cap
tain Haddock and our agent at Hall
fax to ascertain II there are any pas
sengers aboard the two steamships
1--WE very much fear, however, that
there has been great loss of life. but
1t Is impossible for us to give further
particulars until we have heard from
the Partisan and virginian. We have
no information that there are any
passengers aboard these two steam
ships"
The first news OF the accident was
wireless message from the Titanic.
In which the ship announced that 1t
had struck an iceberg Sunday night
off the Banks Of Newfoundland and
was in sinking condition. Transfer
of the passengers to the lifeboats be-
gan at once. The rule OF the sea I'm
rescues prevailed and the women pas
sengers were the first to be placed In
the boats
Wireless Apparatus Fails.
The accident occurred at 1875
o'clock Sunday night. Two hours later
the ships wireless apparatus. which
had been working so badly as to per
NIT of only intermittent and fragmeE.
tary messages, failed completely.
The last word sent by the operator
told that the vessel was apparently
dOohitut ninhtn6 ny tnt htads anu
that the women passengers were be-
ing rushed into the lifeboats. A reas.
suring feature was that the weather
was calm and clear, and help on'y
few hours away.
The THAMES first s. O. s. message
was received by the Allan liner Vir.
ginian. which, according to the posi-
ton given by the Titanic's operator.
was not more than ITO miles away.
The captain OF the Virginian at once
started his boat at full steam for the
scene Of the disaster announcing TO
his brother officer on the bridge OF
the Titanic that the Virginian should
reach him by 10 o'clock in the morn
ing
The Tltanic's accident occurred In
latitude 4l.46 north, longitude 5014
west. This point Is about 1850 miles
due east Of New York city and $50
miles south OF Cape Race, Newfound-
land, wireless station. All the mes
sages from the ship we're relayed to
the Cape Race wireless station by the
Virginian and forwarded by the Mar
conf company to New York. The tt
tanic's twin ship, Olympic, which left
New York last week. was also In d.
rect Communication with the sinking
boat from point 300 miles away. and
started at once for the scene.
The Titanic, which was on her
maiden trip, is in charge of Captain
Smith. who was on the bridge of the
big Olympic when that boat collide.
with the British cruiser Hawke las.
September.
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