The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-04-18
Greatest Steamer In World Goes Down In
Mid-Atlantic Only Few Hours After
Running Into Big Obstruction
JOHN JACOB ASTOR AND OTHER
NOTABLES DROWN IN THE SHIP
Out of 2,53S Souls, Only 500, all Women and Children, are
Saved.-These Picked UP in Lifeboats Sur
rendered to Them by the Men.

rendered to Them by the Men.
CONGRESS WILL TAKE ACTION TO s.
RECURRENCE OF DISASTER. "
Washington, d. C-CongreSional action to assure adequate life s.
Saving 'a.n.es Oh aa, ".sa" ' tn cnn nn "e ., '""a q af ts hm ma =
s. merchant, marine and fisheries committee. House representatives 90
today unanimously adopted a resolution ofs sympathy for relatives q
$ of the victims of the disaster.
Cape Race.-only a fey hours after she struck a submerged iceberg
100 miles IA in the Atlantic, the giant White Sta" passenger steam
ship Titanic, OF her maiden voyage, sank yesterday morning with APP
proximatey 1900 passengers and members of the crew
News of this terrible sequel to the crash of the ship into an almost
hidden mas of ice that had foated down from the Arctic ocean wa sup
p@sa a "i a us e os ,na' aaa nw' rvsn today, :, ,hma aa v,mstions in ,e
reports that prevent a IL ahsolute statement Of the number of victims.
Unparalleled in the history of the sea we're the cen o board the III
tamc when she sank at 3 a M. Monday moaning, after striking ance-
berg at 1880 a. III. Sunday night. ,
Greatest Sea Disaster.
With s86 women and children in twenty modern lfeboats OF the
calm sea but amid cakes of ice, surrounding Ii vessel at a safe distance
the remaining lei passengers and the crew of 800, Oh 1902 in all, went
down when tho crushed plates and mkheads let in the water faster than
the pumps could throw it out. &
The last wild scenes on the vessel probably will eve be known, for
all are apparently dead, including Capt. Smith, commodore of the
White Star line.
Whether the crew stood 1T their posts bravely Or fought with passen.
gers or life RATS and life prescrvers will never be known.
This is the greatest SCI disaster in history, particularly because of the
large humble of prominent IN wealthy people n board. The reports
show, however, that the women II children were sem ito the boats drst,
regardless Of whether they were rich or poor, members Of the leisure
class Or just laborers. -
In the darkness, it is very likely that the wives and mothers of
those who sank yer in ignorance of their fate, although OF far distant,
but the details of this par of the tragedy will no be known until the
Carpatha arrives her with her s6 survivors.
1t is thought that nearly all the passengers were asleep when the crash
came, and that they hurried to III boats in their night clothing. They
must have suffered terribly for eight hours in the lfeboats before they
we're rescued.
All Steamers Arrived Too Late.
Although a half dozen steamers were summoned " wireless when the
tragedy occurred, to rush to the scene they arrived too late. As stated
by Captain Gambel of the Nirginiaonly the wrcckage of he Titanic W
The carpathia will reach New York with the survivor late Thursday
r Friday morning. There is a slight hope yet Of saving a few on life
The best information is that only the women and children, to the num
Der Of about $50, were aved and that these were picked up from life
boats by the Carpathia. The others of the 24oo passengers and members
of the crew o. the boat remained hroicaly with the vessel, surrendering
to the helpless women and children til eright to life. All the vessels
that are summoned by wireless, according to the los responsible re-
monsmter.
Ecipses All Fiction.
That the stories of the catastrophe as told by the halffrcnzied sur
,ivors will eclipse anything in fiction, is certain fro mthe brief and dis.
Joined information that is available here from wireless sources.
The crashing of the ships steel PROV upon the solid ice must have
struck the ears of the ships company and forecasted the horrors that
were soon to come. There must have been a rush to deck with a few
wraps hastily picked up in the mad flight, only to get word Immediately
that the ship a wounded to the death and that there "a no chance
that all could be saved.
In tn midst of u N ice field, tossing and tumting in a strong swell
that is never absent from the Grand Banks n with bitter piercing at
mosphere cutting the tender flesh to the bone, the lei and women and
children faced the inevitable end.
There must ave been sad farewens when the loved n parted
Hundreds embraced their wives ad their babies or the last time and
then the staIwart began the work of putting the great lihboats to sea-
The number of boats was cruelty small. Over the side and into the
ice fields, they must have been veryh heavy.
Other vessels just into port, both here and on the other side, describe
the ice fields a almost solid and it is certain that the greatest care must
have been taken in launching the boats St that they were o overtun
Whether or not the unfortunate women and children in TIN boats wit
messed the final plunge of the wounded leviathan is she staggered Ito the
bottom. carrying with her their nearest and dearest. will OF be know
until they tell their stories here 1t is likely, however, that they did
The lights of the great floating hotel probably remained exhnguished un
til the final plunge.
The women and children, it seem certain, suffered greatly while thu
fril boats in which they had taken refuge tossed like corks on TIN
surface of the water 1t "a long aft daylight when the Carpathia fir
ally arrived, only to find a score of heavy laden life boats and the wreck
age of the Titanic. 49,.
Say Only $50 were Saved. failed to find any more of the Tita
Charleston Navy Yard, Mass-Alic passengers"
wireless dispatch says: This wireless message was rela
six hundred and fifty women and ed by two ships which caught it
children now O n board the liner Car Cape Cod at 5 O'Clock this morni
pathia are the only ones saved from 1t IA repeated twice clearly.
the Titanic. The others went down New York City.-Utterly stunn
with the ship. Other rescue ships, by the diaster in the sinking of