Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-09-07
LELA's TITANIC STORY.

/, LELA's TITANIC STORY.
Dear Editor and juniors: AS I have
written once before thought would
write again. received q card from
the Courier Junior thanking them
very much for It.
| ! am going to tell about the sinking
of the great Titanic ship that struck
a gigantic iceberg on Sunday April IL,
1912. 1t happened north of Cape Race
New Foundland 1925 o'clock Sunday
evening April 14th. At 4:15 Monday
morning the Canadian government
marine agency, received a wireless
messages that the Titanic was sinking
and that the steamers towing her were
trying to get her into shoal water near
Cape Race for the purpose Of beach.
ing her.
Number Of persons aboard was
2,340. Number OF hfeboats and rats
20. Capacity Of each lifeboat, so pas.
sengers and crew Of 8.
Utmost capacity Of lifeboats and
RATS. about HOO. Number OF life.
boats wrecked in launching was four.
capacity OF ltfeboats safely launched
92S. Total number Of people taken in
lifeboats I'll. Number who died IN
l1feboats 6. Total number saved 7O5.
Total number Of Titanic's company
lost, 1885.
The cause Of the disaster was
collision with an iceebrg in latitude
Alas north, longitude SOFA west. some
Of the boats left the ship without sea
men enough to man the oars.
Some Of the boats were not more
than half full Of passengers. The ca.
tain E. ]. Smith, admiral Of the White
Star fleet. went down with his ship.
! Wireless dispatches up to noon
Monday showed that the passengers
of the Titanic were being transferred
aboard the steamer Carpathia, A Gun.
arder which left New York, April 18th
for Naples, 20 boat loads OF the II.
tanfc passengers were said to have
been transferred to the Carpathia
then, and allowing 40 to sc. persons as
the capacity of each lifeboat. Some
800 or 1000 people had already been
transferred from the damaged liner to
the Carpathia. They were reported
as Being taken to Halifax, whence
they would be sent by train to New
/ YORK, It said Monday night April Is
the world slept In peace wireless
message had finally. been received
reading:
All Titanic pasengers's safe.'' It
was not until nearly week later that
the fact was discovered that this mes
sage had been wrongly received in the
confusion of so many messages flash.
ing through the air and that in realty
the message should have read: s'Are
all Titanic's passengers safe?" When
the dawning of Tuesday morning came
they heard the awful news Of the fate
of the Titanic. The Titanic larger
liner in commission was a sister ship
of the Olympic. The Titanic was
commanded by Captain e. J. Smith.
The Titanic ship was SS2k feet long.
or about four city blocks and was
5000 tons bigger than battle ship
twice as large as the dreadnought
Delaware. It was a four funneled
vessel, and had 1 1decks The distance
from the keel to the top Of the fun.
nels was ITS feet. It had an average
speed Of 81 knots The Titanic could
accommodate $500 passengers It
was equipped with a gymnasium, SWIM
ming pool, hospital with operating
room. and grill and palm garden.
Each link in the anchor chain weigh
ed IT'S lbs. There were more than
1000 side lights and windows to light
the public rooms and passengers cab
ms. John Jacob Astor was returning
from a trip to Egypt with his 10 year
old bride, formerly Miss Madeline
Force to whom he was married in
Providence, Sept. 9, 1911. He was
head Of the family whose name he
bore and one of the worlds wealthiest
men. He had managed the family
estates since 1891: built the Astor ho-
tel in New York The best known
Titanic were Mr.. and Mrs. Geo. D..
Widener. Mr.. Widener was a son Of
Peter A. B. Widener and like his
father, was recognized as one of the
foremost financiers of Philadelphia, as
we'll as leader in society there. Mr..
Widener married Miss Eleanor Elkins.
Mrs. Widener is said to be the possess
or of one Of the finest collections Of
jewels in the world The gift Of her
husband, one string Of pearls in this
| COllectlOn was reported 10 Dc worth
$250,000. Mr.. Widener Is survived by
daughter Eleanor and son Geo. D..
Widener Jr. Harry Elkfn Widener
was with his parents and went down
on the ship.
After they found out the ship was
going to sink, the band began to play
Nearer NY God to Thee" After they
had played that they played the hymn
of Autumn. They were playing as the
ship sank. They said that many Of
the women refused to take places in
the lifeboats first they began to load
both men and women then came the
cry for the women and children first.
One woman saved her pet dog and an
other saved little pig. l will close
hoping to see my letter In print and
wiuld also like to receive some little
prize.
u Leila L. Van Auken, age IA.
Pennington. Iowa, r. r. NO 8.