Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-04-26
APPALLING DISASTER
Greatest Atlantic Steamer Destroyed
by Huge Iceberg.
400 LIVES ARE LOST--S66 RESCUE
When Ships Reach Scene of Disaster There Was
Nothing But Debris and Collection of Life
boats Into Which Women and Chill.
-. dren Had. Been Bundled.

this work was progressing in 9 way.
the women and children were given the
preference in the lifeboats.
At first the evidence OF panic wers
well suppressed, though there was many
a painful scene as wives and sisters,
sweethearts and mothers, parted from
their dear ones, whom they were leaving
to an unknown fate as they took their
allotted places in the boats.
Sank Within an Hour.
Several times as the compartments
rapidly filled, the vessel lurched heavily.
Then the cry went up that the ship was
sinking and there was a rush for the
small boats that for the first time
threatened to transform a brave and or
derby sceen into one of frenzied panic.
As the Titanic settled lower under the
weight of the rapidly-gaining water in
her hold, it was said that some of her
boats were stove in before they could be
freed from the davits, and that a few
were swamped in the effort to launch
them.
Within less than an hour the doomed
queen of the ocean had settled so fast
that the water had flooded her engine
rooms, and then her wireless apparatus
went out of commission. At the same
time, the failing of her dynamos extin-
guished her electric lighting system and
the mammoth craft was plunged into
stygian darkness except for such feeble
CLEANS as were afforded by the use of
torches and lanterns. These served to
emphasize the horror of the midnight
darkness made weird by the shadows
cast over the Arctic pinnacle surround.
ing the ship.
In the darkness the work of launching
the remaining boats was made difficult,
but the Bruce reports. all the boats, or
nearly all, had cleared the wreck before
the Titanic took her fatal plunge in the
depths, two miles deep.
News of the sinking of the liner and
the terrible loss of life in consequence
came with all the greater shock be-
cause hope had been buoyed up all day
by reports that the steamship, although
badly damaged, was not in a sinking con-
dition and that all her passengers had
been safely taken off. The messages
were mostly unofficial, however, and
none came direct from the liner, so a
lurking fear remained of possible bad
news to come.
All Saved Women.
A significant line in the Cape Race
dispatch was the announcement that of
those saved by the Carpathia, nearly all
were women and children.
In the cabins were 230 women and
children, but it is not known how many
passengers.
In the first cabin there were 1913
women and Is children, and in the
second cabin 70 women and 8 children.
Notable persons, travellers on the
Titanic, whose fate was In doubt in the
lack of definite advices as to the identity
of the survivors, were Mr.. and Mrs. John
Jacob Astor, Maj. Archibald Butt,
Charles M. Hays, president of the Grand
Trunk Pacific of Canada, his wife and
daughter; w. I. Stead, Benjamin Gug-
%genheim, F. D. Millet, the artist, and J..
G. Widener of Philadelphia, Mr.. and Mrs.
Isidore Straus, J. B. Thayer, vice-presi-
dent of the Pennsylvania railroad; j.
Bruce Ismay, Henry B. Harris, the
theatrical manager, and Mrs. Harris, and
Col. Washington Roebling, builder of the
Brooklyn bridge.
Later and more comprehensive mes.
sages tell of great bravery on the part
of the men passengers. There was a
!, minimum of disorder. John Jacob Astor,
who, with his bride, was returning from
. their long honeymoon abroad, saw his
bride placed in a lifeboat and safely
, away. Col. Aston was drowned.
Worst Fears Confirmed.
A wireless message from Capt. Had
dock confirmed the fears Of the White
| Star line officials that all but the 67O
women and children who escaped in the
; small boats from the $40, zoo, 900 steam.
ship, had persisted. A part OF this mes
sage was withheld; but enough was d.
vulged to the newspapers to make certain
the appalling extent of the catastrophe.
Not until Capt. Haddock flashed, "Hor.
, rible disaster; all but $40 lost" would
the White Star officials believe that the
|, mightiest ship ever launched had gone
!, down on her maiden voyage
The scene in the White Star line Of.
, fees was pitiful. Brought to a real
| ~ization of the s%tupendous wreck-the
complete destruction of the fruit of their
: dreams-gray-haired men, many Of them
veteran seamen, wept.
: Life and accident companies will also
;c heavily involved if the supposed loss
| of life is not greatly reduced by the
picking up of scattered survivors.