Omaha daily bee., 1912-04-20
TRYING TO BREAK THE RECORD
Passengers Take Great Interest in
Progress of the Vessel.
SIX DIE AFTER BEING RESCUED
Shock of Striking Iceberg Does Not
Greatly Jar Vessel.
VARYING STORIES AS TO PANIC
Most of Survivors Agree that Calm
ness of Passengers and Crew In
Early Hours Was He
markable Feature.

NEW YORK, April 19.-Seven hundred
and forty-five persons, mostly women
sick in heart and body, wrote into the
annals of maritime history today the
loss of the biggest steamship ever built
by man They were the survivors Of tie
White Star liner Titanic. which sank
bow foremost with 1.5s5 souls aboard, its
captain at the bridge, its colors flying
and its band playing Nearer, Ny God,
TO Thee" in 2.0oo fathoms of water oft
y the Banks Of Newfoundland under star
lit skies at 2:2o a. m. Monday.
With one voice they told of the splendid
heroism of those who remained behind
TO find a watery grave that they might
live.
Captain Smith died. they said. as {:
gallant sailor should, after having first
placed all the women who would go
aboard the lifeboats. There were many
who stayed behind 10 die in their hus
bands arms.
Facts In Bold Relief.
From their narratives stand out in bold
relief the following facts. -
The Titanic was making twenty-one
knots an hour when 1t struck the ios-
berg.
No one at first thought that 1t would
sink. Z
II remained afloat more than two
hours.
The iceberg ripped open its bowels
bolow the water line.
Instant panic was avsrtsd by Captain
ssni.h's tsrse appeal 10 his crswi Re
nris.xh, my men" ----.-..-
4 small aumber Of Etserage passen-
9ers tried 10 rush for the lifeboats and
we're hsid back By the crew ana other
pasrsnssgs.
The yitnnio turned its nose for the
than = hundred yards away, reared its
stsra high in the afr and trsmblsd for
. moment before seeking the bottom.
There were two explosions when the
inrushins waters reached its boilers.
when IL sank there was silence; q
momsnt later the cries and suppiica-
tions Of 1900 dying msn rose in chorus
INDISPENSABLE over the spot where IL
went down.
For hours the survivors rowed in life
boats over u calm sea in bitter cold until
the csrpsthis picked them up.
In the aftermath Of the disaster today
the principal Developments were the tes-
timony Of ]. Bruce lsmay. managing
director Of the White star Line. before
fhs snnHta tpv.sftvatIng a,rryp4ttaa a,d
the removal Of surviving members o: the
TitAnis's crew aboard the Lsplsnd.
0osas ss Tali sreed.
Not only was the Titanic tearing
through the April night " Its doom
with every ounce Of stsam crowded on, |
but it was under orders flVm The gen
srai offices Of the iiHs 10 make all the |
speed of which Il was capable,
This was the statement tealsht by 7. |
II, Moody auaTteTmastsF Of The yes.
sci and hslnsmsa on the hishi ef the |
disaster. lie naid the ship was making |
Iwsnty.oas knots an hour and the off !
esrz were striving 10 1--we up ~ ths Or /
ders 10 zmash the record.
1T was glose to mtdn.sAi," saIu Mesdy, !
and l was on the bridge with the rec /
ond officer, who vas IN command. Sud. !
denly he sh0utedi Port your hslmr |
did 80. but it wac TOO late, We struck /
TIE submerged portion es ihs berg"
side Hippsa opea.
The Titanle struck hu issbsrk about /
NINETY feet high. which lipysl ths liner.
sides open and mzd7 ths wal-r.tlsh, !
compartments EEeissr, ami white tiiz v-s. |
eel was gradually slHk'hs ihs Icy vaisF !
reached i,s stsamins h5isIs, esr-.as an /
explosion. which rent :: 10 IAa se.;asn.
Among the hundreds on its DISKS to !
the last were Colonel JOIN Jacob As,sr
and Major Archibald Bait. President
Taft's military aide Benjamin Gusxs.-
helm. Jacques @UfEclls, Gsorge y. Wide
ner, Henry b. Her-'s s-d scores q ~ 7
we'll known Ders9n=. isia0- ssrGus was
among these as wss Elss &z= s-..as.
Who refused 10 leave re- husband Be.
hind when she had tie opportunity 10 4
save herself
Major Butt is reported 10 have bean
one of the heroes. With a.. ,rgn bs. In
his hand he IS said to have ,t9yI a. thu
steerase passage and defen4ed the w9-
men and children from ;hs maddensd
men In that part OF the ship.
Colonel AstOr Dies BrueIy.
Colonel AstOr Is said 10 have met his
fate hrsyely after seeing his bride to ! +
life boat drawing aside 10 wztcl. csI,er
women step to safety and awaiting his
own fate.
II vas only because the maximum capz-
city Of the steamers life boats Wzs
barely third the complement Of the szIg
in crew and passenger. that han1re.ls
OF despairing pssseagzrz TAD 70 te left
TO their fate.
J. Bruce Ismay, managing director Of
(C0nunued on Third Ps9- T /