Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-04-20

gated by the fragmentary information
which has SO far filtered in.
The Titanic struck the iceberg of
the Newfoundland banks at 1925 Sun.
day night and went down at 2.20 Mon.
day morning. She sank in water two
miles deep.
The rescuing steamer Carpathia haa
1858 survivors on board, according To
the latest news received at the Offices
Of the White Star line In New York.
This increases the list of those saved
by about 200 from the number first
reported. Except for this, the favor
able details are Insignificant compared
with the supreme fact that the Titanic
Is at the bottom OF the Atlantic and
| that the shattered wreck took with
her about 1850 victims to their death.
A rigid investigation Is TO be made
into the report that the Titanic was
not equipped with sufficient lifeboats
and RATS TO save her passengers and
crew. The assertion is made that the
vessel did not carry anything like ade-
quate life saving appliances to meet
such a disaster as that which over
took her. 1t Is probable that both the
British ard American governments
will insist ca a thorough inqniry into
this phase of the wreck.
The first reports giving the total
survivors at ga were varied by more
favorable news, first from Captain
Rostron, OF the Carpashia, who gave
the number at about SOC and later by
the positive announcement of the
White Star line that there are 86S sur
vivors OF the Titanic on board the Car
pathia. But with these revised figures
there remain 1341 persons, passengers
and crew OF the Titanic, who are UNI
accounted for and apparently lost.
Hope chung desperately to- the belleS
that the steamers VirRinian. and Par
isian, OF the Allan line, might have
picked ND survivors in. addition to-
those on board the Carpathia, but this
was practically dispelled when the
Sable Island wireless station reported
that the Partisan had no survivors on
board, and when the officers of the
Allan line in Montreal issued state
ment that the captain of the Virginian
had sent them a wireless message say
ing that he had arrived at the cene
OF the disaster too Late to be of SER
vice" Both the Virginian and the
Partisan therefore appear to hold, out
no hope of further reducing the extent
of the calamity. The Virginian has
proceeded on her way to Europe.
The Partisan steamed through much
heavy field ice looking for passengers
from the Inflated ship. No life RATS
or bodies We're sighted among the
floating wreckage, which covered,
large area. The Partisan reports that
the weather WIS cold and that even
if any persons had been ON the wreck
age they would in all probability have
persisted from exposure before they
could have been picked up.
The Carpathia, having ON board the
only survivors accounted for, is COM
ing in slowly to New York. All hope,
for details of the tragedy and its eff
fects are conferred on this ship. She
will reach New York some time dur
ing Thursday night.
London, Paris and New York are
grief stricken and overwhelmed by
the news of the disaster. fearful
crowds of relatives and friends of pas
sengers on board the Titanic throngedi
the steamship offices IN all three
cities, waiting hour after hour for
news that. more often than not, when
it does come means bereavement and
sorrow.
OF the survivors on board the Car
pathia by far the larger number are
women and children.
Prominent Men Lost.
It is practically certain now that
nearly all of the men of the Titanic's
company went down with the ship
when she plunged two miles toward
the ocean floor. or that they persisted
mserably while clinging to wreckage
or life preservers in the icy waste
that betrayed them They gave up life
within sight of the little, rocking boats
that held their women and children. II
| cannot be doubted now that among
| these were Colonel John Jacob Aston,
| Isador Straus, Major Archibald w.
| Butt, aide to President Taft; George
d. Widener, of Philadelphia; Karl II
J Behr, the tennis champion; Jacques
! Futrelle, the writer; William T. Stead
the London editor; Francis D. Millet
the American artist, and many, many
more who were known on both sides
! of the Atlantic, The toll of the Titan.
les dead will be felt the world over
Captain e. ]. Smith, commander OF
the Titanic, probably went to his
/ grave with his Inflated vessel without
once being able to communicate direct
with the agents of his line. Aside from
the IS o. s." sent by his wireless OPP
orator, not one word from him was re
ceiyed up to the time the Titanic sank
bow foremost into the ocean.
The presumption is that he met his
death while at his post as gallant
skipper.
That he and his crew faced the
rigidly unwritten law OF the sea--wo