New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1912-04-20
SINKING OF THE TITANIC.

the history of marine disasters,
The Titanic was on its maiden
voyage and had a passenger list
of 400, including some OF the
worlds richest and most notable
men and women, and crew OF
$500 Of these 2200 persons, only
500 are known to have been saved.
Wireless calls from the Titanic
swerved every steamship within
range from it's course, all hurry
| inc to the disabled vessel. The
steamship Carpathia was the first
TO reach the scene, and is report
ed to have found only wreckage
and life boats. Carpathia is now
steaming toward New York VITA
the survivors, and by daybreak
should be commune ating steadily
bv wireless with the shore.
News of the s;upendous disaster
was delayed by the fact that the
Titanic and vessels nearby were
out of the zone Of the shore wire
less ktaton6 hes Of the
boat. di We relayed from
yeessi III Eel. and reached New
tYork soon after the collision Sun
|day night. The Titanic sank four
hours later.
That the final roll of the res
cued from the Titanic disaster
practically had been made up was
the impression that grew almost
into conviction last night as the
hours wore on without the revl-
sion of lists adding measurably
to the total of known survivors.
OF definite news Of the disaster
the night added little. Down the
Atlantic coast, fog-enveloped In
many places, as the reports show
ed, crept the Cunarder Carpathla,
bearing on her the S6S lives thati
had been snatched from the wat
ers when the THAMES lifeboats,
laden to their limit. one by one
made their way from the giant |
liner as it became known that she |
soon was to take her fatal plunge.
But although the rescue ship |
was reported within wireless
range of the Sable Island station
at comparatively early hour, and
every wireless was waiting to
catch the snap of a receiver
which might mean that the great
secret of the liners death was
about to be given up. midnight
came and went and the night be-
gan to grow old-and still the
word had not been spoken.
Survivors Not All Listed.
Carefully compiling the avail
able lists, the record of the NAM
ed survivors Of the disaster stands
significantly thus: men 70; wo-
men 1888; children 16. Total 1913.
OF the remaining $40 known
survivors, it is estima ed that not
more than 100 were seamen re-
quired to man the boats. This
would leave approximately 44O.
and in the ordinary proportions
of women and children in the
steerage, where the passengers in
the Titanic s care numbered no,
it seems probable that the greater
part of these 40 were women and
their Little ones.
Women and Children First.
Nothing could show more plain
ly the heroism of the crew and the
men passengers who stood by the
doomed ship, facing practically
inevitable death, and sent the wo-
men and children away in the life
boats. Some would have to be left,
that was a certainty. Hundreds,
in fact, were left. But. to all ap-
pearances, the men who were left
stayed behind deliberately, calm
ly stepping aside to let the weak
Err ones, those to whom they owed
protection, take their way to
safety.
Sinking by the head. Have
cleared boats and filled them with
women and children.
This was the final message these
brave men sent the world, for it
was directly afterwards that their
wireless signals sputtered and
then stopped altogether. The
picture that inevitably presents it.
self, in view of what is known,
is Of men like John Jacob Astor,
master Of scores of millions; Ben
jamin Gugenheim, Of the famous
family of bankers; Is.dor Straus,
. merchant prince; William 7.
Stead, veteran journalist; Major
Archibald Butt, soldier; Washing
ton Roeblng noted engineer-of
amy or all of these men stepping
aside and bravely, CALAMITY re-
naming to dit that the place be
otherwise might have filed could
perhaps be taken by some sabot.
'hod, shawl-enshrouded, illiterate
md penniless peasant women OF
Europe.
Thus the stream of women with
oddling infants or babes in arms,
perhaps most Of them soon to be
filed up from the cabins
md over the side and away to
life. The men-by far the great
r part Of them-remained to die,
and peasant and man
+ middle class alike, bravely, it
nust have been, sharing each 9TH
RS fate and going down to =
ommon grave.
What Survivors May Tell.
~ u