Imperial Valley press., 1913-04-19

York lime. The orchestra was play
n% on the decks. the women of the
first cabin We're lingering in the light
and warmth and gaIety of The dining
rooms where there was music and bub
bling life. The men We're smoking
their goodnight cigars. In the second
and third cabins there Was like Joy.
with the prospect of ''home" or new
land'' bat few hours away.
And then came the towering berg.
the belated needing of repeated warn
lngS that ice was in the vicinity. the
! Srlnding crash and the icy sea The
/ whole tale has been often told-how
| brides were torn from husbands: how
| rhlldren We're put into boats by fren-
zled parents who hoped their little
! ones might he saved even though they
! persisted themselves. now the men.
| save for few shameful exceptions.
stood back and waited for death while
The women We're given first place in
the lifcboats; how the musicians struck
up Nearer, My God. to Thee" and
played ii until the water Smothered
their melody: how the Carpathla. rush
lnS TO the rescue, stood by and gath
cred up the survivors,: how relatives
IN New York, in agony Of anxiety, be
sleged the offices of the White Star
line for the news that was three days
IN reaching land. That disaster stands
out grim and awful today. though the
world has again been shocked by tales
Of cyclone and flood that have exacted
great toll Of life.
The Titanic, launched May 81. 1911,
represented the best that marine arch
itectS could build. She was built for
capacity. comfort and speed She was
$3.50 feet long, 92.6 feet beam, was
Of 46,326 tons register and cost 81
400 600 She carried )DD2 parCpnS
including the crew.
OF these 1917 We're lost and IOG
saved. OF the 329 first class passon-
gers 1919 We're saved. or 60 per cent
of the 2S5 second class passengers tt9
We're saved. or l2 per cent: oT the
40 third class passengers 16i, OF %
Der cent, were saved: of the crew pi
per fiit were saved.
Whether or not this ocean horror !
might have been avoided had owners .
and officers needed the repeated ice !
Of other ships soon ceased I
to be Important The question after
The onici5l inycstigation by the UniIed +:
states senate. which ended May %.
1919, Was whether such caIastrophes
could be avoided hereafter After days
Of investigation the commission. head
od hy. senator William Alden Smith
ot Michigan, recommended drastic
changes IN IN" laws relating To snip
and system Of vigilance
mat would expedite lho handling of
passenger, in time If peril. d
Among the i'll fated passengers on
II" ship that went down We're some
# the prominent figures Of conlem-
rorary life. There Were Col. John ia
.ob A>tor, Major Archibald W. Butt.
Francis ID. MilIct. Tie artist: William
!. stead. journalist and riliIoso.!cr: !!
lacqnos Futrello. n0vclisf: Benjamin. J.
iu-2elh"ii1, merchant: Charles Mel
,iil" Hays. railroad presidents: Isidor
-traus. merchant and philanthropiSi: +.
!ohn b. Thayer, railroad vice president:
ieorge ID. Widener. traction magnato:
irnry Z. Harris. theatrical manager, y
,IQrcnee Moore. sportsman: Arthur Ry-
.fs6n. lawyer: Frederick sutton. mrr-
'hant: and the gallant skipper, Capt
;. !. Smith. These are but a few of
~ ilIUstriOuS names and the story
# how each man died is romance of
self