We heard that there were warnings of icebergs in the area. None were expected to be sighted on the ship’s course, so the Titanic maintained full speed ahead. However, the captain of the Californian, another ship in the North Atlantic, radioed a warning to the Titanic about icebergs being sighted in our path. This was ignored. The price paid for overconfidence on the part of Captain Smith, nearly 700 fellow crewmen and over 800 passengers, was indeed very high.

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The “Titanic,” 882.5 feet (269 m) long, was the largest ship on the seas. Its gross displacement exceeded that of contemporary battleships by 5,000 tons. Its hull was divided into 16 watertight compartments, and, because four of these could be flooded without sinking the ship, it was deemed unsinkable. “In safety, . . . it was believed, the last word had been uttered in the construction of the ‘Titanic.”’ (New York “Times,” April 16, 1912) But the fatal iceberg opened a 300-foot (90-m) gash in the side of the ship, flooding five of its watertight compartments, and the “unsinkable” “Titanic” foundered.

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U.S.A.

NEW YORK

NEWFOUNDLAND

WHERE THE “TITANIC” WAS LOST

IRELAND

ENGLAND

SOUTHAMPTON

FRANCE

[Box] Wednesday, April 10: “Titanic” sailed from Southampton on its maiden trip, with approximately 2,200 persons aboard. After brief stops in France and Ireland, it headed toward New York.

Sunday, April 14: Weather turned very cold. “Titanic,” warned of icebergs ahead, steamed ahead at 22 knots. Shortly before midnight, it struck an iceberg about 95 miles (150 km) south of the Newfoundland banks.

Monday, April 15: “Titanic” sank only 2 hours and 40 minutes after impact, with a loss of 1,500 lives. The ship was 1,600 miles (2,570 km) northeast of its destination.

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Some passengers refused to heed the warnings to abandon ship