Reporting on a night to remember

One hundred years ago this weekend, ‘Titanic’ sank after being struck by an iceberg. ‘The Irish Times’ ran ads for tickets, and news of its departure – but news of the tragedy broke through reports of rescues, a ship in tow and then slow realisation of the truth

MONDAY, APRIL 15TH

Reuters telegrams

A telegram received here from Montreal says that the liner Virginian reports in a wireless communication that the liner Titanic, which is reported to have been in a collision with an iceberg, has requested assistance. The Virginian is hastening to her.

The liner Baltic has also reported herself within 200 miles of the Titanic, and says she is speeding to her help. The last signals from the Titanic came at 12.27 this morning. The Virginian’s operator says these were blurred, and ended abruptly.

A telegram from Cape Race at 10.25 Sunday evening says: Titanic wires she had struck an iceberg. The steamer said immediate assistance was required. Half an hour afterwards another message was received saying that the Titanic was sinking by the head, and that the women were being taken off in lifeboats.

Unofficial telegrams state that the Virginian has taken the Titanic in tow.

A message from Montreal timed 8.30am, say – The Titanic is still afloat and heading towards Halifax with her own engines. The women and children have not been taken off, though the lifeboats are ready in case of emergency. It is thought the bulkheads will prevent her sinking.

A later message says – Wireless telegraphy brings word that two vessels are standing by the Titanic, and all passengers have been taken off.

Mr Franklin, Vice President of the International Mercantile Marine, at one o’clock this afternoon, gave out the following message, received from the Boston police of the White Star Line: “Virginian, Parisian, Carpathia in attendance, standing by Titanic”.

In order to refute unconfirmed reports that Titanic had sunk – “I don’t believe it possible,” said Mr Franklin.

TUESDAY, APRIL 16TH

Irish Times leader

Almost as we go to press the awful news reaches us of the loss of the Titanic, with nearly 1,700 out of the 2,358 passengers and crew who formed her immense burden of human life. The telegrams are brief. They upset all the reports which reached us between midday and midnight, but it is to be feared that they are true.

We cannot be surprised that the public received with something like complete incredulity the first reports yesterday morning that the giant liner was sinking off the Newfoundland banks, as the result of a collision with an iceberg.

To sudden tidings of another tragedy of the sea we are only too well accustomed. But the imagination halts at the suggestion that the latest and most marvellous mechanisms of ocean traffic are exposed to dangers every whit as awful as those which lie before any tramp steamer of a few tons burden.

We can imagine that this happy and comfortable hotel party of hundreds of passengers were inclined to regret that their voyage across the Atlantic was nearly ended. The substantial reports which reached an anxious public throughout yesterday of the saving of the passengers and crew by means of the boats of other liners, hastily summoned by wireless telegraphy, appear to have no foundation; their origin has yet to be explained.

If it be, indeed, true that only 675 women and children have been saved out of the ship’s immense passenger list, this is one of the supreme tragedies of the sea. The loss of the Titanic finally disproves the confident assertion that her system of watertight compartments made her absolutely unsinkable.

THURSDAY, APRIL 18TH

Irish Times leader

What actually happened during the four hours between the collision and the foundering of the Titanic we cannot expect to learn until the Carpathia reaches New York this evening with the survivors from the wreck. It is now clear that the optimistic reports which were transmitted across the Atlantic for 24 hours after the accident occurred were not sent by wireless operators of other vessels. These, as well as a circumstantial narrative of the wreck, which purported to be picked up by the steamer Bruce, and was transmitted by the New York Herald yesterday, were works of pure fiction.

One and all, they were concocted in the newspaper offices of the United States, without the least foundation of fact. In spite of the magnitude of the calamity, it is almost with a sense of relief that we turn from these disgraceful and unworthy methods of journalism to such authenticated facts as are available.

It appears that the Titanic carried only 14 life-boats and two cutters. These, which were quite clearly a most inadequate provision, are actually in excess of the number required under the present regulations.

The question naturally arises whether such regulations should not immediately receive drastic amendment.