Titanic

The anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is looming at the end of this week.


100 years ago, on 10th April 1912 Titanic embarked of her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, no one realising that it would also be her last and she would never even reach her destination.


By the 13th April she was out in the Atlantic Ocean with 1317 passengers on board and 885 crew. Among the passengers were wealthy business men, elderly couples enjoying the chance of a lifetime and young families emigrating to America to join family members already there.


On the evening of 14th April, the ship struck an iceberg. Tearing a hole through 5 of the water tight compartments. It soon became clear to Captain Smith that Titanic was doomed, she was slowly sinking into the icy waters bow first.

The ship's lifeboats began to leave only half full, women and children first. Women parted from their husbands, their lovers. Children parted from their fathers, some knowing their fate other's promising to see them again and get in a later boat. As the lifeboats were lowered down the side of the ship, the stern rose from the water, exposing the propellors.  


Panic spread across the decks. Third class passengers locked in the lower decks as the water rose around them, with no way out. Wives refusing precious lifeboat spaces to remain with their husbands, and the ever chilling phrase from passenger Benjamin Guggenheim "We are dressed in our best, and are prepared to go down like gentlemen".


Captain Smith resided slowly back to his quarters, closed the door and was never seen again. His body was never found.


At 2:20am on 15th April 1912, Titanic lost the fight to stay afloat and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic. Passengers on board didn't stand a chance as they were flung into the -2 degrees water.


Help eventually arrived in the form of the Carpathia, but it was too late. The air was quiet and still. The space where Titanic was last seen now littered with debris and lifeless bodies.


Only 710 of the passengers reached America on 18th April. Over 1500 people lost their lives.


It's been all over the news recently in the build up to the anniversary.
But through all the documentaries, films and television dramas, remember those, who really were onboard.
Leaving your father? Brother? Husband?
Families torn apart. Would you have gone for a lifeboat? Would you have been angry? Who at?  What you you save?
What would you have done?