On the occasion of the 111th anniversary of the sinking of the steamship “Titanic” BTA publishes the announcements from their 1912 newsletter which recount the incident.
The Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage after hitting an iceberg. 1,635 people died, 705 were saved. Among the dead were 38 Bulgarians.
BTA reports:
Novaya Zemlya Island (Caypres) April 14, 1912 The steamer “Titanic” of the “White Star Line” company collided with an iceberg on Sunday evening and requested help by radio telegram. Soon after the collision the steamer began to sink; the female passengers were rescued. Several lifeboats and the steamers “Olympic” and “Virginia” immediately went to help.
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new york, April 15, 1912 The “White Star Line” company now admits that out of 2,000 passengers and crew on the sunken steamer “Titanic” there were probably 675 people saved. The steamer “Olympic” reported by radio telegram that when the ship “Carpathia” arrived at the scene of the accident at dawn, it found there only boats and wreckage from the sunken steamer. Most of the rescued passengers were women and children.
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boston, April 16, 1912 A message transmitted by wireless telegraph from the steamer Olympic and received this evening reads: The steamer Carpathia, carrying 898 passengers from the Titanic, mostly women and children, is bound for New York.
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Halifax, April 16, 1912 The steamer “Parisian” skirted many of the icebergs, but could find no other passengers on them and on the remains of the Titanic, which floated over a large expanse. Even if there are, they must have died of cold before they could be helped.
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new york, April 18, 1912 The steamer “Carpathia” dropped anchor at 3 ½ in the evening in the harbor here. A committee of Titanic survivors has produced a report to the press that the Titanic was struck on Sunday at 11:49 PM by an iceberg which was discovered very late. After the damage was discovered, an order was given to launch boats equipped with life belts. The steamer sank at 2:20 am. The usual distress signals were given. The steamer “Karpatia” received these signals at midnight and at 4 a.m. arrived at the scene of the accident, where it took care of the remaining survivors. The number of passengers on the Titanic was 330 in first class; 320 in second; 750 in third and 940 personnel. “Carpathia” saved 210 people from the first class, 125 from the second, 100 from the third, 39 sailors, 96 waiters, 71 firemen and 4 officers. The report pointed out that there were not enough lifeboats, that there were not enough seamen trained for service in the boats, and that the number of officers was insufficient.
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Sofia, May 28, 1912 “Private information” newsletter
The “White Star Line” company has published the complete list indicating the place of origin and age of those who died in the disaster of the steamship “Titanic”. Since the distribution of aid from the Mayor of London’s fund will begin in mid-June, it is in the interest of the families of the fallen Bulgarians to submit the necessary data on their financial and family situation as soon as possible.
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new york, April 19, 1912 The total number of dead passengers on the Titanic, including those who died in the lifeboats and in the “Carpathia”, was officially established at 1,635 people, and 705 people were rescued. The rescue of the remaining surviving passengers of the “Titanic” was due to the clerk at the radio telegraph apparatus in the “Carpathia”, who had not gone to bed, as usual, and was the first to hear signals for help from the “Titanic”.
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new york, April 19, 1912 Mr. Hurd, correspondent of the “Evening World,” who was on board the Titanic when the shipwrecked, gives the following particulars of the disaster: An iceberg was discovered ¼ mile away and almost immediately collided with the steamer. The engines were heard to stop and the doors of the inner bulkheads of the steamer’s bed to be closed, and the commandant, on deck, gave orders for the passengers to be fitted with life-belts and the life-boats to be lowered into the sea. The first boats in an instant performed by the men on the deck. Face to face with death the other men crowded round the boats, and the women and children cried in fright. The commandant then gave the order for the women to board the boats first. This order was exactly carried out. The officers drew their revolvers, but at that moment there was no need to serve them. Only a few shots fired a little earlier, when the Titanic was sinking, gave rise to rumors that the commandant and officers had committed suicide. The commandant, however, threw himself into the sea just before the sinking of the steamer. The steamer sank slowly in consequence of the mechanical devices for this purpose. At one point, cold sea water entering through a hole in the rudder caused an explosion that blew the steamer to pieces. About 1,700 people died.
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London, April 5, 1912 The newspapers stated that the Titanic had 20 lifeboats per 1,200 passengers, and the latter numbered 2,300 men, women and children, but that 20 boats exceeded the minimum prescribed by the Department of Commerce.
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washington, April 11, 1912 Titanic’s third mate Pittman testified before a senatorial inquiry that he had not seen the iceberg before the disaster, but knew that there had been a radio message about it; this warning, however, was not taken seriously, and the steamer proceeded all the way with the utmost speed. Investigating Seaman Fleet testified that he reported the iceberg to the captain and his mates after 10:00 a.m. and that he would have been able to see it in time if he had had close-in binoculars.
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London, April 27, 1912 The signature opened on the initiative of the Lord Mayor of London in favor of the families of the victims of the “Titanic” has so far exceeded the figure of 9 million francs. Subscription continues.
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washington, May 15, 1912 The chairman of the inquiry commission announced in the Senate the results of the inquiry into the disaster of the “Titanic”. According to this survey, the responsibilities fall mainly on the English Ministry of Commerce and Captain Schmidt. The report condemned the Titanic’s lack of discipline after the collision with the iceberg and insufficient lifeboats. The report also pointed out that several young officers took advantage of the first occasion to leave the steamer. Finally, the command of the steamship “California” is reprimanded, which, although noticing the alarming signals from the “Titanic”, continues its journey.
