Penny For Your Thoughts By: Nancy Whitaker
One of the worst tragedy’s happened on April 15, 1912.
We have all heard stories, saw movies and documentaries about the doomed Titanic, the ship which was the world’s largest and supposedly unsinkable was carrying over 2,200 passengers headed for New York.
Spirits were high, drinks flowed on board and those in first class had the best food and amenities. There was first class, second class and third class. Of course those in first class had the best kinds of food and drink, because they had paid more for tickets. Second and third class was not nearly as lavish as first class.
People sat and smoked cigar’s, ate, drank as they enjoyed the trip of a lifetime. None of them knew, or imagined that danger and disaster was on the horizon and that most of their lives and the ship would cease to be.
It was actually April 14 at 11:40 pm that the ship hit an iceberg and at 2:20 am on the 15th when the ship sank.
Of the approximately 2,200 on board, 1,500 did not survive. The stories and disaster of the Titanic is one of the saddest, mysterious catastrophes in maritime history.
As I was reading some tidbits about the Titanic, I found some interesting numbers and some stories about some of the passengers.
Here are some of the interesting facts :
20 – the number of people said to have cancelled their plans to sail aboard Titanic after dreaming that she would sink. How fortunate these folks were that they did not go on that voyage.
Numbers on board:
324 – the number of first class on board.
284 – the number of second class.
709 – the number third class
107 – (this is so sad) the number of children, mainly in third class, did not survive
ARTIFACTS
Fox head men’s pin; Renault car; China from all three classes of passengers; A very valuable painting; Purse; Sheet music; Cherub from Grand staircase; a violin; a watch; clock; deck chairs; A promotional brochure; lunch menu from the last day aboard; sheepskin coat; cane; life vest
Some artifacts were sold for large sums of money and many are in Titanic’s various museums.
A SURVIVOR STORY
Traveling on the ill fated ship was the head baker for everyone and is famous for surviving in the frigid water for a long time.
He was asleep when the accident happened, but after awakening he ordered his crew to get all the extra baked goods and give them to those in life boats. He helped a lot of people survive by getting them on lifeboats. He then waited for his time to die, as there were no more lifeboats. He went into his cabin and drank some whiskey and then thought “I can still help.”
He threw about 50 deck chairs overboard, hoping they could be used to float on. As he was standing on the stern treading water on the ship, he jumped off and began treading the cold icy waters. After treading for 2 hours he encountered a lifeboat and was rescued from the cold icy water. What a hero to have saved passengers and treading that cold icy waters. The water was extremely cold and it did not take long for those in the water to freeze to death. But that head chef had determination and besides his feet, he wasn’t freeze burned. talk about being blessed!
To me the story of the Titanic is a fantastic sad story of a ship and a night that many lives were lost and amazing stories of survivors.
Aren’t you glad you weren’t on the Titanic when it sank? Have you ever visited a Titanic Museum? Would you love to see the artifacts from that old ship? Let me know if you have or would like to and I will give you a Penny for Your Thoughts
