The New Student's Reference Work/Titanic Disaster

Titanic Disaster. The greatest tragedy in the history of steam navigation occurred shortly before midnight April 14, 1912, in the Atlantic, lat. 41° 46′ N., long. 50° 14′ W., the vessel striking the under-water shelf of an iceberg which had come down on the Labrador current and sinking at 2:20 a.m., April 15. Her wireless call for help was responded to by the Cunard liner Carpathia. Of the 2,300 passengers only 705 were saved. The death list included authors, artists, capitalists and other prominent men, who gave up their places in the boats to the women and children, many of whom were passengers in the steerage. The property loss, including the value of the ship, money and other personal property, was $15,000,000. The disaster resulted in important changes in shipbuilding and management. (See Ships.)