The Titanic's Tragic Termination

 Written by: Serena Goragandhi

Preface

The Titanic was a luxurious ship departing from England, heading towards New York City on April 10, 1912. The ship was extraordinary; “The Ship of Dreams” it was called. Amongst the countless attractions on board were a gym, pool room, and several cigar rooms. It was a massive ship that seemed almost enchanting to the passengers. To fulfill its reputation, the captain wanted the ship to move at unprecedented speed.  After its departure, the ship went at a pace so fast that if it encountered an iceberg, a crash could not be avoided.  

Soon, that fear became a horrifying reality. 

On April 14, 1912, the wondrous Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic. 

The Titanic was able to sustain only five rooms flooded, but when the sixth room was filled with water the ship started to sink. The crew and captain knew what was happening. It was terrifying to them. Even at first, it seemed unreal until the news was confirmed. The ship’s passengers were warned, but the majority seemed unphased. 

Many people thought the ship couldn’t sink. They continued with their lives, ignoring the warnings. But soon the message spread, and the astounding vessel gave in to panic. 

As the hours passed, and everyone tried to leave the sinking ship in lifeboats, some stayed behind, looking their best with courage and dignity. However, by the end of the tragic event, over 1,500 crew members and passengers of men, women, and children perished.

2 miles deep in the Atlantic Ocean, the Titanic was submerged, never to set sail again. 

On April 16, 1912, everyone heard of the disastrous event. It hit the news and shocked the world. It was official: the “Unsinkable Ship” had sunk. 

To this day, the captain is blamed for the sinking of the ship, for his reckless choice of pushing the ship to its limit. He was one of the many that died, but his body was never found and is still lost somewhere in the great blue Atlantic. 

Historical Perspective Creative Piece: The Careless Captain: Captain Edward John Smith

It was April 10th, 1912 in Southampton, England when I climbed aboard my new ship, proud and satisfied with how perfect the sailing conditions were. She was called The Ship of Dreams, but on this voyage, she was my baby. As the captain, I was confident that Titanic didn’t need my sailing skills, she could do it all on her own. She was a massive 46,000-ton ship, the largest ship afloat in our lifetime, towering over the docks. However, not only was the Ship of Dreams grand in size she was also grand in luxury, hosting some of the wealthiest people in the world in several lavish rooms fit for a king and queen.  

Since I was a young lad, I’ve been sailing the open seas, leaving behind school at the age of twelve. I never thought my life would one day grant me the opportunity to command the most glorious ship in the world. 

We were heading for New York, U.S.A, and I could already feel the exhilaration of the passengers once the ship set sail. Along with some of the world's richest men and women we had hundreds of emigrants from Europe who were seeking a new life in the United States. The adventure of a lifetime was about to begin for many and I was proud to be the host of this remarkable event. I wanted to get them to New York as soon as possible and tried to rush everyone on the ship, even though I knew that Titanic didn’t have all the safety measures required for everyone aboard. It didn’t matter. This glorious ship was going to get them to their destination safe and sound. There was no need for such measures. 

Once all were on board, I approached my captain’s quarters and directed Titanic to embark on the journey ahead. Everything was in order when suddenly, I had the most wonderful thought. 

The world already knew of Titanic’s luxury and size, but now it was time I impressed them with her speed. I hoped we could get there before the scheduled arrival date. Both the unprivileged and aristocrats gathered on my darling ship, and they would all be amazed at how quickly they would get to New York.

“Oh Captain,” a young crewmate called out, “don’t you think we are going too fast? We won’t be able to steer around if an iceberg comes along. She could sink.”

“Don’t you worry,” I hollered, “Titanic is The Unsinkable after all. We will be fine and we will surprise everyone by getting there early. So don’t worry, I suggest you get back to your station.”

“Yes, Captain.” With that, he saluted me and left. But his encounter reminded me of a dreadful time …

It was the time I took command of another large ship, the RMS Olympic in 1911. Thirteen weeks after her maiden voyage, Olympic collided with the British warship, HMS Hawke, sinking to the bottom of the ocean. That was an unfortunate event not in my control. Although I have been a captain for many years, I have never been accused of a ship’s downfall, including the RMS Olympic. I’ve learned from that experience and now know I have a better ship to steer, nothing could go wrong, for Titanic was The Unsinkable. 

Or so I thought …

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As time passed, I could feel the temperature gradually dropping by small degrees. Within moments, I received the most horrible news confirming my deepest fears. 

 It was April 14, 1912, four days after we set sail and I could tell that this was the end, Titanic hit an iceberg. 

“Captain she’s going under. The five rooms that could be flooded have been and so has a sixth,” one of my crew mates whispered to me. “I think this is it. We should get as many women and children off the ship as soon as possible.”

At first, I neglected my fellow crewmate, for it was a ridiculous threat made to the ship, but I soon started to realize the danger we were all in, I knew all our fates were compromised.

Instinctively, I ordered distress signals to be sent out, and lifeboats would be ready to leave the sinking Ship of Dreams. It was 12:05 in the morning. I hoped that we could get everyone off in time. And then it hit me like a tidal wave. The ship had over 2,200 onboard, crew and passengers, and the lifeboats could only save 1,178. When this was all over, about 1,500 lives abroad would be lost. 1,500 lives I couldn’t save. There was nothing else I could do at this point. 

The ship continued to dive downward. The men were left as the women and children started to climb onto lifeboats. I witnessed the horrific scene of families being torn apart and the most terrifying faces that would never again exist on this Earth. Through the chaos, a few passengers could be depicted dressed in their finest. Now that is true bravery. I stood out and walked to the front of the ship. Looking down at the destiny that awaited me, I saluted my dear ship and braced for impact. Titanic would never cross the waters again and I, the captain, must go down with the ship. No one would ever find my body in the ice-cold water of the Atlantic. I want to stay hidden and be alone in my shame. Titanic would be the most famous ship to ever sink in all of history and she shall never be forgotten. 

The news would most likely hit in the morning, and I would be the cause of this horrible event. Everything hardened, my body shriveled up, the water invaded my lungs, and then my mind went blank. Even though the captain always goes down with his ship, I became the villain in Titanic’s history.