“Iceberg! Right Ahead!”

the North Atlantic. Within 40 seconds, “Iceberg! Right Ahead!” the ship’s starboard (right) side was raked By the time these words rang out on the below the waterline by the submerged RMS Titanic, it was too late. The warning spur of an iceberg. Less than three hours came at 11:40 p.m. on the clear, cold later, the Titanic sank beneath the water. night of April 14, 1912, in the icy seas of At least 1,523 of its roughly 2,228

Where does the name RMS NH:(Portsmouth, Heinemann). classroom use only. be reproduced for This page may Titanic come from? (answer on back cover)

The Comprehension Toolkit The Comprehension FACTS

2 ©2005 by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis from from Goudvis Anne and Harvey Stephanie by ©2005 20 Lesson 10: Titanic (1 of 12) From Kids Discover — Titanic, © 2005. All rights reserved. passengers and crew were dead or dying. symbol for disaster. The great ship’s story Had the Titanic missed the iceberg that is a drama with a little of everything: Sunday, it may have simply been remem- heroism and fear, humility and arrogance, bered as one of the largest, most luxuri- wealth and poverty, life and death. ous ocean liners of its time. Yet so much Come aboard the grand ship for a voy- went wrong that the Titanic has become a age of a lifetime—from the safety of home. (Portsmouth, NH:(Portsmouth, Heinemann). classroom use only. be reproduced for This page may

The Comprehension Toolkit The Comprehension l ONTHENIGHT it sank, the Titanic was making its The rivets (metal bolts used to join steel plates) on maiden (first) the TITANIC contained metallic impurities. As a result, voyage across the rivet heads tended to pop off when the ship the Atlantic scraped the iceberg. Once a rivet head popped, the Ocean. seams between plates separated, and water entered the ship.

3 ©2005 by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis from from Goudvis Anne and Harvey Stephanie by ©2005 From Kids Discover — Titanic, © 2005. All rights reserved. Lesson 10: Titanic (2 of 12) 21 4 build larger and stronger boats. Building a Colossus Around A.D.1000, Viking explorers from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark Boats have been around from the time of sailed to North America in wooden boats our earliest ancestors. Boats enabled no bigger than today’s mobile homes. But people to cross wide rivers and fish in traveling the Atlantic then—and for deep waters. As people began to explore centuries afterward—was dangerous. distant lands, they found better ways to Icebergs, storms, poor navigational equip- (Portsmouth, NH:(Portsmouth, Heinemann). classroom use only. be reproduced for This page may

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The White Star Line approves plans Construction 1908for three of the biggest ocean liners in 1909 begins on history. They will be called Olympic, Titanic, the Titanic in Belfast, TIME LINE and Gigantic. Construction begins on Olympic. Northern Ireland. 4 ©2005 by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis from from Goudvis Anne and Harvey Stephanie by ©2005 22 Lesson 10: Titanic (3 of 12) From Kids Discover — Titanic, © 2005. All rights reserved. 5 ment, and unreliable sail power cost Shipping companies began building giant thousands of people their lives, as did ocean liners. In the early 1900s, the disease and unsanitary conditions. White Star Line was in a heated race By the late 1800s, transatlantic cross- with competitors to build even bigger, ings had become more routine. Ships more impressive ships. In 1912, after were now powered by steam engines and three years under construction, the built of iron and steel. (Ship is the term largest moving object in the world— used for a large seagoing vessel.) the Titanic—was unveiled.

the ship. He lis- wrec a saw never I uneventful. say: merely I sea, at years 40 nearly in experience my describe best can I how asks anyone “When tened carefully to

crew members’ sort.” any of disaster in end to threatened that predicament any in I was nor wrecked been complaints and made changes when possible. T Andrews sailed on H OR TH R E DIRECT E DESIG NE the Titanic to identify the prob- ATLEFTARETHE u J. BRUCE ISMAY u THOMAS ANDREWS lems that always propellers of was managing di- was the Titanic’s come up in a Titanic’s sister rector of the White designer. He was brand-new ship. ship Olympic. Star Line and a famous for know- Like the captain, (There are no driving force in ing every detail of Andrews perished. photographs of the creation of the the Titanic’s pro- Titanic. Ismay r THE TITANIC’S pellers.) It took was on board the captain, Edward three thousand Titanic during its J. Smith, was men three years maiden voyage often called the to build the and escaped the “millionaires’ cap- Titanic. The work sinking ship in tain” because was done in one of the Titan- wealthy families Belfast, Northern ic’s collapsible asked to book Ireland, at the lifeboats, perhaps passage on his Harland & thinking that his ships. The White Queen’s Island testimony would Star Line made Shipyards. be valuable later. him captain of the However, his rep- Olympic and later utation suffered of the Titanic. In after the tragedy. two years, he was He was accused to command the

of saving himself Gigantic on its T while the captain maiden run. He ITANIC and others died. did not survive. C

BULKHEADS are the watertight walls between compartments. APTAIN (Portsmouth, NH:(Portsmouth, Heinemann). classroom use only. be reproduced for This page may E DWARD

The British technical journal THE SHIPBUILDER was so impressed with TITANIC’s bulkheads (left) and other S J. safety features that it u pronounced the ship IN MITH

The Comprehension Toolkit The Comprehension THE TITANIC However, if the would overflow never have and k could float if any first five sections into the sixth, “practically unsinkable.”

However, the bulkheads 1907 two of her 16 flooded, the bow and when that rose only 10 feet above “watertight” com- (front) would sink section filled, the waterline. Had they partments flooded, so low that the water would over- been built higher, the ship or even if the first water in the fifth flow into the sev- might not have sunk. four flooded. compartment enth, and so on.

Olympic launched Titanic launched. White Star Line con- 1910 (set afloat). 1911 tinues with changes and improve- ments that make it the largest ship in the world (left). Olympic makes its maiden voyage. 5 ©2005 by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis from from Goudvis Anne and Harvey Stephanie by ©2005 From Kids Discover — Titanic, © 2005. All rights reserved. Lesson 10: Titanic (4 of 12) 23 6 People in 1912 were very aware of their class, or position, in soci- The ety. Class was determined by family background, wealth, and Classes of education, among other things. On the Titanic, the price of a passenger’s ticket said a lot about 1912 that person’s position in society.

r THE WHITE STAR Line spared no expense to make its first-class rooms as opulent as possible. They came complete with thick carpets and overstuffed sofas and chairs. First-class passengers had at their disposal a gymnasium, swimming pool, squash court, Turkish bath, and library.

FIRST-CLASS STAIRCASE

r THE PRESS CALLED (Portsmouth, NH:(Portsmouth, Heinemann). classroom use only. be reproduced for This page may the Titanic the “millionaires’ special” because there were so many wealthy people traveling first-class. Their

combined fortunes Toolkit The Comprehension were around $500 JOHN JACOB ARCHIBALD BUTT ISIDOR AND IDA Scotland’s LUCY million ($9 billion ASTOR, New York Military advis- STRAUS He was a NOELLE MARTHA today). Among the millionaire, and er to Presi- founder of DYER-EDWARDS, rich and famous wife MADELEINE dent William Macy’s depart- THE COUNTESS OF people were the (He died; she Howard Taft ment store. ROTHES (She following: survived.) (He died.) (Both died.) survived.)

Builders put The Titanic com- The Titanic’s MARCH the finishing APRIL 2 pletes its sea trials, APRIL 10 maiden voyage touches on the Titanic. then sails from Belfast, Northern begins in Southampton and ends 1912 Ireland, to Southampton, England. in Cherbourg, France. 6 ©2005 by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis from from Goudvis Anne and Harvey Stephanie by ©2005 24 Lesson 10: Titanic (5 of 12) From Kids Discover — Titanic, © 2005. All rights reserved. 7

l RUNNING A GIANT the passengers’ machine like the needs, and 289 Titanic required firemen, trimmers, more than nine and greasers to The TITANIC could carry up to 3,547 people, yet hundred workers. carry and shovel it carried only 16 lifeboats and 4 collapsible Among them were coal into the boil- boats with canvas sides—enough for just 1,178 nine officers to ers and lubricate people. At the time, British laws stated that the supervise the moving parts of TITANIC had to carry only 16 lifeboats. By carry- crew, 390 stew- the ship. Seated ing the 4 collapsible boats, the TITANIC was ards and stew- at far left is Cap- actually carrying more than the law required. ardesses to serve tain Smith.

“My pretty little cabin with its electric heater and pink cur- tains delighted d THE TITANIC’S rooms were sim- d MOST THIRD- spare. However, me. Its beauti- second-class ple but attractive, class, or steerage, the Titanic fea- ful lace quilt, rooms were as with mahogany passengers were tured private cab- and pink cush- ions, and pho- good as first-class beds and linoleum poor people leav- ins for two, four, tographs all rooms on other floors. Second- ing Europe for a or eight people, round, it all ships. Most sec- class passengers new life in the not 40, as was looked so ond-class passen- also had their own U.S. Their accom- the case with homey.” gers were profes- library and several modations on the many other trans- SURVIVOR LADY sionals—teachers, other beautifully lower decks were atlantic liners. LUCILLE DUFF doctors, and busi- decorated public GORDON, FIRST- nessmen. Their rooms (below). CLASS PASSENGER

“Everything was new. New! Our cabin was r STEERAGE just like a big passengers came (Portsmouth, NH:(Portsmouth, Heinemann). classroom use only. be reproduced for This page may hotel room, it from many differ- was so big. ent countries. The dining room was (In fact, the ship beautiful—the carried people linens, all the of 24 different FIRST-CLASS bright polished nationalities.) BEDROOM

The Comprehension Toolkit The Comprehension silver you can During the early cashed in on it. imagine.” 1900s, immi- On the average, SURVIVOR RUTH gration to the U.S. a ticket on the BECKER, 12- exploded, and Titanic cost steer- YEAR-OLD shipping compa- age passengers GYMNASIUM SECOND-CLASS nies, like the two months’ pay. PASSENGER White Star Line,

The Titanic leaves Cherbourg on The APRIL 11 April 10 and arrives at Queens- APRIL 13 Titanic town (now called Cobh), Ireland, around noon on gets the first of seven ice the 11th to pick up the last of its passengers. warnings from other ships. Around 1:30 p.m., the Titanic departs for New York. 7 ©2005 by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis from from Goudvis Anne and Harvey Stephanie by ©2005 From Kids Discover — Titanic, © 2005. All rights reserved. Lesson 10: Titanic (6 of 12) 25 8 First Officer William Murdoch was in Disaster Strikes charge on the bridge (the control center The night that the Titanic sailed into at the front of a ship) at 11:40 when the history was cold and moonless. The nor- Titanic’s lookouts spotted the iceberg mally storm-tossed Atlantic Ocean was about 1,500 feet ahead. Murdoch reacted a flat calm. That Sunday was cold, but it quickly, reversing the engines and ring- had been a pleasant one for the passen- ing the warning bell, but less than 40 gers. They had spent their time attending seconds later, the ship’s starboard side church services and relaxing. By 11 scraped along the iceberg. From that p.m., most of them were in bed. moment on, the Titanic was doomed.

d WHEN PEOPLE SAY, cent below water “That’s just the tip may have sharp of the iceberg,” edges that could they mean that it’s damage a ship’s part of something hull. Atlantic ice- much bigger. bergs form when That’s because huge pieces of only about 10 freshwater ice percent of an break off from iceberg is above glaciers and float r THE TITANIC WAS However, many iceberg shown water. The 90 per- into the sea. so big that most steerage passen- below was in the THE ICEBERG passengers and gers, lower in North Atlantic the punched a crew felt only a the ship, realized night the Titanic series of thin slight vibration the danger. The sank. gashes along when the ship hit the first 250 the iceberg. Some feet of the also heard a noise, Titanic, dam- which one passen- aging six of ger described as the “water- the sound heavy tight” com- cloth makes as it partments, rips. Very few which begin first- and second- to flood. To class passengers get an idea were alarmed, even “I jumped out of how this of my bed, put after they learned affected the on a pair of During its journey, the TITANIC that the ship had rest of the trousers, and received seven messages from hit an iceberg. ship, take an ran up on the other ships warning that ice- After all, the Titanic deck to find empty ice bergs were in the area. The was “unsinkable.” out what was telegraph operators delivered cube tray and the matter. I all messages to Captain Smith slowly pour saw some or the officers, except one, water into just “I felt the engines slow and stop. The small pieces of NH:(Portsmouth, Heinemann). classroom use only. be reproduced for This page may from the MESABA.Smith steered one section. dancing motion and the vibrations ice on the star- the ship farther south to avoid As it fills, ceased suddenly after being a part of board side...” the ice- notice how the our very existence for four days, and SURVIVOR bergs, but that was the first hint that anything water pours ERNEST ARCHER, he did not out of the ordinary had happened. I SEAMAN slow down. over the top jumped out of bed, I went out of my Like many into other cabin into the hall. There was a stew- The Comprehension Toolkit The Comprehension captains at sections. ard leaning against the staircase. I the time, he said, ‘Why have we stopped?’ ‘I don’t trusted his know sir,’ he replied, ‘but I don’t sup- lookouts to pose it’s anything much.’” SURVIVOR spot trou- LAWRENCE BEESLEY, ble in time. SECOND-CLASS PASSENGER

11: 4 0 p . m . The 11: 5 0 p . m . Captain Smith and Thomas Andrews, Midnight Captain Smith 1 Titanic, traveling at 21 ⁄2 the ship’s designer, check for damage. Andrews tells the ship’s wireless knots, collides with an informs the captain that the Titanic will sink operators to send a dis- APRIL 14 iceberg. because more than four bulkheads are damaged. APRIL 15 tress call. 8 ©2005 by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis from from Goudvis Anne and Harvey Stephanie by ©2005 26 Lesson 10: Titanic (7 of 12) From Kids Discover — Titanic, © 2005. All rights reserved. 12

r ATFIRST, THERE was great confu- “The escaping steam making a sion but no panic deafening noise, on board the sink- women and chil- ing Titanic. On the dren were put into port (left) side of the boats first. the ship, the When most of the Titanic’s officers boats had left the allowed only ship, she began to women and chil- list forward. By SOS dren into the this time, I had decided that the lifeboats, as well only thing to do as one or two was jump for my crewmen to help life. Having shaken row and steer. On hands with my two the starboard best friends, I (right) side, men climbed up on the could get into the boat deck railing As the Titanic’s forward lifeboats if no and dropped about thirty feet into the compartments flooded, women or chil- sea.” dren were around wireless operators Jack SURVIVOR ALGERNON to fill the spots. dled, people BARKWORTH, FIRST- Phillips and Harold As the number of became increas- CLASS PASSENGER Bride frantically sig- lifeboats dwin- ingly frightened.

naled other ships. At d SOME OF THE LIFE- Molly Brown first, they sent the tradi- boat crews were organized the so inept that the women into row- tional Morse code women took over. ing teams and distress call, CQD On Lifeboat No. 6, helped keep spir- (Attention all stations: Denver millionaire its up. Known as a colorful, out- Distress). Several ships spoken woman responded, but the near- even before est one, the Carpathia, boarding the ship, the press later u AMID THE DESPER- below decks, en- was 58 miles, or more dubbed her “the ate search for gineers worked to than four hours, away. unsinkable Molly lifeboat space, the keep the lights The radio operators Brown.” A roman- ship’s eight-man on. The boiler ticized musical orchestra played room crews had then sent the newer SOS based on her life lively tunes to been dismissed to distress call, a signal later became a hit help keep people go topside. The play and movie. calm. Meanwhile, generators were that was easy to trans- operating on left- mit and receive. In over steam in the 1906, SOS (dot, dot, boilers, and as this subsided, the (Portsmouth, NH:(Portsmouth, Heinemann). classroom use only. be reproduced for This page may dot; dash, dash, dash; lights took on a The TITANIC had 20 lifeboats (in- dot, dot, dot) had been cluding 4 collapsible ones) and reddish glow in created to replace the davits (movable cranes for low- the ship’s final ering the lifeboats into the minutes. No longer and more compli- water). The davits could hold a musician or engi- cated CQD (dash, dot, boat full of people, but the neer survived. TITANIC’s officers hadn’t been told The Comprehension Toolkit The Comprehension dash, dot; dash, dash, of this. As a result of one officer’s fears of overloading, and dot, dash; dash, dot, dot). because of people’s unwilling- Did anyone Now, it was only a ness to leave loved ones, lifeboats predict the matter of time. that could have saved 1,178 peo- Titanic’ssinking? ple saved only 705. (answer on back cover)

2:05 a.m. Collapsible D is the last 2:17 a.m. The Titanic’s last 2:18 a.m. The Titanic breaks lifeboat launched. More than 1,500 wireless message is sent. Cap- in two pieces. The bow (front) people remain on the ship. tain Smith tells several people, section sinks. The stern (rear) “It’s every man for himself.” section seems to stay afloat. 9 ©2005 by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis from from Goudvis Anne and Harvey Stephanie by ©2005 From Kids Discover — Titanic, © 2005. All rights reserved. Lesson 10: Titanic (8 of 12) 27 14 The only remains afloat of the Titanic after Endless Night 2:20 a.m. were 20 lifeboats carrying just over seven hundred survivors. People in the boats were seasick and freezing. Nobody knew if or when a rescue ship would arrive. For most of those swimming in the frigid water, there was little hope. One survivor said that their cries for help at first sounded like the crowd’s roar at a baseball stadium when the batter hits a home run. But soon, the shouting faded away as the cold silenced the voices.

r THE BIGGEST salty seawater a few minutes. “Striking the water was threat to people in was around 28°F, Hypothermia like a thousand knives the water was four degrees causes the activity being driven into one’s hypothermia, a below freezing, of the organs to body.” SURVIVOR CHARLES LIGHTOLLER, THE TITANIC’S dangerous lower- and no person slow down, and SECOND OFFICER ing of the body’s could survive in eventually they temperature. The it for more than stop working.

d WHEN THE CAR- Carpathia four l SHIPS’ RADIOS reported that all pathia got the hours to get were all on the the passengers message that everyone from same frequency, had been saved. the Titanic was the Titanic’s causing messages Others, lacking in grave danger, lifeboats on from the Titanic facts, made up it raced to help. board. The ship’s and other ships to stories. As the In doing so, it captain, Arthur become garbled or Carpathia entered had to ignore Rostron (right), merged. This left New York harbor, caution and run was awarded a people on shore crowds gathered, an obstacle specially com- desperate for and people eager- course of ice- missioned Medal news. Some news- ly sought out bergs in the of Honor by the papers mistakenly loved ones. dark. It took the U.S. Congress. (Portsmouth, NH:(Portsmouth, Heinemann). classroom use only. be reproduced for This page may

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Can hypothermia ever save lives? Despite the terrible cries for help, just one (answer on back lifeboat—No. 14 (below)—went back to pick up cover) people in the water. Those in the other boats were afraid of being pulled down by the suc- tion of the TITANIC sinking (which, as it turned out, was not very strong). They were also afraid “. . . and finally the ghastly noise of being over- of the people thrashing about and turned by desperate people screaming and drowning, that trying to scram- finally ceased. I remember saying ble on board. to my mother once, ‘How dread- The lifeboat that ful that noise was,’ and I always went back remember her reply, and she found only four said, ‘Yes, but think back about people alive in the silence that followed it . . .’ ” the water—and SURVIVOR EVA HART, ASEVEN-YEAR- one of them OLD SECOND-CLASS PASSENGER soon died.

l FROM NEW YORK, the Lapland. At some survivors Plymouth, they went to Washing- were taken to the ton, D.C., to testi- train station (left) fy about what had before going to happened. Others testify at the went to Plymouth, British inquiry England, aboard into the disaster. (Portsmouth, NH:(Portsmouth, Heinemann). classroom use only. be reproduced for This page may

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3:30 a.m. Survivors in 4:10 a.m. Lifeboat 8:30 a.m. Lifeboat No. 12 is the the lifeboats see signal No. 2 is the first last one rescued. Three days later, rockets from the rescue picked up by the the Carpathia arrives in New York ship, Carpathia. Carpathia. with 705 Titanic survivors. 11 ©2005 by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis from from Goudvis Anne and Harvey Stephanie by ©2005 From Kids Discover — Titanic, © 2005. All rights reserved. Lesson 10: Titanic (10 of 12) 29 16 In the early 1900s, science and technology seemed to be Titanic’s Legacy making the world better all the time. New drugs elimi- nated diseases, and new inventions like the automobile made life easier. However, the sinking of the “unsinkable” Titanic rattled everyone’s confidence in progress. The march of technology did not stop after April 15,

I N 1912, but it did pause to learn a few lessons. The A

S E Titanic has remained a source of curiosity ever since. R V I N G P LA TE IN 1985, FRENCHMAN Underwater cam- Jean-Louis Michel eras were lowered and American to explore the FIRST- CLASS Robert Ballard led wreck. In 1986, DINNER the team of scien- Ballard returned to PLATE tists who discov- the site, this time ered the wreck of with a submers- the Titanic, two ible, Alvin, which and a half miles for the first time below the surface enabled humans to of the Atlantic. visit the wreck.

BANKNOTE

FIRST-CLASS DEMITASSE CUP

SILVERWARE (Portsmouth, NH:(Portsmouth, Heinemann). classroom use only. be reproduced for This page may

u FLORIDA-BASED with the approval saying that the d ATONETIME, ly to crack in cold way due to the RMS Titanic, Inc. of the British and Titanic’s wreck is a scientists studying temperatures. incredible force owns salvage French govern- gravesite. Others the wreck believed More likely, the of the flooding

rights to the Titan- ments, it has sold say the recovered that the iceberg steel bent or gave water. Toolkit The Comprehension ic. It has retrieved lumps of coal objects them- did so much dam- more than six from the ship to selves serve as a age to the Titanic thousand objects raise money. memorial to the because the ship’s from the wreck. Some people pro- Titanic’s passen- steel had become The company test the salvaging, gers and crew brittle in cold vowed not to sell and provide valu- water. However, objects with his- able insights into newer research torical impor- life aboard the suggests that the tance. However, ship in 1912. steel was not like-

12 ©2005 by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis from from Goudvis Anne and Harvey Stephanie by ©2005 30 Lesson 10: Titanic (11 of 12) From Kids Discover — Titanic, © 2005. All rights reserved. 17 S l ALMOST AS SOON Californian was the Californian as the Titanic’s accused of being may have seen survivors reached the mystery ship the Titanic’s dis- New York, the that left the tress rockets. press began look- Titanic to its fate. Also, the Califor-

SCAPEGOAT ing for someone Later investiga- nian’s radio oper- to blame. Survi- tions found that ator had shut vor J. Bruce get. The American u WHILE THE TITANIC this probably was down its wireless Ismay, managing press criticized was sinking, some not true: a third for the night, as director of the him for boarding on board saw the ship may have usual, so he never TITANIC White Star Line, a lifeboat when so lights of a ship in moved between heard the Titanic’s was their top tar- many others died. the distance. The them. Even so, calls for help.

What happened to the Titanic’s sister ships, Olympic and Gigantic?

(Portsmouth, NH:(Portsmouth, Heinemann). classroom use only. be reproduced for This page may (answer on back cover)

d THE TITANIC HAS Dorothy Gibson. r TWO INVESTIGA- ry. Every large inspired books, Most people today tions into the sink- ship also had to poems, plays, know about the ing—one British, keep its wireless

The Comprehension Toolkit The Comprehension films, and songs. disaster through one American— working at all The first movie the 1997 hit led to big changes times. Shipping came out just one movie Titanic, in how ships oper- lanes were shifted month after the starring Leonardo ated. Almost farther south to ship sank and DiCaprio and Kate immediately, all avoid icebergs, starred survivor Winslet. ships had to carry and an iceberg enough lifeboats patrol was set up for all passengers, to chart and follow and lifeboat drills icebergs and issue became mandato- warnings.