THE LOSS OF THE TITANIC.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1416, 17 April 1912, Page 6

THE LOSS OF THE TITANIC.

The tragic end of the great White Star liner Titanic, sunk through collision with an iceberg off the shores of Newfoundland while on her maiden voyage, furnishes perhaps tho least expected and most overwhelming catastrophe in tho annals of shipping and of the sea. At time of writing the full details are not available, but it would seem that enormous loss of life has occurred, as well as economic loss without parallel. The disaster is a heavy blow to human pride, and to the resources of human skill, for by every human standard and calculation the Titanic should have been the safest vessel afloat, being equipped with every device science and invention could contrive in order to reduce the dangers and uncertainties of navigation to a minimum. The supreme confidence engendered within recent years by notable achievements in marine architecture and engineering will be rudely shaken by tho fate which has overtaken this monster ocean liner, but for the moment little thought will be given to any other consideration than the appalling loss of life which has accompanied the disaster. The incalculable value of wireless telegraphy has again been demonstrated. The appeals for assistance sent out from the stricken vessel unfortunately failed to prevent a calamitous loss of life, but had it not been for the means available of communicating with other vessels in the vicinity the position would have been even worse than it is. There appears to be some doubt as to the number actually unaccounted for, but it is unlikely that the White Star Company would supply alarmist information on tho subject, and althdugh it is possible that better news may yet come to hand, it is to be feared that the estimated loss is approximately correct. If tho vessel had managed to keep afloat her position was one of perilous difficulty. Near by, as sea distances go, was a rocky and precipitous coastline, which may not have afforded even a shelter, much less an opportunity to beach the vessel, which is usually the only course that can bo, followed in an emergency of this kind, and that two years ago was the means of saving from total loss, following collision with a rock off the Irish coast, tho large Canard steamship Ivernia. The nearest port likely to afford assistance to the Titanic was Halifax, five hundred miles from Cape Race. It would appear, however, that the vesacl Was so serimisly_ damaged by the collision with the iceberg that she became helpless and at the mercy of the sea. It has been the boast of shi.pb'uiklors thai; even if n modern ship wore cut in two the inimrroiiß watertight bulkheads, designed to close cither automatically or by Hie touching of an I'h'clric button, wmild keep hrr aflujit. The watrrticht coiupartnu'iifs failed lo shvp tlm White Star liner fii-|ii)Mic, Mill's Jj.fl-Pi- rnllir.irtri with a much smaller atcatucr not far from

' whiMT. tho Titanic now lins, and they ! also failed lo savn the Pericles, lost i ;)f£ the coast, of Western Australia. ' Tho reason of the. failure, of the divisional bulkheads to keep the Titanic ■float will bi! the cause of anxious ■ inquiry and speculation. Probably :yi. will lie found that, the force with Mch the huge vessel struck the ice :•■■•; only crumpled up her bows, but ,! ■ ripped open the bottom plates ' ' ■-. considerable distance, permit•o tremendous an inrush of ■■•• xs to make her position hope'viiii the outset. Human in- - .i!" and engineering skill can do ''■■' i>! such circumstances.