Some of the boats left the ship without seamen enough to man
the oars.

Some of the boats were not more than half full of passengers.

The boats had no provisions, some of them had no water stored,
some were without sail equipment or compasses.

In some boats, which carried sails wrapped and bound, there
was not a person with a knife to cut the ropes. In some boats the
plugs in the bottom had been pulled out and the women passengers
were compelled to thrust their hands into the holes to keep the
boats from filling and sinking.

The captain, E. J. Smith, admiral of the White Star fleet, went
down with his ship.



CHAPTER I

FIRST NEWS OF THE GREATEST MARINE DISASTER IN HISTORY

"THE TITANIC IN COLLISION, BUT EVERYBODY SAFE"--
ANOTHER TRIUMPH SET DOWN TO WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY--
THE WORLD GOES TO SLEEP PEACEFULLY--THE SAD AWAKENING.

LIKE a bolt out of a clear sky came the wireless message
on Monday, April 15, 1912, that on Sunday night
the great Titanic, on her maiden voyage across the