The Titanic

At the beginning of the 20th Century there was hunger and poverty in many countries in Europe. Many people emigrated, hoping to begin a new life in North America. For this reason many ships were built. At that time the Titanic was the largest passenger ship. It was constructed to the latest technical standards. As a result, people considered her to be unsinkable. On the Titanic the passengers were offered special amenities: there were several salons, a swimming-pool, palm gardens, restaurants and much more. However, this luxury was reserved for first-class passengers. The second-class passengers were accommodated on the two middle levels and the third-class passengers had to remain on the lower deck and at the back on the middle and upper decks.

In April 1912 the Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage to New York. At first the voyage continued without any big problems. Four days later there were the first radio warnings of icebergs. In the middle of the night an iceberg was sighted floating towards the Titanic. When attempting to sail past it, a sharp edge of the iceberg ripped open the hull below water level. The machines were stopped. When the crew discovered how badly damaged the ship was, flares and distress calls were sent out, but most ships were too far away to be able to help in time.

Most of the passengers were in their cabins. All they noticed of the collision was a slight bump. The passengers were told to dress in warm clothes, put on their life-jackets and go to the upper deck. But many were not aware of the danger. Some passengers didn’t have their life-jackets with them, others remained in the salons – and even the ship’s band carried on playing. Women and children were told to get into the lifeboats first. But many refused because they didn’t want their families to be separated. For that reason, some lifeboats were only half full. More than two hours after the collision the Titanic broke in two and sank. Many people drifted in the cold water. There was no one to rescue them. Hours later another passenger ship arrived and lifted the people out of the lifeboats. Only 705 people survived the tragedy. The last survivor lived until 2010.