Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 20 April 1912

Unparalleled Disaster at Sea

Greatest Ship in the World Foundered

Nearly 1500 lives lost

The White Star liner, Titanic, the largest vessel afloat, which began a maiden voyage on Wednesday last week when she left Southampton for new Yacht, collided with an iceberg on Sunday night, and was so badly damaged that wireless coal trade were sent out.

No fewer than 12 lines were within reach of the summons, and made prompt response. The measures taken by Captain E.J.Smith to close the watertight compartment were effective in keeping the vessel afloat for a few hours, but later, however, the great leviation sank to the sea bottom, almost 2 miles deep.

Later messages to hand indicate that after a collision with an iceberg she sang before she could be reached by any of the ships which hasten to respond to a wireless call for succour.

Of all the 2,350 persons on board, the total survivors are officially declared at New York to be 868, so that the number who are believed to have perished is 1,490. The survivors are on board the Cunard liner Carpathia, which is expected to reach New York on Friday morning.

A very striking display of sympathy has been evoked in all parts of the world, and in some of the foreign capital, as well as the colonies, the legislative bodies have been given formal expression to their feelings.

King George sent a telegram to President Taft, conveying an expression of the sympathy of the Queen and himself with the bereaved. Mr Taft has also sent King George a message of condolence.

A Mansion House fund has been opened for the relief of the widows, orphans and dependent relatives of those of the crew or passengers on the Titanic lost their lives.

Among those who have gone down the line and several millionaires, Mr W.T.Stead, the celebrated English journalist, and the Captain of the ship.