Limerick – In what can only be described as a stupendous disaster. The world is reeling from the heartbreaking news of the sinking of the Titanic, the mammoth liner of the White Star Line, on her maiden voyage from Queenstown to New York. The magnitude of the tragedy is almost incomprehensible, with reports indicating that a staggering 1,700 souls have been lost at sea.
The calamity struck when the Titanic collided with an iceberg off the Newfoundland Banks on Sunday night, leading to its eventual foundering at 2:30 AM yesterday (Monday) morning. The vessel, touted as the largest afloat, succumbed to the frigid waters, taking with it a vast majority of its passengers and crew.
As the latest accounts reveal, approximately 675 passengers, primarily women and children, have been reported saved. Among the tragic losses are several distinguished individuals, including American millionaires, Mr W. T. Stead, and a director of the White Star Line.
White Star Line officials have issued a statement conveying the distressing news. Captain Haddock of the Olympic, in a wireless message, reported that the Titanic sank after all passengers and crew had been lowered into lifeboats and transferred to the Virginian. The steamer Carpathia, now en route to New York, is carrying several hundred survivors from the Titanic.
A dispatch received at New York from Cape Race provides additional details, stating that the Carpathia reached the Titanic’s position at daybreak but found only boats and wreckage. The Titanic was reported to have foundered around 2:20 AM at latitude 41 degrees 16 minutes, longitude 50 degrees 14 minutes. Thankfully, all the Titanic’s boats are said to be accounted for, with about 674 souls saved, predominantly comprising women and children. The Leyland liner California is actively searching the vicinity of the disaster, and the Carpathia is returning to New York with the survivors.
The toll of this maritime catastrophe is nothing short of devastating. With 2,358 persons on board at Queenstown, the estimated death toll stands at 1,683, with 187 of them hailing from Ireland. The grief is particularly poignant in Limerick and other Irish communities as they come to terms with the scale of this unprecedented tragedy that has left an indelible mark on the annals of maritime history.
As the world grapples with the aftermath of this disaster, the city of Limerick mourns alongside countless others, unified in grief and offering support to those affected by the loss of their loved ones in this unparalleled maritime tragedy.
Limerick Echo – Tuesday 16 April 1912
