["Great Disaster", The Murchison Times and Day Dawn Gazette (Cue, WA), Thursday 18 April 1912]
GREAT DISASTER.
TITANIC HITS ICEBERG.
WIRELESS APPEALS FOR HELP.
JOURNALIST STEAD A PASSENGER.
New York, April 15.
The White Star liner Titanic (45,000 tons) left Southampton for New York on her maiden voyage on Wednesday, and reported yesterday by wireless that she had collided with an iceberg, and was in need of assistance.
The latest message states that the Titanic is sinking by her head off Cape Race, the south-eastern extremity of Newfoundland.
Among 1,380 passengers there are 300 saloon, including Mr. W. T. Stead, the well known journalist, and editor of the Review of Reviews. Of a crew there are 650.
The Virginian picked up the Titanic's appeals for help 170 miles off Cape Race, and with the Olympic and Baltic has gone to the rescue.
It is doubtful if they will be in time to render assistance. The last signals from Titanic were blurred, and they ended abruptly. When the Titanic struck the iceberg the weather was fine.
A GRIM OUTLOOK.
WHITE STAR OFFICIALS BELIEVE DEATH TOLL 1500.
London, April 16.
Reports received from the American side of the Atlantic state that the White Star liner Titanic struck an iceberg off Newfoundland on Sunday night and sank on Monday morning between Sable Island and Cape Race in water two miles deep.
A Halifax message states that all the passengers left the vessel by three o'clock on Monday morning.
The Carpathia, now on her way to New York, picked up life-boats containing 866 of the Titanic passengers. These were mostly women and include Mrs. Jacob Astor and Countess Rothes. Mr. Ismay, managing director of the White Star line, and Sir Cosmo Gordon Bahr, the well known tennis player, were also in the lifeboats.
The officials of the White Star line believe that 1500 persons have been drowned. This estimate is based on the number on board who have been found by the Virginia and transferred to the Carpathia.
