April 10: Wednesday - Sailing day
Noon:
The Titanic casts off and begins her maiden voyage. She has a near miss
with the
steamer New York caused by the suction of Titanic's enourmous displacement
April 12 and 13: Friday and Saturday
The Titanic sails through calm, clear weather.
April 14:
Sunday Seven ice warnings are received during the day. Reports come in
from the Caronia,
Baltic, Amerika, Californian and Mesaba.
10:50pm:
The Californian sends a wireless message directly to the Titanic telling
them that
they were stopped and surrounded by ice.
11:39pm:
The lookouts, Fredrick Fleet and Reginald Lee, see an iceberg dead ahead.
First
Officer William Murdoch orders the engines reversed and the wheel hard
to
starboard. The Titanic slowly turns to port but it is too late. The iceberg
strikes the
Titanic on the starboard side of her bow. Murdoch activates the ship's
watertight
doors.
11:50pm:
Captain Smith asks designer Thomas Andrews and the ship's carpenter to
conduct
a visual inspection of the damage. Water has poured in and risen 14 feet
in the
front part of the ship.
April
15: Monday
12:00am:
Captain Smith is told that the ship can only stay afloat for a couple of
hours. He
orders radio operators Harold Bride and Jack Phillips to send the distress
call.
12:05am:
Orders are given to uncover the lifeboats and to get the passengers and
crew ready
on deck. But there is only enough room in the lifeboats for about half
of the
estimated 2,227 people on board.
12:25am:
The order is given to start loading the lifeboats with women and children
first. The
Carpathia, southeast of the Titanic by about 58 miles, picks up a distress
call and
immediately heads, full speed, to the rescue.
12:45am:
The first of the lifeboats is safely lowered away. It can carry 65 people
but pulls
away from the Titanic carrying only 28! The first distress rocket is fired.
Eight
rockets will be fired throughout the night.
1:15am:
The tilt of the deck grows increasingly steeper. Lifeboats now begin to
leave more
fully loaded.
1:40am:
Most of the forward lifeboats have been lowered. Passengers now move towards
the stern of the ship.
2:05am:
The last lifeboat leaves. There are now over 1,500 people left on board
the sinking
ship. The tilt of the Titanic's decks grows steeper by the minute.
2:17am:
The last radio call for help is sent out. Captain Smith tells his crew
"It's every man
for himself!"The Titanic's bow plunges under. Many passengers jump over
board.
The forward funnel collapses, crushing a number of people.
2:18am:
Items in the ship are heard crashing through walls and falling toward the
sinking
bow. The ship's lights blink once and then go out. Several survivors see
the ship
break in two. The bow section sinks.
2:20am:
The Titanic's broken off stern section settles back into the water, becoming
level
for a few moments. Slowly it fills with water and again it tilts its end
high into the
air, before sinking into the sea. Those struggling in the icy water slowly
freeze to
death.
3:30am:
The rescue ship, Carpathia's rockets are sighted by the survivors in the
lifeboats.
4:10am:
The first lifeboat is picked up by Carpathia.
8:50am:
The Carpathia leaves the area bound for New York, carrying 705 survivors.