Titanic Stories

Why is the sinking of the Titanic so compelling even today?  Was it the failure of the ship’s designer to have full watertight compartments, or to not have sufficient lifeboats?  Was it the hubris of the captain in deciding to break take the northernmost route, and not attempt to avoid the known iceberg dangers?  Was it the untrained crew?  Was it the decision to keep many steerage-class passengers from getting access to lifeboats for long intervals, although many of these passengers could have fit on some of the almost empty lifeboats?  Was it the lack of safety procedures, such as the wireless message of disaster only being received by a fortunate circumstance?  Ws it the responses of government hearings on both sides of the Atlantic?


Was it the heroic stories of survivors, especially the wives who chose to die with their husbands?  Was it the glorious scene of the musicians playing “Nearer My God to Thee” as the ship sank?  Was it the memorials in Halifax, Washington, and elsewhere?


Or was it the recent blockbuster movie, the one that inspired a young moviegoer to say to her friend that she hoped the movie had a happy ending?


This volume includes:

“The Loss of the S. S. Titanic,” by Lawrence Beesley

“Titanic,” by Filson Young

“Sinking of the Titanic,” with contributions from various authors

“The Titanic Disaster Poem,” by J. H. McKenzie

“Loss of the Steamship Titanic,” a U.S. Senate report

“Wreck and Sinking of the Titanic,” containing stories by many of the survivors