Wireless Reports Suggest Serious Damage; Rescue Ships Dispatched to Scene

WIRE BULLETIN – April 15, 1912 (2:00 A.M. EST) — Urgent wireless dispatches received early this morning indicate that the RMS Titanic, the newest and largest passenger liner in the world, has struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic late Sunday night and is reported to be in distress.

The message, received via the Marconi station at Cape Race, Newfoundland, reads as follows:

“CQD CQD CQD. This is Titanic. We have struck iceberg. Sinking by the head. Require immediate assistance.”

The wireless was transmitted by the Titanic’s Marconi operator, believed to be Mr. Jack Phillips, shortly before midnight, ship’s time. The position relayed was 41.46° N, 50.14° W, placing the liner approximately 400 miles south of Newfoundland, in an area known to contain heavy sea ice.

In our coverage of the RMS Titanic Anniversary this year, NetNewsLedger will cover the event as if we were covering it as it happened. This first report as the ship prepares to set course on her fateful journey is on the days before sailing. In those days newspaper coverage was the premier media.

CONDITIONS UNKNOWN, CASUALTIES UNSPECIFIED

Details remain scarce, and no confirmation has yet been made regarding injuries or fatalities. However, the gravity of the distress calls, combined with reports that the vessel was taking on water, have led many to fear the situation is dire.

The Titanic, operated by the White Star Line, departed Southampton on April 10 on her maiden voyage to New York, carrying over 2,200 souls, including crew and passengers from all classes of society — from prominent industrialists to hopeful emigrants.

Several vessels in the vicinity, including the RMS Carpathia of the Cunard Line and the Frankfurt, are reportedly making all haste toward the last known location.

WIRELESS IN CONSTANT MOTION

The Marconi Wireless Station at Cape Race has confirmed receiving multiple transmissions, some overlapping and contradictory as ships respond to the unfolding scene.

One message from the Olympic, a sister ship to the Titanic, states:

“Heard Titanic’s CQD and SOS. Position confirmed. Attempting to communicate.”

Another brief signal, reportedly from the Titanic shortly after 1:30 a.m., stated:

“Women being put off in lifeboats. Engine room flooding.”

No further messages have yet been received from the vessel since approximately 2:17 a.m., leading to mounting concern.

FAMILIES ANXIOUS, OFFICIALS SILENT

Officials from the White Star Line in New York and Liverpool have acknowledged the receipt of distress messages, but thus far have issued no formal statement.

Relatives of passengers and crew have begun to gather outside the company’s offices, seeking answers.

The Titanic, lauded as “unsinkable” due to her watertight compartments and reinforced hull, was under the command of Captain Edward J. Smith, a seasoned mariner on what was to be his final voyage before retirement.

A NATION HOLDS ITS BREATH

As telegraph wires hum across the Atlantic and families wait in anxious silence, the fate of the Titanic remains uncertain. Whether the ship still floats or has succumbed to the sea cannot yet be confirmed.

More information is expected by dawn. Until then, the world watches and waits for the fate of the greatest ship ever to sail.