It is now 100 years from that unforgettable night in April 1912 when the purportedly “unsinkable” Titanic sank inside one or two hours of colliding with an iceberg. It was to be the trip of a life-time for those that had paid an enormous sum of money to travel on its maiden voyage to New York. What a respected event it was when the proud flagship of the White Star Line set sail from Southhampton, with great pomp and pageantry to cross the Atlantic. The thought that the journey would never be finished did not enter the minds of any who were on board. They'd invariable confidence in the ship and its size, construction and capability to take them safely to their destination. How many there are today who are dependent on good works and the ideas and viewpoints of men and they are persuaded they can thus arrive in heaven and they need nobody and zip to annoy their false peace.
Having reached the small port of Cobh in Southern Ireland where the last few passengers embarked, the mighty ship steamed out of the calm waters to commence its ill-starred journey to N. America. There was no sense of foreboding; no fear and no phobia of what was to come. All appeared to be going well as the horns of the little vessels which went with the Titanic sounded just before she reached the open ocean and she began to carve her way proudly thru the waves of the Atlantic. What a sight it was for the thousands who occupied each view point to get a glance of the then biggest passenger vessel afloat. It epitomised the absolute best in nautical engineering and was so designed as to be unsinkable as far as the designers and engineers were concerned.
Everything seemed to be going just fine and everybody on board was having a fab time. It was precisely as they had planned and the events which lay ahead did not even appear on the horizon. The wine flowed and the hearts of all were merry. They had not got any idea that catastrophe was only hours away and those that were to perish had no sense of foreboding as they enjoyed their generous and opulent surroundings and though of the stories they would tell pals and relations of this exciting adventure.
The first alert of icebergs on Friday 12 April was received from the Empress of Britain and this was followed by at least ten other warnings through that day. On Sat. morning a further alert was sent by the Caronia at 9am, highlighting a specific area where there had been considerable danger. Further alerts were sent from the Noordam, the Amerika, the Baltic and the Californian which identified the exact position of large icebergs. At that stage the Titanic was a little less than 2 hours away from an ice-field 70 miles long.
Not long afterwards, high in the crow’s nest, Fleet and Lee peered out into the dark and screamed, “Iceberg right ahead”. They'd only 30 seconds to react. There was a terrifying shudder and an ineffable sound as the iceberg ripped a 300 foot gash in the hull of the powerful Titanic. It was already too late; water was pouring in; the case was already hopeless. The unthinkable had happened; the unsinkable Titanic sank and 2/3rds of the passengers perished. It is still one of the greatest maritime disasters ever.
The amazing and true story of John Harper who sacrificed his life at the sinking of the Titanic is an account that has to be retold often. See the visible outline of the story at www.eikonbibleart.com.
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