When the Titanic sank in 1912, a legend was made that wouldn’t soon be forgotten. It feels like yesterday to some, but in reality it’s been more than 100 years since this horrific event took place. The day the Titanic sank remains to be one of the saddest days in human history.
It was a night of horror, tears, anguish, despair, and dismay. On that night, both the poor and the rich onboard the seemingly never-ending ship stared man’s greatest fear in the eye, death. This terrifying event has had books, articles, and even a feature film produced around it.
Not even the best of gamblers could’ve placed a bet on the Titanic sinking, especially during its first voyage. The ship was said to have been unsinkable. It was an engineering masterpiece that was designed to carry more passengers than any other previous ship could.
It was supposed to change the way people travelled. Instead, it caused an event so shaking that the memory of it will remain forever engraved in the history of man.
In the dark of the night, the ship clashed into an iceberg. The collision bore a large hole in the ship that wasn’t in the slightest recoverable. Despite the sailor’s best efforts, it became evident that there wasn’t anything that could be done to save the ship.
Due to the fear of failing to control the influx of people, the doors to the third class hallways were locked by the crew. Therefore, poor passengers and some foreigners were denied any chance of survival.
Since the White Star Line didn’t provide enough lifeboats to rescue every passenger on board, a policy to save women and children first was enforced. At the end of the day, the unprecedented happened, the Titanic’s first voyage was its last. The ship was lost alongside 1,500 passengers. Only about 700 people on board survived.
Some of these survivors were willing to share the detailed memories of this traumatizing event. Here is their testimony.
10 Mrs. Peter Reniff: The Last Woman Standing
Mrs. Peter Reniff boarded the Titanic with 8 of her loved ones. The journey began in excitement for her and her family. She was traveling with her husband, two brothers, several of her friends, and a cousin.
However, little did she know, she’d wind up being the only surviving passenger amongst the group after the ship sank. When Mrs. Reniff returned home, she was became so ill that she merely escaped death by her whiskers.
Due to the fear of aggravating her condition, no one told her about the death of her loved ones until she was in good health. She had been made to believe that another ship had picked them up and that they were just fine before she was well again.
Saying of her fellow passengers, “One of them told me that when the Titanic sank he was drawn down into one of the funnels and that he was shot out again when the air rushed from the ship. He said that he swam sixteen miles before he was picked up.”