On April 10th 1912, the legendary passenger ship Titanic embarked on its maiden voyage from Southhampton, England to New York City. I can only imagine the excitement amongst the passengers and crew. All 2,228 of them. Of the 337 passengers in first class, 285 in second class and 721 in third class plus 885 crew members only around 700 of them would survive.
I don't know about you…but that's not very many. The horror of that night and what happened so quickly after striking the iceberg seems terrifying! What was called the "Unsinkable Ship" did just that in a matter of hours. From the moment of impact (around 11:40pm) until 2:18 am, the passengers of Titanic barely had time to do anything. The confusion had to be enormous and the mayhem of life or death decisions unreal. Panic doesn't even seem like a big enough word.
Most of the survivors would be women and children from first class, 74% of the women and 52% of the children total. If you were unlucky enough to be in third class your fate was inevitable. Only around 20% total of the men would make it…all of them lucky enough to board one of the twenty lifeboats. Being poor was a tragedy like none other on this sad night. You literally had NO CHANCE!
I've read stories of how chaotic it was choosing who would actually get into the boats. Wives/mothers refused to leave their husbands and sons. Other's were so terrified they couldn't fathom being lowered into the icy water and missed their chance completely. Each boat was designed to hold 65 passengers, which to me..sounds like a big amount but the craziness of the situation made it impossible to fill them with any kind of order. The first few boats had only a few people in them. All of it, disastrous and horrible!
Who would want to leave any loved one in that situation? I ask myself, "What would I do?". I shudder to even imagine it. Heartbreaking. What bravery, what compassion.
Titanic is a part of history etched onto the heart of people everywhere. Even 100 years later. We grapple with the hopelessness of that night. Maybe that's why so many of us watch the movies/documentaries and read the books/stories. We're fascinated!
The Titanic is a grim reminder for each of us. Anything can happen. Unsinkable ships sink. Fancy trips can end tragically. Going to work can change your life forever. Time is promised to no one. Be reconciled with those you love (everyday) and with Christ. Live everyday as if it were your last.
April 15th 1912 @ 2:18am the Titanic sank leaving its mark on history forever.
