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Show HUNDREDS PERISH WHEN STEAMER COES DOWN New York, April 17. The White Line SI earn Ship Company's steamer Titanic, the largest ship ever built, which startpd last week from Europe on her maiden trip across the Atlantic, was wreck Irte Sunday off the banks of Ne Foundland by a collision with an iceberg. Wireless messngesealling for aid were sent out at once, and half a dozen ships responded to the call. All however jrrived it the scene too late to be of larvice to the illfated vessel, which went down before aid reached it. Eight hundred and sixty, eight pissengers, mostly women, were put off the wreck in the life boats, and were picked up later by tne liner Carpathia, and are being brought to New York. Those who went down with the ship re said to number 1312, among whom were many wealthy and prominent men. The collision occured at a time when most of the passengers had retired or were about to go to bed. The shock of the collision Bent many passengers to the deck partly dressea. A' wireless wire-less dispatch came through Camper-down, Camper-down, N. S., saying that the passengers were ordered to the lifeboats at once and that many were Bcantily clad as they took their places in the boats. Danger confronted even those who were so fortunate as to be put aboard the lifeboat. Huge quantities of field ice covered the ocean, a wireless dispatch dis-patch says, and in the darkness the crews had to guide their boats w ith the greatest care to prevent being jammed jam-med and over turned. The ice was so heavy that the lifeboats conld not force their way through it and as a resuit the boats became widely separated. The air was biting cold and the chill breez from the ic Ho ss caused the passe igers to haver close together to keep warm. Throughout the night the lifeboats bobbed bob-bed helplessly between tne shifting Cokes of i;e while the survivors prayed tor dawn to come. Shortly after 2 o'clock the sinking Titanic made a great dive into the sea carrying hundreds of persons to death. Diyiint ca n; a id with it arrived the Cunarder Carpathia, which found only score of lifeboats with crew and pas-lengers pas-lengers floating helplessly about the vicinity where the Titanic had passed under the waves. Although rated as one of the most able commanders since the advent of the modern steam-hip. Captain Smith's career recently had been marred wiih ill-luck. He was in command of the Titanic'ssister ship Olympic when that vessel past in collision with the British cruiser Hawke. Exonerated (of blame for this occurrence, he was placed in charge of the Titanic only to graze d.saster wken his new charge fouled t e steamship New York after leaving Southamptonton her maiden voyage, which has ended so disastrously. He had been in ihe line's employ more ha thirty years and his first important command was the Majestic. |