RMS Titanic

RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. The sinking of Titanic caused the deaths of 1,514 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. She was the largest ship afloat at the time of her maiden voyage. One of three Olympic class ocean liners operated by the White Star Line, she was built between 1909–11 by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. She carried 2,208 people; 1,496 died in the sinking and 712 were saved.

Sourced

• I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a [large] ship to founder. . . . Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that.
  • The captain of The Titanic. Quoted in The Watchtower magazine, published by Jehovah's Witnesses, April 15, 1988.
• God himself could not sink this ship.
  • A crew member of that vessel said to a passenger. Quoted in The Watchtower magazine, published by Jehovah's Witnesses, April 15, 1988.

• The Titanic sank about 2:20 a.m. April 15, 1912, according to the records. I saw it slide down into the ocean to its horrible finish. The moment it sank left a memory of something that haunts me till this day. It was the eerie sound of the people groaning and screaming frantically for help, as they were hurtled into the icy water. Almost all died from the cold water. The sounds lasted for about 45 minutes and then faded away.
  • Louis Garrett, Titanic survivor. Quoted in Awake! magazine, October 22, 1981.

• In safety, . . . it was believed, the last word had been uttered in the construction of the ‘Titanic.”’
  • New York Times, April 16, 1912.

During the sinking

• Great God, man! Open the gate and let David klien through!
  • A Night to Remember[1]. This quote is sometimes given as:
  • For God’s sake man, let the girls past to the boats, at least![2]
  • James "Jim" Farrell to a crew member who was blocking a passageway. Farrell's actions saved the lives of four Irish women by allowing them to reach the lifeboats.[3].

• Not damn likely.
  • Second Officer Charles Lightoller after refusing a direct order from Chief Officer Wilde to enter a lifeboat.[4].

• We have lived together for many years. Where you go, I go.
  • Said by Ida Straus to her husband Isidor after she refused to board a lifeboat.[5]

• If you will get to hell out of that, I shall be able to do something. Do you want me to lower away quickly? You will have me drown the whole lot of them.
  • Fifth Officer Harold Lowe to J. Bruce Ismay, owner of the White Star Line, who had been repeating the order "Lower away!" to the men lowering Lifeboat No. 5. Said at the United States inquiry. Lowe hesitated to repeat his exact words, saying the language was "not very parliamentary". Ismay, who was present, suggested that Lowe write down the offending word and pass it to the chair of the proceedings, Senator William Alden Smith (R-MI), who consented to its being spoken aloud. [6]

Misattributed

• I asked for ice, but this is ridiculous.
  • Said to have been said by Colonel John Jacob Astor, but for various reasons this attribution is spurious.[7]