THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC

"Iceberg Dead Ahead, Sir"
by WM. H. FERGUSON

As the writer sailed up the Belfast Lough many years ago, it was an impressive sight to see the giant S. S. Titanic on the "stocks" and, later, riding comfortably in the waters of the Lough in preparation for a hopefully long life as the "giant of the seas."

Her name -- TITANIC -- was derived from Greek mythology and was one of the primeval dieties which spiritually blind men worshipped, and in this name the "sun" was personified: but ere the sun rose on the morning of April 15th, 1912, she lay nearly two miles deep at the bottom of the icy Atlantic. The story is well known to many -- we merely recount a little and seek to derive some lessons which may cause some fellow-traveler to eternity to stop, think and listen!

A BEAUTIFUL DAY TOMORROW

Two men stood on this wonderful ship on this, her maiden voyage, watching the setting sun which had shone brilliantly through the Sunday of April 14th, four days after she left Southampton, and as they leaned over the forward rail, one said to his companion, "We'll have a beautiful day tomorrow." They both retired to their luxurious cabins but for the speaker and nearly sixteen hundred others that "beautiful tomorrow" was an empty mirage, and a dread awakening for probably the most. What about your tomorrow, reader? Read James 4:13, 15. Would you be ready to meet your God if the summons came tonight?

ICEBERG AHEAD, SIR

Fleet, the seaman, away up in the crow's nest, half way up the foremast, his eyes peering through the moonless night, the heavens studded with stars, saying little to his companion lookout, fixed his keen eyes dead ahead.

Suddenly, it loomed out of the darkness, he rang immediately the alarm to the bridge and called out, "Iceberg dead ahead, sir." He watched the mammoth mountain of ice reveal its size as the Titanic's fifty thousand tons rode mercilessly over the seas at twenty two and a half knots an hour, straight for it. Back on the bridge, the First Officer, who was on duty, the Captain having retired to his room nearby, barked the command to the steersman which was promptly obeyed and might have averted the disaster under ordinary circumstances, but it was TOO LATE. The berg seemed to glide to starboard swiftly, but not soon enough. Down in the engine room the warning bell clanged, the engines were reversed to hasten the swing to port, but a giant spur of sharp ice under the water line tore into hundreds of feet of the starboard forepart of the ship. The bulkhead doors were immediately closed but, here again, it was never contemplated that so many watertight compartments could be flooded at one time and two hours and forty minutes later, her stern high out of the water, with her propellers glistening under the stars, the giant S. S. Titanic slid through the icy waters to her doom with the sixteen hundred ... "till the sea gives up its dead."

THE NEW WORLD TO COME

The designer of the ship was on board and we are told that towards the closing moments of life, before the final plunge, he stood in the smoking room, looking at the mural on the wall with the above caption, his lifebelt laid to one side, contemplating the end of what had been a beautiful dream on the part of designer and owners and the public -- what his thoughts must have been can be supposed -- the hopelessness of the tragedy probably would still the master mind, as the icy waters soon stifled his very life. How many are vainly dreaming of better things to come while they leave God out of their reckoning, little thinking of the hopelessness of their state, apart from God and His redeeming love in the gift of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23.

RICHES PROFIT NOT IN THE DAY OF DEATH

The rich, the poor and the middle class alike stood on that sinking vessel and the tragic truth developed that THERE WAS NOT ROOM ENOUGH IN THE LIFEBOATS FOR ALL. They never thought of their need, beforehand. How sad! How many today on the voyage of life, think not of the Gospel lifeboat, but thank God, there is room enough for all in God's "Whosoever" -- read John 3:14, 15, 16. Rev. 22:17, etc. The millionaire and the poor man shared the same fate. The Master of the ship, the veteran Captain Smith and the humblest seaman found themselves on the same level and the last words of the noble Captain, who had so signally failed to heed the warnings of icebergs on their course, were to release everyone from their duty, just prior to the plunge, and tell them ... "Every man for himself." He, in the true ethics of the sea, went down with his ship to a watery grave.

S. O. S.

Shortly after midnight, a half hour after she struck the iceberg, when there was no hope of saving the ship, Captain Smith told the Marconi operator to send out the call for assistance ... C. D. Q. Urgent. Later, the newest distress signal ... S. 0. S. was sent out from the Titanic for the first time in sea history.

ASLEEP

About ten or twelve miles off, possible to be alongside in time to perhaps effect the rescue of most, the S. S. Californian lay lazily drifting because of the ice danger. Her captain retired to his room -- her wireless operator laid aside his ear phones -- the distress rockets from the Titanic merely excited the curiosity of some crew members, and later the captain, while about 2500 people were in immediate danger of drowning. But while they drowned, the Californian's crew slept. How about us!

Sleeping when millions are dying,
Cries of distress 'neath the wave;
Stifled the sad wail of sorrow,
Lost in the ocean's vast grave.

The S. 0. S. flashed out but no answer from the nearest ship came. What if God did not answer you, sinner! Thank God, He never sleeps -- He ever stands ready to answer the cry of distress ... Cp. Acts 16:30, 31.

THE UNHEEDED WARNINGS

The many messages of warning from other ships of icebergs in the ice field went unheeded. The S. S. Californian sent three warnings -- the S. S. Baltic sent another warning of ice danger, as did other vessels. The temperature of the water dropped to 31 degrees, but the Titanic slackened not her pace but swiftly sailed to her rendezvous with death. The Wireless Operator gave a last message of ice to the Captain in the early evening, he, in turn, gave it to Mr. Ismay, Managing Director of the White Star Lines, who was on board. He stuffed it into his pocket and remarked to two ladies he was walking on deck with ... "it says there are icebergs all around us," but the speed slackened not. Had Captain Smith known that sixteen hundred souls had only five more hours to live, would he not have heeded the warning? Reader! You may not have five hours to live and then, if unsaved, a hell of despair and eternal doom awaits you. You may be saved NOW. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2. Some second class passengers that Sunday night (while the most whiled away their night in gaiety and frivolity) gathered around a preacher who was on board and sang ..."O, Hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea." But no one expected doom.

ARE YOU SAVED

Two hours and forty minutes after she struck, the sea closed on the mighty ship and some hundreds in lifeboats, rafts and others clinging to pieces of wood as long as the icy waters would permit them, tried to await rescue. Amongst the survivors was such a man, clinging to a board. He drifted near preacher John Harper, also in the same icy waters. John Harper shouted, "ARE YOU SAVED?" He answered "NO." Harper's answer was "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Later they drifted close to each other once more and the drowning Christian repeated the same question and received the same answer. He uttered again the divine remedy for perishing souls ... "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." The drowning Harper released his hold in the icy waters and was "at home with his Lord." The man he sought to win to Christ at last was amongst the saved picked up by the S. S. Carpathia's lifeboats and, as he himself said, he was John Harper's last convert, He trusted Christ.

SAVED OR LOST

As the Cunarder S. S. Carpathia picked up the survivors in the early morning hours there was no question as to a middle class -- there were just so many saved at sea and so many lost at sea. There is no middle class with you either, reader! You are either saved and bound for eternal glory or lost and going down to hell and eternal punishment. "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul." Mark 8:36, 37.

THE WARNING NOT UNHEEDED

The story of the Titanic has a strange fascination and hold on the minds of millions still. We believe it was a distinct voice from God just prior to the outbreak of the vast holocaust of the First World War. As we sailed the same course two years later and saw the like mountains of ice and lay in the icefields for a week, there was no carelessness on board. Our Captain seldom left the bridge, the foghorn sounded every few minutes for the week, sixty vessels lay around us, afraid to travel on account of ice and fog. The lesson of the Titanic was not unheeded by these experienced Masters of these ships. May you, dear reader, take this lesson to heart and seek Christ today ... Luke 19:10. HE SEEKS YOU!