“SOS Titanic. We are sinking fast."
The Titanic’s last SOS messages - and a colorized photo of some of the people who survived the sinking
“SOS SOS CQD CQD Titanic. We are sinking fast. Passengers are being put into boats. Titanic.”
This was one of the last wireless messages sent from the Titanic, at approximately 2:15 am on April 15 1912 - roughly two hours after the ship hit the iceberg. The Carpatia, a Cunard Line transatlantic passenger steamship, was at the receiver end.
The last recorded messages are increasingly desperate. Titanic was sinking fast, and it was obvious. The passengers were being loaded into lifeboats, with heartbreaking goodbyes between couples, children and friends - all while the crew deployed distress flares and several radio (wireless) communications to request assistance.
These messages were being sent by the young wireless operators on board who had been recruited by The Marconi company. Among them were Jack Philips, a 25-years-old British sailor and senior wireless operator who was later blamed for failing to pass on warnings of icebergs earlier in the day, and Harold Bride, his junior wireless operator. Bride would survive the sinking, and his accounts would tell a very different story: "I will never live to forget the work of Phillips during the last awful 15 minutes,” he said.
The ship would sink only a few minutes after the last message was transmitted, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,500 people - including Jack Philips - in what would be one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.
“Come quick. Engine room nearly full."
Messages began being transmitted just after midnight - the first one at 12:17 am, and the second at 12:20 am.
12:17 am — Titanic to Any Ship: “CQD CQD SOS Titanic Position 41.44 N 50.24 W. Require immediate assistance. Come at once. We struck an iceberg. Sinking.”
12:20 am — Titanic to Carpathia: “Come at once. We have struck a berg. It’s a CQD, old man. Position 41.46 N 50.14 W”
Five minutes later, the Carpathia responded:
12:25 am — Carpathia to Titanic: “Shall I tell my captain? Do you require assistance?”
The Titanic responded back:
12:26 am — Titanic to Carpathia: “Yes, come quick!”
Both ships continued communicating:
12:32 am — Carpathia to Titanic: “Putting about and heading for you”
12:40 am — Titanic to Carpathia: “SOS Titanic sinking by the head. We are about all down. Sinking. . .”
12:50 am — Titanic calls CQD — “I require immediate assistance. Position 41.46 N. 50.14 W.”
Next, Titanic would reach out to the RMS Olympic. It’s hard to put ourselves into the situation and try to imagine the panic and chaos that had been already established at this moment:
1:30 am — Titanic to Olympic: “We are putting passengers off in small boats.” “Women and children in boats, can not last much longer”
Communication still went on for a while - and the Titanic finally fell silent.
"Fine voyage, fine ship."
Earlier that day, wireless operators were busy transmitting far happier news from passengers who couldn't even begin to imagine what they would be faced with a few hours later. The possibility of reaching out to loved ones via wireless communication, however, was a luxury, available only to the people who could pay for them. Those who couldn't afford it resorted to good old postcards.
One of them, sent to New York, reads: "Hello Boy. Dining with you tonight in spirit, heart with you always. Best love, Girl."
Another one, this time sent to Los Angeles, goes straight to the point: "No sickness. All well. Notify all interested in poker."
705 people survived the sinking. They were rescued by the RMS Carpathia some nine and a half hours after the collision, and were greeted by their relatives upon their safe return to Southampton.
You made that image look so fresh that it could have been taken yesterday! 😮