*Chapter 18*
When Lightoller arrived at the wheelhouse, nobody was to be seen.
Hitchens wasn't at the wheel; Nobody was on watch either.
Lightoller looked around, confused. He walked around, and heard voices coming from the office behind the wheelhouse.
He poked his head around the corner, and spotted Smith, Andrews, Pitman, and Ismay talking about the incident with the iceberg.
He reluctantly entered the room. After all, he was an officer, and needed to know what was going on. He saw Andrews roll out a large diagram of the ship.
"Water... 15 feet above the keel in ten minutes, in the forepeak, in all 3 holds, and in boiler room six," Mr Andrews blurted out, rather worried.
Ismay was being very impatient.
"When can we get underway, dammit?"
"That's five compartments!" Andrews said, firmly. "She can stay afloat with the first four compartments flooded, but not five. She will go down by the head, as the water spills over the bulkheads. From this moment on, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder." Andrews sounded absolutely heartbroken.
"But this ship can't sink!" Ismay scoffed, as though he knew everything.
"She's made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. And she will. In an hour. Two, at most."
Ismay was now speechless.
"There are 2200 souls on board, sir," Murdoch said, solemnly.
Lightoller jumped away from the room, absolutely horrified, at the news he had just received.
He hurried out to the bridge, and eyed everything, admiring it as best as he could, for he knew this would be the last night he would ever stand on Titanic's bridge again.
***
"Miss, will you please change your dress, its quite cold out tonight," a steward stated to Clara, just as she entered her room.
"Why would I need to dress warmly? I'm staying here," Clara insisted.
The steward sighed.
"As you are probably aware, miss, we have struck ice, and the ship may sink. So, I'm going to need to get you to please, dress warmly, put on your lifebelt, and come up to the boat deck."
Clara ignored the persisting steward, but decided to dress warmly anyway. She didn't want to ruin her most beautiful dress.
Claire started into Clara's room, and ripped off Clara's corset, when she realized that Clara was trying to lace it up, wasting time.
Clara glared at her, dumbfounded.
"What are you doing? We're in the middle of an emergency!" Claire said, raising her voice. "I heard this ship gonna sink, and not with us still in it, that's for sure!"
"But I don't understand! How can it sink?!" Clara demanded.
"Ok. There are 16 watertight compartments, right, and they only go up to E- deck. So, the ships hit the iceberg, which has scraped along G, F, and E decks. So the watertight compartments have absolutely no purpose now, cause the water's already above them. Get it?" Claire explained quickly.
She went over to the wardrobe, and took out a long woollen coat for Clara to wear.
"Just chuck on a dress! There's no occasion!" Claire yelled, glancing at Clara who was standing there, going over what she had just explained.
"What do you mean, there's no occasion? Of course there is." Clara said proudly.
Claire rolled her eyes.
"Oh, yeah, Clara, why don't go you and grab your sinking ship dress!" Claire said sarcastically, and Clara scowled.
"Right." Clara took out a ¾ sleeve silver silk and lace dress, identical to the gold one Claire had been wearing at dinner.
Just as Clara put her coat on, Noelle appeared in the room, and led the girls out to the A-deck foyer.
When Lightoller arrived at the wheelhouse, nobody was to be seen.
Hitchens wasn't at the wheel; Nobody was on watch either.
Lightoller looked around, confused. He walked around, and heard voices coming from the office behind the wheelhouse.
He poked his head around the corner, and spotted Smith, Andrews, Pitman, and Ismay talking about the incident with the iceberg.
He reluctantly entered the room. After all, he was an officer, and needed to know what was going on. He saw Andrews roll out a large diagram of the ship.
"Water... 15 feet above the keel in ten minutes, in the forepeak, in all 3 holds, and in boiler room six," Mr Andrews blurted out, rather worried.
Ismay was being very impatient.
"When can we get underway, dammit?"
"That's five compartments!" Andrews said, firmly. "She can stay afloat with the first four compartments flooded, but not five. She will go down by the head, as the water spills over the bulkheads. From this moment on, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder." Andrews sounded absolutely heartbroken.
"But this ship can't sink!" Ismay scoffed, as though he knew everything.
"She's made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. And she will. In an hour. Two, at most."
Ismay was now speechless.
"There are 2200 souls on board, sir," Murdoch said, solemnly.
Lightoller jumped away from the room, absolutely horrified, at the news he had just received.
He hurried out to the bridge, and eyed everything, admiring it as best as he could, for he knew this would be the last night he would ever stand on Titanic's bridge again.
***
"Miss, will you please change your dress, its quite cold out tonight," a steward stated to Clara, just as she entered her room.
"Why would I need to dress warmly? I'm staying here," Clara insisted.
The steward sighed.
"As you are probably aware, miss, we have struck ice, and the ship may sink. So, I'm going to need to get you to please, dress warmly, put on your lifebelt, and come up to the boat deck."
Clara ignored the persisting steward, but decided to dress warmly anyway. She didn't want to ruin her most beautiful dress.
Claire started into Clara's room, and ripped off Clara's corset, when she realized that Clara was trying to lace it up, wasting time.
Clara glared at her, dumbfounded.
"What are you doing? We're in the middle of an emergency!" Claire said, raising her voice. "I heard this ship gonna sink, and not with us still in it, that's for sure!"
"But I don't understand! How can it sink?!" Clara demanded.
"Ok. There are 16 watertight compartments, right, and they only go up to E- deck. So, the ships hit the iceberg, which has scraped along G, F, and E decks. So the watertight compartments have absolutely no purpose now, cause the water's already above them. Get it?" Claire explained quickly.
She went over to the wardrobe, and took out a long woollen coat for Clara to wear.
"Just chuck on a dress! There's no occasion!" Claire yelled, glancing at Clara who was standing there, going over what she had just explained.
"What do you mean, there's no occasion? Of course there is." Clara said proudly.
Claire rolled her eyes.
"Oh, yeah, Clara, why don't go you and grab your sinking ship dress!" Claire said sarcastically, and Clara scowled.
"Right." Clara took out a ¾ sleeve silver silk and lace dress, identical to the gold one Claire had been wearing at dinner.
Just as Clara put her coat on, Noelle appeared in the room, and led the girls out to the A-deck foyer.
