A Note from Mary Pope OsborneAbout the

When I write Magic Tree House® adventures, Ilove including facts about the times and placesJack and Annie visit. But when readers nishthese adventures, I want them to learn evenmore. So that’s why my husband, Will, and mysister, Natalie Pope Boyce, and I write a seriesof non ction books that are companions to the

ction titles in the Magic Tree House® series.We call these books Fact Trackers because welove to track the facts! Whether we’re

love to track the facts! Whether we’reresearching dinosaurs, pyramids, Pilgrims, seamonsters, or cobras, we’re always amazed athow wondrous and surprising the real world is.We want you to experience the same wonderwe do—so get out your pencils and notebooksand hit the trail with us. You can be a MagicTree House® Fact Tracker, too!

Here’s what kids, parents, andteachers have to say about the Magic

Tree House® Fact Trackers:

“They are so good. I can’t wait for the next one. All I cansay for now is prepare to be amazed!”

—Alexander N.

“I have read every Magic Tree House book there is. The[Fact Trackers] are a thrilling way to get moreinformation about the special events in the story.”

—John R.

“These are fascinating non ction books that enhance themagical time-traveling adventures of Jack and Annie. Ilove these books, especially American Revolution. I waslearning so much, and I didn’t even know it!”

—Tori Beth S.

“[They] are an excellent ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at whatthe [Magic Tree House ction] has started in yourimagination! You can’t buy one without the other; theyare such a complement to one another.”

—Erika N., mom

—Erika N., mom

“Magic Tree House [Fact Trackers] took my children on ajourney from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, to so manysigni cant historical events! The detailed manuals are aremarkable addition to the classic ction Magic TreeHouse books we adore!”

—Jenny S., mom

“[They] are very useful tools in my classroom, as theyallow for students to be part of the planning process.Together, we nd facts in the [Fact Trackers] to extendthe learning introduced in the ctional companions.Researching and planning classroom activities, such asour class Olympics based on facts found in AncientGreece and the Olympics, help create a genuine love forlearning!”

—Paula H., teacher

Text copyright © 2002 by Will Osborne and Mary PopeOsborneIllustrations copyright © 2002 by Sal MurdoccaCover photograph copyright © National Museums andGalleries of NorthernIreland, Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. All rightsreserved.

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by RandomHouseChildren’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., NewYork. Originallypublished by Random House Children’s Books, New York, in2002.

Random House and the colophon are registered trademarksand A SteppingStone Book and the colophon are trademarks of RandomHouse, Inc. Magic TreeHouse is a registered trademark of Mary Pope Osborne; usedunder license.

The Magic Tree House Fact Tracker series was formerlyknown as theMagic Tree House Research Guide series.

Visit us on the Web!MagicTreeHouse.comwww.randomhouse.com/kids

www.randomhouse.com/kids

Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visitus atwww.randomhouse.com/teachers

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataOsborne, Will.Titanic / by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne;illustrated by Sal Murdocca. p. cm. — (Magic tree house fact tracker)eISBN: 978-0-307-97519-51. Titanic (Steamship)—Juvenile literature. 2. Shipwrecks—North AtlanticOcean—Juvenile literature. 3. Survival after airplaneaccidents, shipwrecks,etc.—Juvenile literature. I. Osborne, Mary Pope. II. Murdocca,Sal, ill.III. Title.GR530.T6 O63 2011 910.9163’4—dc22 2010052316

Random House Children’s Books supports the FirstAmendment and celebrates the right to read.

v3.1

For Joe Harmston

Historical Consultant:

KAREN KAMUDA, Vice President, The Titanic HistoricalSociety Inc.®, and Publisher, The Titanic Commutator

Education Consultant:

MELINDA MURPHY, Media Specialist, Reed ElementarySchool, Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District,Houston, TexasOnce again, special thanks to Paul Coughlin for his ongoingphotographic contribution to the series and to our superbcreative team at Random House: Joanne Yates, HelenaWinston, Diane Landolf, Cathy Goldsmith, Mallory Loehr, andas always, our wonderful editor, Shana Corey.

CoverTitle PageCopyrightDedication

1. The Biggest Ship in the World 2. Sailing Day 3. Life on the Titanic 4. Iceberg! 5. All Hands on Deck 6. Into the Lifeboats 7. The Titanic Sinks 8. Rescue

8. Rescue 9. Lessons from the Titanic10. Finding the Titanic

Doing More ResearchIndexAbout The Authors

In the early 1900s there were no airplanes. Theonly way to get across the ocean was by ship.

In 1906, a British company called the Cunard(kyoo-NARD) Line launched two new ships.The ships were large and comfortable. Theycould cross the Atlantic Ocean in five days. Theyquickly became the most popular ocean linersin the world.

Large passenger ships that travel on the open seas arecalled ocean liners.

A few years later, news of three new oceanliners began to spread around the world. Theseships were being built for a company called theWhite Star Line. The White Star ships would notbe quite as fast as the Cunard ships, but theywould be much larger and fancier. Some peoplecalled them “floating palaces.”

One of these floating palaces was the Titanic.

Titanic means “huge and powerful.”

It took more than two years to build theTitanic. When the ship was nished, it was aslong as three football elds. It was as tall as an11-story building. It had room on board formore than 2,500 passengers. It was the biggestship in the world.

In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of giants.

The Titanic was built at a shipyard in Belfast, Ireland.

Much of the planning of the Titanic was doneby a man named Thomas Andrews. Andrewstried to make the ship as comfortable for itspassengers as possible. He included severaldining rooms, restaurants, and cafés. One of thecafés had real ivy growing up the walls.Another looked just like a sidewalk café inParis.

T h e Titanic had a gym with exercisemachines and mechanical horses. It also had itsown swimming pool—one of the rst ever onan ocean liner.

an ocean liner.

Thomas Andrews tried to make the Titanic assafe as possible, too. The ship was built with adouble bottom. That meant that anything thathit the bottom would have to rip through twothick layers of steel to cause a leak.

The lower part of the ship was also dividedinto 16 parts, or compartments. If an accidentcaused a compartment to become ooded, itcould be sealed o from the rest of the ship.Even if four compartments were ooded, theTitanic could stay afloat.

Andrews thought these safety features madethe Titanic the safest ship on the ocean. Somepeople even called the Titanic “unsinkable.”

Getting ReadyOnce the Titanic was built, it had to be tested.On April 2, 1912, the captain and crewpracticed turning the ship left, right, and in acircle. They practiced starting and stopping.They practiced running at different speeds.

A ship’s tests are called its sea trials.

After its sea trials, hundreds of workers gotthe Titanic ready for passengers. They nishedpainting rooms and laying carpets. They loadedtons of food and coal on board.

Finally, on April 10, 1912, the Titanic wasready to sail.

ready to sail.

Even though its rst voyage was scheduled to beonly a week long, the Titanic needed a lot ofsupplies. Here are some of the things it carried:

For its rst voyage, the Titanic was to sail fromSouthampton, England, to New York City. Itwould make stops along the way in France andIreland. The trip would take about a week.

The captain of the Titanic was Edward Smith.Captain Smith had sailed for nearly 40 yearswith the White Star Line. He was planning toretire after the Titanic’s first voyage.

Captain Smith commanded a crew of morethan 800 people. There were o cers to steerthe ship while Captain Smith ate his meals orslept in his cabin. There were engineers incharge of the Titanic’s giant engines. There werestokers to shovel coal into the Titanic’ s boilersto keep the engines running. And there werehundreds of workers to take care of the Titanic’s

hundreds of workers to take care of the Titanic’spassengers.

Boilers are tanks where water is heated to make steam.

Sixty chefs would cook the passengers’ meals.Thirty-six dishwashers would wash up afterthem. Several hundred stewards andstewardesses would clean their rooms and waiton them in the dining rooms, restaurants, andcafés.

The rst passenger to come aboard the

The rst passenger to come aboard theTitanic on April 10 was Thomas Andrews.Andrews arrived at the dock at 6:30 thatmorning. He wanted to make sure everythingon board the ship was perfect.

Andrews worried that some of the deck chairsshould be a di erent color. He thought therewere too many screws in some of the hat racks.He wished he had made the library smaller sothere could be more rooms for passengers. Still,he must have been very proud of his ship thatday.

Later that morning, other passengers began toarrive. Over 1,300 people had bought tickets tosail on the Titanic. Some had business in NewYork. Others were taking a vacation. Many weremoving to America to start a new life.

Most of the Titanic’s passengers sailed from England,but a few hundred would board the ship in France and

Ireland.

As the passengers arrived, stewards helpedthem nd their way to their rooms. Rooms onthe Titanic were divided into three groups—firstclass, second class, and third class.

There were passengers on the Titanic from at least 33countries.

First-class rooms were on the upper decks.Nearly all the passengers traveling rst-classwere very rich. There were bankers, writers,painters, and department store owners. Therewas a movie actress and a world-famous tennisplayer.

A ticket for a rst-class room cost over $400.There were even two sets of rst-class roomsthat cost $3,300 each—more than a brand-newcar cost in those days. These rooms were 50 feetlong and had their own private outdoor decks.

In 1912, $400 was worth more than $5,000 in today’smoney.

Many rst-class passengers brought alongservants. Most of the servants had rooms nearthe people they worked for.

Some rst-class passengers also brought alongtheir pets. There were at least nine dogs andseveral prize chickens and roosters on thevoyage.

Passengers traveling second-class paid muchless for their tickets. The average price for asecond-class ticket was $65. The rooms insecond class were not as fancy as those in rstclass, but they were still very nice. One youngwoman wrote that traveling in second class onthe Titanic was like staying in a first-class hotel.

Most of the Titanic’s passengers weretraveling in third class. Many of them wereimmigrants. That means they were leaving theirhome countries to live in America.

There were more passengers traveling in third class thanin second and first classes combined.

Third-class passengers paid about $35 fortheir tickets. Their rooms were simplyfurnished, but they were clean and comfortable.They were much nicer than the third-classrooms on other ships of the day.

The Titanic SailsAt a few minutes before noon, crew memberstook away the walkways leading onto the ship.They dropped the ropes that tied the Titanic tothe dock. Friends, relatives, and newspaperreporters watched as tugboats pulled the Titanicout into the harbor.

Passengers crowded the decks of the ship as itslowly moved toward the sea. They wavedgoodbye to their friends and families back onthe dock.

The Titanic blew its whistles. People on thedock cheered. Some blew kisses and wavedhandkerchiefs.

The Titanic was on its way.

Titanic passengers came from all walks of life.Here are just a few of the people who sailed onthe ship.

John Jacob Astor was one of the richest men inthe world. He was on his way home from hishoneymoon in Europe and Egypt with his newwife, Madeleine.

Karl Behr and Helen Newsom had beenclassmates. Karl was in love with Helen, but hermother did not approve. Helen and her motherboarded the Titanic in Southampton. Karl

boarded the Titanic in Southampton. Karlboarded in Cherbourg, surprising Helen’smother! Helen and Karl were married a yearafter the Titanic’s voyage.

Lawrence Beesley was a science teacher inLondon, England. He was on vacation. He tookmany notes during the voyage and later wrote abook about it.

Ruth Becker and Richard Becker were travelingwith their mother and sister. They werereturning from India, where their father was amissionary.

Millvina Dean was the youngest passenger onthe Titanic—she was only nine weeks old! Her

Millvina Dean was the youngest passenger onthe Titanic—she was only nine weeks old! Herbrother, Bertram, was almost two. When theygrew up, Millvina worked drawing maps andBertram worked building ships.

Anna So a Turja grew up in Finland and spokeno English. She was traveling to Ohio for a job.She shared a room on the Titanic with threeother immigrants.

After sailing from Southampton, the Titanic’srst stop was Cherbourg, France. The ship

arrived at dusk. It picked up more passengersand set sail again at about 8:30 P.M.

Twenty-four passengers and a canary got off the ship atCherbourg.

The ship’s next stop was Queenstown,Ireland. It arrived there around lunchtime the

The ship’s next stop was Queenstown,Ireland. It arrived there around lunchtime thefollowing day. Over a hundred passengersboarded the ship at Queenstown. Most wereimmigrants traveling in third class.

Seven passengers got off the ship at Queenstown.

Then, at around 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, April11, the Titanic steamed out to the open sea andheaded for New York.

For the next three days, everything wentsmoothly. The weather was chilly but beautiful.The ship was making good time. It was evenpossible that the Titanic would arrive in NewYork ahead of schedule.

The passengers spent their days enjoying theship. Each class had an outside deck, wherepassengers could go for walks or sit and chatwith each other and enjoy the sea air.

Each of the three classes also had its owndining room. The rst-class dining room could

dining room. The rst-class dining room couldseat over 550 people. It was the largest roomon any ship at sea!

Once the ship was under way, the three classes ofpassengers were not allowed to mix with each other.

First-class passengers could choose from awide variety of foods at every meal. Among themany dishes on their menus were fresh lobster,roast duckling, fancy puddings, and French icecream.

The second-class dining room was also verylarge. Passengers ate together at long tables. Thefood was similar to the food in rst class, butthere were fewer choices.

During meals, two small orchestras played forthe rst- and second-class passengers. Themusicians also gave concerts in the rst- andsecond-class lounges, where passengers drank,chatted, played cards, and smoked.

An orchestra is a group of musicians who play together.

The meals in third class were much simplerthan those in rst and second class. But therewas plenty of good, healthy food. Third-classmeals included soups, stews, biscuits, potatoes,and desserts.

There was no orchestra for the third-classpassengers. Still, there was plenty ofentertainment. Several third-class passengershad brought along musical instruments. Theyoften played while other third-class passengersdanced.

Since the early 1900s, ships had been usingan invention called the wireless. The wirelesssent messages using radio waves. These kinds ofmessages are called telegrams.

Many passengers thought it would be a treatfor their friends and families to receive atelegram from the biggest ship in the world.They kept the men in the wireless o ce busyday and night sending messages.

On the rst few days of their voyage, theTitanic’s passengers had no hint of what was tocome. As one rst-class passenger later wrote, “Ienjoyed myself as if I were in a summer palaceon the seashore, surrounded by every comfort.”

None of the passengers knew the seas aheadwere filled with danger.

What did kids on the Titanic do for fun? Theanswer was different for different classes:

Only five children were traveling in rst class.They could swim in the swimming pool. Theycould try out a rowing machine or ride amechanical horse in the gym.

Twenty-two children traveled in second class.They could play on the second-class deck orread books in the second-class library.

Third class had the greatest number of youngpassengers—73 children. During the day, they

passengers—73 children. During the day, theycould play on a third-class outdoor deck. Oneyoung boy later remembered sneaking down tothe lower decks and waving to stokers in theboiler rooms.

As dawn broke on Sunday, April 14, the Titanicwas heading into dangerous waters. CaptainSmith had already received several warningsfrom other ships that there was ice in the area.

At rst, the captain was not overly concerned.There was often ice in the sea lanes betweenEngland and America at that time of year.

Sea lanes are the routes ships travel on the ocean.

By 2:00 that afternoon, though, Captain Smithhad received four more ice warnings. To avoidthe ice, he ordered his crew to change thecourse of the ship. The Titanic would nowtravel farther south than originally planned.

Captain Smith also ordered his lookouts inthe crow’s nest to keep a careful watch. If theysaw any ice, they were to call the bridge atonce.

The bridge is the room from which the captain and hisofficers steer the ship.

Captain Smith thought that if the lookoutsspotted ice, there would be time to slow downand steer around it. So he did not reduce theship’s speed.

The weather on Sunday grew colder. Bydinnertime, the temperature was just abovefreezing.

At 7:30, Harold Bride, the Titanic’s assistantwireless operator, overheard a message beingsent to another ship. The message said therewere three large icebergs in the area. Hedelivered the message to the bridge. CaptainSmith was not there. He was having dinner withsome of the passengers. He never received themessage.

At about 9:00 that night, Captain Smith wentto the bridge. The night was clear. The seaswere very calm. The Titanic was traveling atnearly top speed—about 26 miles per hour.

Captain Smith ordered the o cer in charge toslow down only if it became hazy. “If it

slow down only if it became hazy. “If itbecomes at all doubtful, let me know at once,”he said. “I shall be just inside.” Then he went tohis cabin to get ready for bed.

Half an hour later, the wireless room receivedanother ice warning. The message reported a“great number of large icebergs” in the Titanic’spath.

Wireless operator Jack Phillips was verybusy. The wireless had broken down the daybefore. Now he had a big stack of passengermessages to send.

Phillips wrote the ice message down. Then heset it aside. The warning was never delivered tothe bridge.

One last ice message came in around 10:55P.M. It was from a ship not far from the Titanic.The message said: “We are stopped andsurrounded by ice.”

Jack Phillips was still busy sending passengertelegrams. The ice message interrupted hiswork. He signaled back: “Shut up, shut up, I ambusy.” No one but Phillips ever got the warning.

CollisionJust before 11:40 P.M., one of the lookouts sawa dark shape sticking out of the sea. It was rightin the Titanic’s path.

The lookout rang his bell three times, thesignal for danger. Then he picked up the phoneto the bridge.

“What do you see?” asked the o cer incharge.

“Iceberg right ahead!” the lookout shoutedback.

The o cer on the bridge sent a message tothe men in the engine room. He ordered themto slow the ship as quickly as possible. Then heturned the ship’s wheel as far as it would go.

There was a pause. Then, slowly, the greatship began to turn.

For a moment, it looked as if the ship mightmiss the ice completely. Then there was abump. The bump was followed by a scrapingsound.

The Titanic had struck the iceberg.

Icebergs are huge, broken-o chunks of glaciersor ice sheets that float on the ocean.

A glacier is a gigantic mass of slowly moving ice thatgrows over the years.

Icebergs are much bigger than they seem.That’s because most of an iceberg oats beneaththe surface of the water.

Most icebergs in the Atlantic Ocean comefrom glaciers in Greenland. Scientists thinkthat’s where the iceberg that the Titanic struckcame from. The “iceberg season” in Greenlandlasts from February through October.

When the Titanic struck the iceberg, mostpassengers didn’t even notice the bump. Only afew came out on deck to see if anything waswrong.

One passenger later said the collision felt as if the shipwere rolling over a thousand marbles.

In his cabin, Captain Smith did feel thebump. He rushed to the bridge. “What have we

bump. He rushed to the bridge. “What have westruck?” he asked.

“An iceberg, sir,” his officer replied.Captain Smith soon got bad news from the

ship’s carpenter. The ship was taking on waterfast. The mail room and several of the boilerrooms were already flooded.

Captain Smith sent for Thomas Andrews.Andrews was in his room studying drawings ofthe Titanic. He was still trying to think of waysto improve the ship.

Andrews had not felt the jolt or heard thescrape when the ship hit the iceberg. As soon ashe heard the news, he ran to the bridge.

Captain Smith and Thomas Andrews wentdown to check the ship themselves. Andrewscould hardly believe it. Six of the safetycompartments were filling with water.

T h e Titanic could stay a oat with fourflooded compartments—but not with six.

Andrews told Captain Smith the terrible truth:the Titanic would sink to the bottom of theocean within two hours.

Captain Smith ordered his crew to get theTitanic’ s lifeboats ready. He sent stewards towake up passengers and bring them out ondeck. He said everyone should put on lifejackets.

Then Captain Smith went down to thewireless office. He told Jack Phillips and HaroldBride to start sending out a distress signal.

Bride to start sending out a distress signal.

Captain Smith hoped there would be a shipclose enough to come to the rescue before theTitanic sank. Earlier in the evening, some of hismen had seen the lights of another ship. Theship seemed to be no more than 10 miles away.If the Titanic could get word to that ship,perhaps everyone could be saved.

The men in the wireless room began sending

The men in the wireless room began sendingthe distress signal.

Three ships answered. The closest one was aBritish passenger ship called the Carpathia. Itwas nearly 60 miles away.

Even traveling at top speed, it would take theCarpathia at least three hours to reach theTitanic. By then, it would be too late.

As Phillips and Bride continued to send thedistress signal, stewards woke the passengersand led them out on deck. At rst, hardlyanyone believed anything serious hadhappened. Many passengers came on deckwithout life jackets. Some refused to come outof their rooms at all. One passenger told asteward, “It will take more than an iceberg toget me out of bed.”

The passengers stood in the cold wonderingwhat was going on. Some were still in eveningclothes. Some wore life jackets over theirpajamas.

Several boys played soccer with chunks of icethat had fallen onto one of the decks.

T h e Titanic’ s musicians set up their

that had fallen onto one of the decks.T h e Titanic’ s musicians set up their

instruments in the lounge near the boat deck.They began playing dance tunes. They hopedtheir music would help the passengers keepcalm.

T he stewards didn’t want to start a panic.They told the passengers there was nothing toworry about. They said the life jackets were justa precaution. But then crew members startedswinging lifeboats over the side of the ship.

It was then that the passengers realized theymight be in real danger.

Women and Children FirstTragically, there was room in the lifeboats foronly about half of the people on board theTitanic. Safety rules at that time had been madefor much smaller ships. The Titanic was actuallycarrying four more boats than the rules calledfor.

Safety rules said the Titanic could sail with just 16lifeboats.

The custom of the sea was for women andchildren to be saved before men. At 12:25 A.M.,Captain Smith gave the order: “Women andchildren rst.” The crew began calling forwomen and children to fill the lifeboats.

At rst, only a few women wanted to get intothe boats with their children. Most didn’t wantto leave their husbands. The ocean was vast,dark, and cold. The lifeboats seemed tiny. TheTitanic seemed very large and safe. Though ithad already taken on tons of water, it had onlybegun to slant a tiny bit toward the bow.

The bow is the name for the front end of a ship.

“Lifeboats! What do they need of lifeboats?”said one woman. “This ship could smash ahundred icebergs and not feel it.”

When the crew could nd no more womenand children to ll the rst boats, they allowedmen to board. Even so, many of the rstlifeboats left the ship less than half full.

As the bow of the Titanic sank lower andlower, though, people began to realize thelifeboats might be their only hope. More andmore of them wanted a place in the boats.

Even though they were afraid, most peoplebehaved bravely. Many men helped their wivesand children into boats knowing they mightnever see them again.

“You go and I’ll stay awhile,” said one man ashe helped his new wife into a boat. Whenanother woman begged her husband to get intoa boat with her, he said, “No, I must be agentleman.”

Some women refused to leave the shipwithout their husbands. Ida Straus started toboard a boat, then turned back. This is whatpeople heard her say to her husband, Isidor:

“We have been living together for manyyears. Where you go, I go. As we have lived, sowill we die together.”

Shortly after 1:00 A.M., the orchestra movedout onto the boat deck. The musicians keptplaying as passengers were loaded into theboats. As the ship sank lower and lower, theyplayed hymns.

No. Most third-class rooms were farthest fromthe deck where the lifeboats were kept. Whenthe Titanic began sinking, crew members wentto the third-class areas to lead women andchildren to the boats. Many of the third-classpassengers did not speak English. They couldnot understand what was happening. A largenumber of women refused to leave theirhusbands. Sadly, nearly three-quarters of thethird-class passengers died in the tragedy.

husbands. Sadly, nearly three-quarters of thethird-class passengers died in the tragedy.

Every Man for HimselfBy about 2:00 A.M., all but two of the lifeboatshad left the ship. The last two boats could carryfewer than 50 passengers each. There were over1,000 people still on board.

T h e Titanic was sinking faster and faster.Captain Smith knew the end was near. He wasprepared to go down with his ship.

Captain Smith told the men in the wirelesso ce that the situation was hopeless. Theyshould stop sending the distress message andsave themselves if they could. He told the rest ofthe crew they should do the same. “At this kindof time,” he said, “it’s every man for himself.”

Many passengers and crew members on theTitanic said they saw the lights of a ship thatseemed much closer than the Carpathia.

Why didn’t this “mystery ship” come to theTitanic’s rescue? No one knows.

Many people believe the mystery ship wasthe Californian—the ship that sent the last icewarning to the Titanic. The Californian’s onlywireless operator had gone to bed by the timethe Titanic struck the iceberg. The Californiannever received the Titanic’s wireless distresssignal.

signal.

To this day, the identity of the mystery ship isstill in question.

As the people in the lifeboats rowed away fromth e Titanic, they saw an amazing sight. Thelights of the ship were shining. The orchestrawas playing. There were hundreds andhundreds of people on the decks.

But the stern of the ship had risen far out ofthe water. It looked like the Titanic was slidinginto the ocean.

The stern is the name for the back end of a ship.

At around 2:15 A.M., two and a half hoursafter it hit the iceberg, the Titanic began to sinkvery swiftly into the sea. The bow plunged deepunder the water. A huge wave swept over theboat deck. Many of the people still on boardwere washed into the freezing-cold water.Others tried to climb toward the stern. Someclung to railings. Many jumped into the sea.

As the bow sank deeper and deeper, theTitanic’s stern rose farther and farther out of thewater. There was a great crash as furniture,pianos, plates, and luggage inside the shiptumbled toward the bow.

People slid o the decks into the water. One

tumbled toward the bow.People slid o the decks into the water. One

of the smokestacks came crashing down. Thelights blinked and went out. Then the Titanicbroke in two!

For a moment, the ship’s stern settled back onthe water. Then it began to sink rapidly. Inanother moment, the Titanic was gone.

The icy sea was lled with people calling forhelp. The water temperature was four degreesbelow freezing. No one could live long in waterthat cold.

Some of the passengers in the lifeboatswanted to row back to rescue more people. Butothers were afraid that too many people tryingto get into the boats would tip them over—andno one would be saved.

Finally, two lifeboats did go back to rescuemore passengers. They were able to pull ninepeople from the water. Three of those were socold, they died within a few hours.

One survivor said that swimming in the icy water feltlike being stabbed with a thousand knives.

The cries and shouts of the people in thewater could be heard for about 20 minutes afterthe Titanic sank. Then all was silent.

People in the lifeboats later said the silence

People in the lifeboats later said the silencewas the saddest thing they had ever heard. Itmeant their families and friends had died in thefreezing water.

Many people who sailed on the Titanic showedgreat courage. Here are some Titanic heroes.

Molly Brown

Molly Brown helped row the lifeboat she wasin. She got the other women in her boat to dothe same. When the o cer in charge said therewas no hope of rescue, she threatened to throwhim overboard.

Quartermaster Walter Perkis and Fifth OfficerHarold LowePerkis and Lowe commanded the only twolifeboats that went back to try to rescue morepeople from the water. Together they saved thelives of six more people.

The Titanic OrchestraSurvivors say the orchestra played until after2:00 A.M., helping to calm many passengers.None of the musicians tried to save themselvesby getting in a lifeboat. None survived thedisaster.

On the night the Titanic sank, the Carpathia washeaded from New York to the MediterraneanSea. Most of its passengers were on vacation.

The captain of the Carpathia was ArthurRostron. His nickname was “Electric Spark.” Hewas famous for making quick decisions, and foracting on his decisions with energy andenthusiasm.

As soon as Captain Rostron heard theTitanic’s distress signal, he turned his shiparound. He told his crew to gather blankets andmake hot co ee and soup. He turned the ship’sdining rooms into hospitals. He got lifeboatsand rope ladders ready to rescue people fromthe sea.

the sea.

Captain Rostron had to steam throughdangerous waters to get to the Titanic. Duringthe journey, he steered around six icebergs. Hekept a careful watch and traveled as fast as hecould. Still, the trip took nearly four hours.

By 2:45 A.M., Captain Rostron knew he wasdrawing near the spot where the Titanic hadgone down. He ordered his men to start ringrockets into the air. He wanted to let the Titanicpassengers know that help was on the way.

The survivors in the lifeboats saw the rocketsfrom the Carpathia at about 3:30 A.M. Many ofthe survivors were very ill from the cold. A fewhad broken bones. Some had given up hope ofever being rescued.

As soon as they saw the rockets, people in thelifeboats began to shout and wave. They setnewspapers and handkerchiefs on re so the

newspapers and handkerchiefs on re so theCarpathia could find them in the dark.

T h e Carpathia reached the rst lifeboat atabout 4:10 A.M. The crew of the Carpathialowered ladders and ropes. They pulled theTitanic’s survivors onto their ship. They gavethem blankets and hot drinks.

Captain Rostron asked an o cer on the rstlifeboat if many people had gone down withthe Titanic when it sank.

“Yes!” said the o cer, his voice shaking withemotion. “Hundreds and hundreds! Perhaps athousand! Perhaps more!”

In all, 706 people were rescued by theCarpathia that morning. Over 1,500 had beenlost.

The Journey HomeIt took over four hours for the Carpathia torescue everyone in the lifeboats. When all wereon board, the survivors said a prayer of thanksfor having been saved. They held a funeralservice for all those who had died. When theservice was over, the Carpathia headed for NewYork.

The passengers on the Carpathia gave clothesto the Titanic survivors. Many gave up theirrooms so the survivors would have acomfortable place to sleep.

The voyage to New York took four days. Theweather was terrible. There were storms andrough seas. The Titanic passengers spent thetrip comforting each other and mourning theloss of their loved ones.

News of the Titanic disaster spread quicklyall over the world. When the Carpathia landedin New York on Thursday evening, 40,000people were waiting. Among the crowd werethe friends and families of the Titanic’spassengers and crew. Many did not know iftheir loved ones had lived or died.

At about 9:00 P.M., the survivors began toclimb down the Carpathia’s gangway. Cameras

ashed. Reporters shouted questions. Spotlightslit the crowd on the pier to help the survivorsfind their families and friends.

There were joyful reunions. But there wasalso great sadness. Many people were waitingon the pier for friends and family members whohad died in the disaster. When the last survivorsleft the Carpathia, these people realized theywould never see their loved ones again.

Once the Carpathia landed safely in New York,people wanted to know how the Titanicdisaster could have happened.

Newspapers interviewed the survivors. Thegovernments of the United States and Englandheld hearings. Why did the “unsinkable” Titanicsink on its rst voyage? Why weren’t more ofthe passengers and crew saved? Who was toblame?

A hearing is an official investigation of a situation orevent.

The hearings found that no one person was toblame for the disaster. The sinking of theTitanic was a terrible accident.

But even today, people continue to ask many“what if” questions.

What if all the ice warnings had beendelivered to the bridge?

What if Captain Smith had slowed down?What if there had been enough lifeboats for

all the passengers and crew?We will never know the answers to these

questions. But the world learned an importantlesson from the Titanic. No ship is unsinkable.After the Titanic disaster, governments passedlaws to make traveling on the ocean safer.

Today, passenger ships must travel withenough lifeboats to carry more than the numberof people on board.

There must be lifeboat drills so passengersand crew can practice what to do in case of anaccident.

A drill is a practice session.

Ships crossing the Atlantic during winter andspring months travel even farther south to avoidice.

All ships traveling on the ocean must keeptheir radios on at all times to hear distresssignals from other ships.

The International Ice PatrolSoon after the Titanic disaster, the InternationalIce Patrol was formed. The Ice Patrol looks foricebergs in the Atlantic Ocean. It warns ships ofdanger. Every year on April 15, theInternational Ice Patrol drops wreaths of flowersnear the spot where the Titanic went down. The

owers are to remember all the lives that werelost that terrible night in 1912.

The story of the Titanic captured theimagination of the world.

Many books were written by Titanicsurvivors. Hundreds more have been written byresearchers and historians interested in thedisaster.

The tragedy has also been the subject ofseveral plays and many movies.

The most recent Titanic movie, released in1997, won 11 Academy Awards.

After the Titanic went down, many peopledreamed of nding the sunken ship. For morethan 70 years, though, no one could locate theTitanic on the ocean floor.

Then, in August 1985, an oceanographernamed Robert Ballard set out on a new search.Dr. Ballard and his team were testing anunderwater device called the Argo.

An oceanographer is a scientist who studies the ocean.

T h e Argo traveled along the ocean oor.Video cameras attached to the Argo could sendpictures to a ship above.

For weeks, the Argo’s video cameras sawnothing but miles and miles of mud.

On September 1, four members of Dr.Ballard’s team began the midnight watch. Afterabout an hour, one of the men wondered aloudhow they would stay awake. As usual, the videofrom the Argo had been very boring.

The other men didn’t answer. Their eyes wereglued to the video screen.

“There’s something,” one said.

Everyone stared at the screen. They saw smallshapes scattered across the seabed. The shapeslooked as if they could be wreckage from aship.

Then a large, round object appeared on thescreen.

“It’s a boiler!” said one of the men.Dr. Ballard’s partner, Jean-Louis Michel,

opened a book and found a picture of theTitanic’s boilers. He looked from page to screenand back again. He could hardly believe hiseyes.

Seventy-three years after the Titanic had sunk,the remains of the great ship had been found.

The Titanic was two and a half miles below the surfaceof the ocean!

The following summer, Dr. Ballard returnedto the site. This time, he brought along a mini-submarine called the Alvin.

Dr. Ballard and two mini-sub pilots traveleddown to the bottom of the ocean. They landed

Dr. Ballard and two mini-sub pilots traveleddown to the bottom of the ocean. They landedthe Alvin on one of the Titanic’s decks. With thehelp of a small robot camera, they took close-up videos of the wreck.

Dr. Ballard described the robot video camera as a“swimming eyeball.”

Dr. Ballard’s discovery answered an importantquestion about the Titanic. Survivors hadreported that the ship broke into two pieceswhen it sank. But many experts believed theship had sunk in one piece. Ballard’s expeditionproved that the survivors were right—the twohalves of the Titanic were found almost 2,000feet apart on the ocean floor.

Dr. Ballard also learned that over the yearsmuch of the Titanic had been destroyed. Deep-sea creatures had eaten everything made ofpaper and cloth and almost everything made ofwood.

Among the hundreds of things Dr. Ballard did

Among the hundreds of things Dr. Ballard didnd were cooking pots, china from the dining

rooms, and a doll’s head. He also found piecesof deck furniture and a broken chandelier.

Dr. Ballard recorded many hours of video. Hetook hundreds of photographs. But he did notbring anything up from the wreckage. He askedfuture explorers to leave the Titanic remains inpeace.

Sadly, later expeditions did not treat the sitewith the same respect. They took away manyobjects. This led to a great outcry from thepublic. One survivor called the people whotook things from the wreckage “vultures andpirates.”

Now many people want the site to beprotected as a memorial. They agree with Dr.Ballard that this is the best way to honor thelives that were lost nearly a century ago.

“The bottom of the ocean is a quiet place,”Dr. Ballard has written, “a peaceful place, fittingfor a memorial to all the things that sank whenthe Titanic went down.”

There’s a lot more you can learn about theTitanic. The fun of research is seeing how manydifferent sources you can explore.

Most libraries and bookstores have books aboutthe Titanic.

Here are some things to remember when you’reusing books for research:1. You don’t have to read the whole book.Check the table of contents and the index tofind the topics you’re interested in.2. Write down the name of the book.When you take notes, make sure you writedown the name of the book in your notebookso you can find it again.

so you can find it again.3. Never copy exactly from a book.When you learn something new from a book,put it in your own words.4. Make sure the book is nonfiction.Some books tell make-believe stories of trueevents that took place in history. These booksare called historical ction. They can help youunderstand a time and a place, but they don’talways have true facts.

Research books have facts and tell truestories. They are called nonfiction. A librarianor teacher can help you make sure the booksyou use for research are nonfiction.Here are some good non ction books about theTitanic:• 882 ½ Amazing Answers to Your Questions about the

Titanic by Hugh Brewster and Laurie Coulter• Finding the Titanic by Robert D. Ballard• Titanic, Eyewitness Book series, by Simon Adams• Titanic: An Illustrated History by Don Lynch• The Titanic: Lost … and Found by Judy DonnellyHere are some more resources for fun research:• Inside the Titanic, a Giant Cutaway Book, by Ken Marschall• Titanic: The Ship of Dreams by Ken Geist• The Titanic Collection: Mementos of the Maiden Voyage by

Hugh Brewster and Eric Sauder (A steamer trunk full of

Hugh Brewster and Eric Sauder (A steamer trunk full ofreplicas of tickets, menus, maps, and more!)

There are some great non ction DVDs about theTitanic. As with books, make sure the DVDs youwatch for research are nonfiction!Check your library or video store for these andother nonfiction Titanic titles:• Secrets of the Titanic from National Geographic• Titanic: The Complete Story from The History Channel• Titanic’s Final Moments: Missing Pieces from The History

Channel

Many websites have facts about the Titanic andits passengers and crew.

Many websites have facts about the Titanic andits passengers and crew.

Ask your teacher or your parents to help youfind more websites like these:• britannica.com/titanic• encyclopedia-titanica.org• history.com/topics/titanic• nationalgeographic.com/media/world/9607/titanic.html

AlvinAndrews, Thomas, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 5.1Argo, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3Astor, John JacobAstor, Madeleine

Ballard, Dr. Robert, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5,10.6, 10.7Becker, RichardBecker, RuthBeesley, LawrenceBehr, KarlBelfastboilers, 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 5.1, 10.1Bride, Harold, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1Brown, Molly

Californian

CalifornianCarpathia, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5,8.6, 8.7, 8.8, 8.9, 9.1Cherbourg, 2.1, 3.1, 8.1compartments, safety, 1.1, 5.1Cunard Line, 1.1, 1.2

Dean, BertramDean, Millvina

engineersEngland, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 5.1, 8.1

first class, 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4France, 2.1, 2.2, 5.1, 8.1

glaciersGreenland

ice, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 6.1, 9.1, 9.2; see alsoicebergsicebergs, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 8.1immigrants, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1International Ice Patrol

International Ice PatrolIreland, 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 5.1, 8.1

life jackets, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2lifeboat drillslifeboats, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 7.1, 7.2,7.3, 7.4, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 9.1, 9.2lookouts, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3Lowe, Fifth Officer Harold

Mediterranean SeaMichel, Jean-Louismusicians, 3.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2mystery ship

New York City, 2.1, 3.1, 5.1, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4,8.5, 8.6, 9.1Newsom, Helen

ocean liners, 1.1, 1.2orchestra, see musicians

Perkis, Quartermaster WalterPhillips, Jack, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1

Phillips, Jack, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1promenades, 3.1, 3.2

Queenstown, 3.1, 3.2, 8.1

Rostron, Captain Arthur, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3

safety compartments, see compartments, safetysea lanessea trialssecond class, 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3Smith, Captain Edward, 2.1, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1,5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 9.1Southampton, 2.1, 3.1, 8.1stewardesses, see stewardsstewards, 2.1, 2.2, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2stokers, 2.1, 3.1Straus, IdaStraus, Isidor

telegrams, 3.1, 3.2third class, 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 6.1Titanic:

books about

books aboutcollision with iceberg, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1,

8.1crew of, 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4,

6.5, 8.1damage to, 5.1, 7.1, 10.1dining onentertainment on, 1.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3finding offirst voyage of, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 8.1heroes ofinside ofitems fromkids onlifeboats on; see also lifeboatspassengers on, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4,

5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2,8.3; see also first class; second class; third class

plays and movies aboutremains of, 10.1, 10.2safety ofsinking of, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2, 9.1, 10.1size ofsupplies on

supplies onsurvivors of, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7,

9.1, 10.1, 10.2testing oftimetable for

TitansTurja, Anna Sofia

White Star Line, 1.1, 2.1wireless, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2

Have you read the adventure that matches up with this book?

Don’t miss Magic Tree House® #17

Tonight on the Titanic

Jack and Annie are in for an exciting, scary, and sadadventure when the magic tree house whisks them back to the

decks of the Titanic. Will they be able to save anyone? Willthey be able to save themselves?

If you like Magic Tree House® #46: Dogs in the Dead ofNight, you’ll love finding out the facts behind the fiction in

Magic Tree House® Fact Tracker

DOG HEROES

A nonfiction companion to Dogs in the Dead of Night

It’s Jack and Annie’s very own guide to dog heroes!

Available now!

Available now!

Are you a fan of the

Magic Tree House® series?

website at

MagicTreeHouse.com

Exciting sneak previews of the next book.Games, puzzles, and other fun activities.

Contests with super prizes.And much more!

More Magic Tree House® #1: DINOSAURS BEFORE DARK #2: THE KNIGHT AT DAWN #3: MUMMIES IN THE MORNING #4: PIRATES PAST NOON #5: NIGHT OF THE NINJAS #6: AFTERNOON ON THE AMAZON #7: SUNSET OF THE SABERTOOTH #8: MIDNIGHT ON THE MOON #9: DOLPHINS AT DAYBREAK #10: GHOST TOWN AT SUNDOWN #11: LIONS AT LUNCHTIME #12: POLAR BEARS PAST BEDTIME #13: VACATION UNDER THE VOLCANO #14: DAY OF THE DRAGON KING #15: VIKING SHIPS AT SUNRISE #16: HOUR OF THE OLYMPICS #17: TONIGHT ON THE TITANIC #18: BUFFALO BEFORE BREAKFAST #19: TIGERS AT TWILIGHT #20: DINGOES AT DINNERTIME #21: CIVIL WAR ON SUNDAY #22: REVOLUTIONARY WAR ON WEDNESDAY #23: TWISTER ON TUESDAY #24: EARTHQUAKE IN THE EARLY MORNING #25: STAGE FRIGHT ON A SUMMER NIGHT #26: GOOD MORNING, GORILLAS #27: THANKSGIVING ON THURSDAY #28: HIGH TIDE IN HAWAII

#28: HIGH TIDE IN HAWAII

Merlin Missions #29: CHRISTMAS IN CAMELOT #30: HAUNTED CASTLE ON HALLOWS EVE #31: SUMMER OF THE SEA SERPENT #32: WINTER OF THE ICE WIZARD #33: CARNIVAL AT CANDLELIGHT #34: SEASON OF THE SANDSTORMS #35: NIGHT OF THE NEW MAGICIANS #36: BLIZZARD OF THE BLUE MOON #37: DRAGON OF THE RED DAWN #38: MONDAY WITH A MAD GENIUS #39: DARK DAY IN THE DEEP SEA #40: EVE OF THE EMPEROR PENGUIN #41: MOONLIGHT ON THE MAGIC FLUTE #42: A GOOD NIGHT FOR GHOSTS #43: LEPRECHAUN IN LATE WINTER #44: A GHOST TALE FOR CHRISTMAS TIME #45: A CRAZY DAY WITH COBRAS #46: DOGS IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT #47: ABE LINCOLN AT LAST!

Magic Tree House® Fact TrackersDINOSAURSKNIGHTS AND CASTLESMUMMIES AND PYRAMIDSPIRATESRAIN FORESTSSPACETITANICTWISTERS AND OTHER TERRIBLE STORMSDOLPHINS AND SHARKSANCIENT GREECE AND THE OLYMPICSAMERICAN REVOLUTIONSABERTOOTHS AND THE ICE AGEPILGRIMSANCIENT ROME AND POMPEIITSUNAMIS AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERSPOLAR BEARS AND THE ARCTICSEA MONSTERSPENGUINS AND ANTARCTICALEONARDO DA VINCIGHOSTSLEPRECHAUNS AND IRISH FOLKLORERAGS AND RICHES: KIDS IN THE TIME OF CHARLESDICKENSSNAKES AND OTHER REPTILESDOG HEROESABRAHAM LINCOLN

More Magic Tree House®GAMES AND PUZZLES FROM THE TREE HOUSE

Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne have been married for a number ofyears and live in northwestern Connecticut with their three dogs, Joey, Mr.Bezo, and Little Bear.

Mary is the author of over one hundred books for children, includingnovels, picture books, biographies, and retellings of fairy tales and worldmythologies. Will has worked for many years in the theater as an actor,director, and playwright. Together he and Mary have coauthored two booksof Greek mythology and eight Magic Tree House® Fact Trackers. Will hasalso written a multimedia planetarium show, Magic Tree House SpaceMission, and is cocreator with Randy Courts of Magic Tree House: TheMusical, a full-scale Broadway-style family musical based on Christmas inCamelot.