The clear April night sky was filled with sparkling stars as the
largest and finest steamship in the world sped through the calm seas of
the icy North Atlantic. Many of the passengers had gone to bed, but some
still could be found in the lounges, enjoying the
Titanic's
luxury. No one was alarmed by the slight jar felt around 11:15, but many
noticed when they no longer felt the vibrations of the engines.
Ignoring iceberg warnings, the
Titanic had been steaming
full speed ahead. Suddenly she struck a large iceberg which ripped her
side. Within fifteen minutes the captain realized the danger of the
situation, and the wireless operator put out a call for assistance.
Sailors made lifeboats ready and ordered women and children to get into
them first (Christian culture had stamped the ideas of chivalry into
men, making them willing to give up their lives for women and children
as their protectors, something rarely seen in other cultures). There
were 12 honeymooning couples on board the ship. Though all of the brides
were saved, only one of the grooms survived.
The captain ordered the band to play to keep up the spirits of the
passengers. It began playing a rag-time tune, but soon was playing
hymns.
There were only twenty lifeboats on the huge ocean liner-- barely
enough for 1/3 of the passengers and crew. Not all of them could be
lowered. All 85 engineers continued to work to keep the ship afloat as
long as possible. At the end many people knelt together in prayer until
the waters covered them.
Throughout the mournful, evacuation, with loved ones being tearfully
separated, the band continued to play. There is some dispute about what
was played that night. Several people in the life boats heard "Nearer My
God to Thee."
One of the passengers traveling on the ship was evangelist John
Harper. He put his six-year old daughter into a life boat and then ran
through the ship warning others of the danger and talking to them about
the eternal destiny of their souls. When he was finally forced to jump
into the icy water, he clung to a piece of wreckage and asked another
man "Are you saved?" When the man answered no, John said to him,
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved."
When the
Titanic sank early in the morning
on this day, April 15, 1912, John Harper was among
the 1,522 people who died. The band went down with the ship. The last
hymn they played was "Autumn," which concludes with the prayer
Hold me up in mighty waters
Keep my eyes on
things above,
Righteousness, divine Atonement,
Peace, and
everlasting Love.
Bibliography:
- Adapted from an earlier Christian History Institute Story.
- Adams, Moody. The Titanic's Last Hero. Moody Press,
1997.
- Read this article at - http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/while-titanic-sank-john-harper-preached-11630699.html
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