e racing towards the north-west. But there were tragedies even with
the wireless. The Leyland liner _Californian_, bound for Boston, was
only seventeen miles away from the _Titanic_ when she struck, and could
have saved every soul on board; but her wireless apparatus was not
working, and she was deaf to the agonized calls that were being sent out
from only a few miles away. The _Parisian_, five hundred miles away,
could hear and come, though it was useless; the _Californian_ could not
hear and so did not come though, if she had, she would probably have
saved every life on board. The _Cincinnati_, the _Amerika_, the _Prinz
Friedrich Wilhelm_, the _Menominee_, the _La Provence_, the _Prinz
Adalbert_, the _Virginian_, the _Olympic_, and the _Baltic_ all heard
the news and all turned towards Lat. 41 deg. 46' N., Long. 50 deg. 14' W.
The dread news was being whispered all over the sea, and even ashore, just
as the dwellers on the North Atlantic seaboard were retiring to rest,
the station at Cape Race intercepted the talk of the _Titanic_ 270 miles
away, and flashed the message out far and wide; so that Government tugs
and ships with steam up in harbours, and everything afloat in the
vicinity which heard the news might hurry to the rescue. Cape Race soon
heard that the _Virginian_ was on her way to the _Titanic's_ position,
then that the _Olympic_ and _Carpathia_ had altered their courses and
were making for the wounded ship, and so on. Throughout the night the
rumours in the air were busy, while still the steady calls came out in
firm electric waves from the _Titanic_--still calling, still flashing
"C.Q.D." At 1.20 she whispered to the _Olympic_, "Get your boats ready;
going down fast by the head." At 1.35 the _Frankfurt_ (after an hour and
a half's delay) said, "We are starting for you." Then at 1.41 came a
message to the _Olympic_, "C.Q.D., boilers flooded."

"Are there any boats round you already?" asked the _Olympic_, but there
was no answer.

Other ships began to call, giving encouraging messages: "We are coming,"
said the _Birma_, "only fifty miles away"; but still there was no
answer.

All over the North Atlantic men in lighted instrument rooms sat
listening with the telephones at their ears; they heard each other's
questions and waited in the silence, but it was never broken again by
the voice from the _Titanic_. "All quiet now," reported the _Birma_ to
the _Olympic_, and all quiet it was, except for the thrashing