The Titanic Wreck

About 111 years ago, what people called the greatest ship ever was taking to the sea for its first voyage. The Titanic was noted for being fast and comfortable. The Mini Page studies the Titanic shipwreck this week.

Luxurious ship

The Titanic was a passenger ship constructed by White Star Line. It was built in Ireland, and it took three years to be ready. The Titanic was special because it was the most luxurious, or fanciest, ship people had ever seen. It was also the biggest, at a length of nearly 900 feet. That’s as long as three football fields. It was thought to be unsinkable.

The Titanic set out from Southampton, England, headed for New York, on April 10, 1912, on its maiden, or first, voyage. There were 2,240 people on board.

White Star Line claimed the Titanic was the safest ship of its time. The hull, or main body of the ship, was made up of 16 sections. If up to three sections were damaged and water got in, the ship would still be safe. Iceberg!

Right after midnight on April 15, the Titanic hit an iceberg. Four sections of the hull were damaged, and the ship began to sink.

Try ’n’ Find

The captain, Edward John Smith, and his crew began sending out distress signals to ships that were nearby, hoping they would be able to rescue passengers.

The crew on the Titanic began handing out life jackets and loading passengers into lifeboats so they could safely exit the ship. Sadly, however, there were only 20 lifeboats on board, which could carry no more than half the people on the ship. Women and children were given seats on the lifeboats first.

The Titanic eventually broke apart and settled onto the bottom of the ocean.

The Carpathia, a ship that had seen the distress signals and immediately changed course to help the people on the Titanic, arrived at 3:30 in the morning, roughly one hour after it had sunk. Since the water was extremely cold, people who were not in lifeboats didn’t stand a chance of surviving in the water.

By the time the Carpathia arrived, only the people in lifeboats could be saved. The Carpathia turned around and headed back to New York with all the survivors. About 700 passengers and crew were saved.

this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:

CARPATHIA,

Next Week: Earth Day

Search for the Titanic

Despite years of searching for the remains of the Titanic, it was not located until 1985, when an oceanographer named Robert Ballard found it 373 miles off the coast of Canada using a robot submarine called the Argo. (An oceanographer is a scientist who studies the ocean depths.)

Many things have been found inside the Titanic’s wreckage during expeditions since then, including food menus, perfume, plates, clothes, jewelry and furniture. A pocket watch frozen on the time the ship sank was also discovered.

Remembering

In May 1931, a Titanic memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. This memorial honors the men who gave their lives so that children and women could be saved.

There are now many Titanic memorials throughout the world, including in Belfast and Cobh in Ireland, Southampton and New York. Museums and attractions featuring the Titanic are also scattered all over the world.

Resources

On the Web:

• si.edu/spotlight/titanic

• bit.ly/MPTitanic

At the library:

• “Titanic Q&A: 175+ Fascinating Facts for Kids” by Mary Montero

Mini Jokes

magician say to the fisherman? Pick a cod, any cod!

Marine mammal researchers say they now have hope for the recovery of endangered North Atlantic right whales after the birth of nine calves in with all the survivors. About 700 passengers and crew were saved.

Titanic hit an iceberg. Four sections of the hull were damaged, and the ship began to sink.

Try ’n’ Find

Words that remind us of the Titanic are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:

CARPATHIA, CREW, DISTRESS, FRIGID, HULL, ICEBERG, LIFEBOATS, MAIDEN, MUSEUM, NEW YORK, OCEAN, PASSENGERS, SHIP, SOUTHAMPTON, TITANIC, VOYAGE, WRECKAGE.

Cook’s Corner

Tuna Scoops

You’ll need:

• 1 (6-ounce) can albacore tuna, packed in water

• 1 stalk celery, chopped

• 1 tablespoon onion, chopped (optional)

• 2 teaspoons honey

What to do:

1. Open can of tuna and drain well.

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon sweet relish

• 4 flat-bottom ice cream cones

2. Mix together tuna, celery, onion, honey, mayonnaise and relish.

3. Place one scoop of tuna in each cone. Serves 4.

7 Little Words for Kids

Use the letters in the boxes to make a word with the same meaning as the clue. The numbers in parentheses represent the number of letters in the solution. Each letter combination can be used only once, but all letter combinations will be necessary to complete the puzzle.

1. one end of a pencil (6)

2. it’s used to cover a bed (5)

3. letters from A to Z (8)

4. old dinosaur bone (6)

5. dried grape (6)

6. yellow vegetable (4)

7. where you find ice cream (7)

Mini Jokes

Tilly: What did the magician say to the fisherman? Terrance: Pick a cod, any cod!

Eco Note

Marine mammal researchers say they now have hope for the recovery of endangered North Atlantic right whales after the birth of nine calves in the first weeks of the breeding season. Moira Brown of the Canadian Whale Institute told Canadian Press that fewer than 100 of the surviving right whales are mothers, and the new babies are a hopeful sign for the future. She says that there were only 15 calves born last year, compared to the average of 24 since the early 2000s. Some of the perils faced by the species are ship strikes, entanglements in fishing gear and other debris, and dwindling food supplies.

For later: Look in the newspaper for articles about ships.

Teachers: Follow and interact with The Mini Page on Facebook!

Answers: eraser, quilt, alphabet, fossil, raisin, corn, freezer.