61. TRYING TO WARM UP

The surviving passengers struggled to warm up after riding an open boat in the middle of the night. Many stayed on top of the deck on RMS Carpathia, which was heading eastward from New York. The survivors were indeed lucky. If the radio operator hadn’t intercepted their distress signal and if the ship didn’t have enough gas to make a detour, RMS Carpathia wouldn’t have been able to launch a rescue mission.
Two hours later, the ship made it to the spot where the Titanic sank. Over 700 people were saved before the ship went back on its route to New York.

62. RECEIVING GREAT HONORS

The crew of RMS Carpathia deserved credit for acting so quickly on the emergency. When they got back on land, the captain and crew were honored with a silver cup. The token was handed over by one of the survivors as a sign of thanking them for everything they did to save the passengers.
Captain Roston was even honored with the Congressional Gold Medal by the president. The much-coveted honor was the highest anyone can receive. Many extended their gratitude, from the watching public to the families of the survivors. Without the efforts of the RMS Carpathia crew, no one might have survived the tragic incident.

63. BRING BACK THE LIFEBOATS

Every part of the RMS Titanic sunk to the bottom of the ocean. The only thing that made it back were the thirteen lifeboats that sailed back to land with the RMS Carpathia. The crew decided to bring them back to White Star Line.
When they got back to New York, none of the lifeboats were at the port. They were stolen by treasure hunters as soon as news about the tragedy broke out. Up until today, none of the lifeboats have been located. Some theories say that they were reused by White Star Line, or people were paid cash loans to quietly destroy the lifeboats.

64. RAISING FUNDS FOR THE SURVIVORS

Only the rich and famous could have climbed up the Titanic. Yet, after the tragedy, the whole world sympathized with the victims and the survivors. It didn’t take long before the news spread across the globe, and it was the only thing anyone talked about.
Some individuals, like Boy Scout troupes in Stratford, went out of their way to help out. They spearheaded many projects to raise funds for the Titanic survivors. Soon, everyone was joining their fund-raising efforts. As for the White Star Line, the company set up a relief fund to give back to the victims’ families with monetary compensation in the form of investment money.

65. REFUGE IN NEW YORK CITY

No one tended to the survivors when they got back on land. It was as if getting back on land was as bad as being helpless in the middle of the ocean. Their arrival in New York City would have been disastrous if it weren’t for some family members in the city who were willing to help out. The others who were left alone simply had to wait for financial aid.
The survivors worked their way around what was given to them. They made makeshift shelters and enjoyed each other’s company until they received compensation. Thankfully, New Yorkers were willing to provide them a home with electricity to stay in.

66. MAKING MONEY OFF A TRAGEDY

Some people simply saw the tragedy as a shining business opportunity. Memorabilia, figurines, postcards, and newspaper pieces about the Titanic accident were offered on in markets and street shops for quite a heavy price. In fact, photos of customers buying these “souvenirs” surfaced soon, too.
At the time, making a business out of such a devastating event was insulting, to say the least. However, it did pay off in the end. The memorabilia sold during that time is in high demand even decades after the accident. Some collectors are willing to take out payday loans just to own a piece.

67. RETURN TO BRITAIN

After the RMS Carpathia’s return, men, women, and children waited at the gates of the Belfast shipyard for RMS Lapland. The vessel was bringing 172 survivors back home. The historic place was where the Titanic was built, so you can imagine how many people gathered just to catch a glimpse of the ship.
While there was indeed a huge number of people who dropped by, it suffered by far compared to the crowds in New York. The return of RMS Carpathia and the Titanic survivors was greeted by hundreds and thousands of people, probably except for the insurance companies who were all terrified to shoulder the damages.

68. THE INQUIRY COMMITTEE

Everyone was eager to punish those responsible for the tragic incident. Public outcry pressured officials to work their hardest on the investigation. Many wondered how the Titanic – a ship that was supposed to be unsinkable – could have met such a disastrous end. White Star Line anticipated the anger and formed their inquiry committee even before the first batch of survivors made it back to New York.
To a certain degree, the inquiry committee admitted that the crew was negligent in listening to the warnings. They ignored the risks of sailing on the iceberg field despite the fact that were inadequate lifeboats on the ship.

69. WAITING OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE

The crew members and survivors were determined to get compensation for the tragedy. Aside from the emotional distress, the Titanic accident affected them and their families to a great extent. During the investigation, these victims waited patiently outside the courthouse.
White Star Line’s investment planning team must have had a hard time realigning their budget. The court decided that the company needed to pay out around $664,000. Each of the survivors received around $950, which is $22,000 in today’s currency. It seems a lot, however, it doesn’t compare to what the victims had to go through because of White Star Line’s negligence.

70. THE CHILDREN OF THE TITANIC

Probably the most heartbreaking result of the Titanic tragedy is the number of fatalities among innocent children. Even though women and children were given priority in boarding the lifeboats, some children were not able to survive. For most parents, burying their dead children is far worse than facing bankruptcy.
Two of the known survivors in the Titanic sinking were brothers Michel and Edmond Navratil, who went on the trip with their father while their mother stayed on land. It was a set-up that must have been sad at first but proved to be a blessing in disguise when the boys’ father died while keeping them afloat. Two weeks after the incident, the Navratil brothers were safely reunited with their mom.