Sinking of Titanic Recalled by Picture

Mrs. D.D. Mann and Mrs. E.A. Mellenger Say Film Faithful Reproduction

In every person's life there is some great event impressed on the mind, but few have the opportunity to relive it. Mrs. D.D. Mann, 185 Glenmount Park Dr., and her mother, Mrs. E.A. Mellenger, of St. Catherines, survivors of the "Titanic" disaster, are two of these rare persons.

Last night they sat in the Trivoli theatre and as they watched the British International Picture "Atlantic" unreel, they were taken back eighteen years and were again aboard the "Titanic," sinking in mid-Atlantic.

"Like going through it all again – It took the wind out of our sails," said Mrs. Mann. "It brings back so many memories."

"How does the picture compare with the actual sinking?" asked The Star Weekly. "A very faithful reproduction," she replied, "only the 'Titanic' seemed so much newer and so much larger. It seemed to take ages for our boat to drop down the ship's side to the water."

Although just a young girl at the time, Mrs. Mann has many vivid recollections of the scenes that awful night.

"I first remember the steward knocking on our door to wake us up and order us on to the deck," she recalled. "All was hustle, bustle and commotion.

"There was a great deal of noise too – even more than in this picture – with people shouting, whistles blowing and rockets screaming.

"I saw sparks flying from the ship's wireless and thought the boat was on fire at first. We heard a lot of noise from our boat, and an old stoker told us it was people singing, but I believe they were really groaning," Mrs. Mann continued.

"We could see the boat sink. You could see a long row of lights and a row just below the water, then there was an explosion and ship broke in half and sank."

Another incident which remains in her mind is that of a little [Japanese] jumping into her boat with a bundle of clothes crying: "Baby! Baby! Baby!"

"I have no doubt that the splendid spirit shown by those doomed to remain on board in the picture was shown in the actual sinking," she concluded.

We would like to thank Wolfric Rogers for contributing this article. If you would like to contribute a primary source to Titanic Archive, please contact us.