Two original Marconigrams sent from the Carpathia after the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912. Both are affixed to opposite sides of a 13.75 x 8.25 album page, which was removed from an evidence book used by the British Enquiry during their investigation that was held between May and July 1912; these pages are accordingly numbered as 166 and 167.
The first, undated, is written in pencil on an 8.5 x 5.25 Marconi International Marine Communication Company telegram sheet, and reads: “Major Birkhead Carpathia / Please wireless good story on your observations Titanic many facts as possible / Herald.” The sheet is numbered “3/3,” and was sent to “MSD” by “HC” [Harold Cottam] at 5:20 PM. The second, stamped “Carpathia” and dated to April 17, 1912, is written in pencil on two overlapping Marconi sheets, and reads: “EN Kimball Jr. Carpathia / Boston Globe anxious get full narrative disaster can you write it for delivery to Globe representative on dock New York will pay liberally rush answer to Winfield Thompson Globe man on steamer Franconia his expense he also desires wireless story on of your experiences for immediate transmittal Boston every moment precious intense interest at home / Winfield Thompson.” The sheet is numbered “2/3,” sent from “Franconia” to “MEA” at 6:30 AM. In overall fine condition. These documents were obtained by Titanic Historical Society members John and Vera Gillespie from John Booth, the author of the book, Titanic Signals of Disaster, published by White Star in 1993.
Telegraph operator Harold Cottam was a British wireless operator on the RMS Carpathia who fortuitously happened to receive the distress call from the sinking Titanic on April 15, 1912. His decision to awaken Captain Arthur Henry Rostron and relay the Titanic's message allowed the Carpathia to arrive at the scene hours before any other ship, consequently saving hundreds of lives.
May R. Birkhead of Louisiana, Missouri, was a 30 year-old seamstress travelling with her aunt aboard the Carpathia on leisure. When the Titanic disaster occurred, she contacted her friend Eric Hawkins of the New York Herald and became the unofficial ‘on-ship reporter.’ She obtained first-person accounts and also obtained several sketches and two rolls of film. Her combined story in the Herald on Friday, April 19th, was historic in that its chilling contents were picked up by journalists across the country. Included is a vintage matte-finish 5.75 x 8 photo of Birkhead taken aboard the Carpathia by Chicago physician and novice photographer, Dr. Frank Blackmarr.
Winfield Thompson was a reporter for the Boston Globe aboard the Franconia, a Cunard Line steamer bound for Liverpool via Quebec, whose task was to monitor wireless traffic between the Carpathia and other wireless stations, and to retransmit any important news back to the Globe. As evidenced, news outlets were desperate for exclusive information surrounding the disaster.
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