Journal

April 12, 1912

I, Mr. Chang Chip has just boarded the great and luxurious Titanic in Southampton.I chose to take this magnificant ship to New York to visit. I'm completely astounded that i'm on this ship. The decks, saloons, gathering areas, smoking rooms sound so wonderful.I've caught up with some of my friends that are also passengers, Lee Bing and Ling Hee. I am a third-class passenger and, therefore I am unable to go to several places such as the 1st class dining saloon. I can go to Bridge B, on that deck is the "poop deck" and deck-space. It is used to help guard the rear end of the ship from being swamped by large waves.I'm also allowed to go to the E,F and G decks. This is where the third class passengers sleep. It may not be as luxurious as first class or second class, but it suits us just fine. By the way, the one who is giving me this valuable information is my trustworthy friend, Lee Bing.The mattresses are made of spring or chains, heat and electrical lighting. To keep me nice and warm, is a blanket and pillow, which is surprisingly hard......... and no sheets. Many cabins have portholes.

There are a few more decks i can lounge in.C-deck, is where the general and smoking rooms are. The walls are paneled and framed in oak. The furniture is a beautiful teak. There are gross spittoons for people who chew tobacco.I overheard some crew members talking about the dimensions of this magnificent ship. Some 46,328 tons,TREMENDOUS!!! Full speeds up to 24 to 25 knots.92.5 feet wide, too much space to even imagine. I also heard the Titanic is 882.5 feet long. I don't know how long it took these builders to make this interesting ship. Maybe it was 1 year, 18 months, 5 years? How ever long it took, it must have been impossible to just wait and see the ship completely finished!

I must say that meals are just scrumpcious. The main dishes are ragout of beef and pickles, which is Irish stew. Lastly, obligatory tea. Some side dishes are stewed apricots, fresh bread and butter. Unfourtunately, there was nothing for dessert. I'm sure that 1st class got a dessert.

Until next time, Chang Chip reporting from the Titanic

Dear Journal,

You will not beleive what just happened!!! This glorious ship just hit a iceberg! I was laying in my bed getting ready to go to sleep and all of a sudden I heard a" grinding jar"- like sound. Very odd. Peices of the berg came into our cabin through the porthole. Water also slowly poured in as i jumped down from my bunk. I was beside myself. I had no idea what to do, as I was all by myself, without Lee Bing and Lee Hing. I built up my courage and walked to the corridor to confer with other passengers. They said they were very frightened and also thought we struck an iceberg, too.

As in talking with other passengers i'm thinking it's just the third class that, small amounts of water is pouring in. After all she is pratically "unsinkable". Even though I was nervous and frightened I felt a sense of calmness due to all the passengers thatIi accompanied. Also of the theory which is probably true that the "Titanic" is unsinkable.OH MY GOSH! I heard a few women passengers in warm clothes talking about overhearing some other passengers saying they saw water rapidly streaming into the Titanic. You won't believe this, they were laughing. I was confident that the ship would'nt sink but not enough to laugh about freezing cold water quickly pouring into the ship. The crew has now responded and is coming into our rooms and screaming at us to put on our life belts and head up to the deck. Only a few of the third class passengers refused butIi wasn't taking any chances. I quickly threw on my life belt and scurried to the deck. As I arrived I could see kids of all ages and adults kicking the ice around. It must have came from the berg. If they were having fun with the ice than the situation musn't have been so terrible after all.

Chang Chip

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People are going crazy down here. Men in our class are running around telling families to put on their life belts and report to the deck, immediatley! I was thinking and wondering of how bad this could actually be. Water is coming into the cabins, ice is on deck, people are screaming and running all over the place. I stop thinking and react, I threw on my lifebelt and grabbed as much warm clothes that I could find. (I didn't have alot). I'm getting my things together and helping Lee Bing with his things at the same time. I tell him, " We don't need that many of our belongings, we'll be back soon hopefully,".======

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Finally the crew comes down to third class barging into our rooms screaming at us to put on warm clothes. They are also throwing lifebelts at us. I would bet you 10 dollars that the first and second classes were treated way nicer than us. I personally was not happy with us passsenges being screamed at in heavy english accents. I was thinking about punching a crew member that was especially annoying me, but I held myself back.I'm going to be on this ship for sometime,I don't want to start problems. Lee Bing and I hustled through the crowd and reached the stern.======

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Boats are being uncovered and being loaded. I heard from, it seemed like seond class passngers, that were saying that a boat had just left with 37 people in the boat when it can hold probably 60. I thought it was a mistake then I saw for myself. This was an absolute joke. Even though there was only enough life boats for half of the passengers it was worse when they filled them to the half capacity. I start screaming to the crew, " Let men in, fill the boats completely. I started a mob, everyone was yelling what I was saying. The crew didn't budge. I dont know what to do, there is just no use to waste my breathe, super frustrated at this point.======