A Titanic Survivor

How do you think the passengers on the Titanic felt the

night when the great ship sank in the icy cold water?

What happened before and after the ship hit the iceberg?

Shelley Tanaka is an award-winning children’s author.

She has written the book On Board the Titanic which tells

the true story of two of the survivors, Jack Thayer and Harold Bride.

This excerpt tells part of the story of Jack Thayer.

Wednesday, April 10, 1912, 10:30 a.m.

Jack Thayer stared up from the pier at the gleaming

black side of the Titanic. If he stretched his neck he

could just see the top of one of the ship’s four huge

funnels. All morning he had been listening to people

talk about the world’s biggest ship.

At the end of the gangway that led into the ship,

a man in a green jacket offered him a white carnation.

Jack was puzzled.

“For your buttonhole, sir,” the steward said.

Jack took the flower and tried to put it in his lapel.

“Jack! Get a move on! Other people are waiting.”

He turned to see his mother and father, waving him

ahead. Behind them other passengers were waiting to

get on board.