ABSTRACT
The captain determined that they were going to sink fast and at 12:15 a.m. ordered his wireless operator to send the distress call. Within a few minutes the airwaves were rippling with signals as over a dozen ships became aware of the disaster. This was simultaneous drama on the high seas, driven by steam power and choreographed by the magic of wireless telegraphy. The world began to get news of the disaster at 1:20 a.m., when a wireless station in Newfoundland picked up the message that the Titanic was sinking and was putting women offin boats. The Titanic's wireless had a range of only 1,500 miles, so signals to Europe had to go first to New York and then across the ocean by cable; still, by early morning the entire world was privy to news of the disaster. An editorial in the London Times of April 16 noted the expanded range of experience made possible by the wireless.
