The story of the Titanic disaster is told with glimpses into the lives of many different people: Barrett, the stoker who wanted to get away from the coal mines and who proposes marriage on the telegraph; Murdoch, the ships officer contemplating the responsibility of command; Kate McGowan and the Third Class passengers who yearn for a better life in America; Chief Steward Etches and the millionaires he serves, who exult in the wonders of their world; and a Second Class passenger Alice Beane, a hardware store owners wife, who wants more out of life.

