The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, at 2:20 AM, some 2 hours and 40 minutes after hitting an iceberg. Shortly after the collision, water began filling the mail room and the foremost boiler room. By 1:00 AM, water was seen at the base (E deck) of the Grand Staircase. Less than an hour later, the Titanic’s bow had sunk low enough that the stern’s propellers were clearly visible above the water. At around 2:00 AM, the ship’s bow was completely submerged. Eighteen minutes later, the lights went out as the power was lost.
As the Titanic’s bow continued to sink, the stern rose higher out of the water, placing great strain on the midsection, and the ship broke in two between the third and fourth funnels. Reports would later speculate that it took some six minutes for the bow section, likely traveling at approximately 30 miles (48 km) per hour, to reach the ocean bottom.
The stern momentarily settled back in the water before rising again, eventually becoming vertical. It briefly remained in that position before beginning its final plunge. At 2:20 AM the stern disappeared into the ocean, and the Titanic was gone. Water pressure allegedly caused the stern, which still had air inside, to implode as it sank. The stern landed some 2,000 feet (610 meters) from the bow.