 The animation combines editorial cartooning techniques with live @-@ action @-@ like sequences , and is considered McCay 's most realistic effort ; the intertitles emphasized that the film was a " historical record " of the event . McCay animated the action in what animation historian Donald Crafton describes as a " realistic graphic style " . The film has a dark mood and strong propagandist feel . It depicts the terrifying fates of the passengers , such as the drowning of children and human chains of passengers jumping to their deaths . The artwork is highly detailed , the animation fluid and naturalistic . McCay used alternating shots to simulate the feel of a newsreel , which reinforced the film 's realistic feel . 
