Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-26
STORIES BY PASSENGERS
OF Experiences Which They Hope May
Never Be Repeated.

New York, Jan. 25.-The accounts
by passengers, covered many sides of
the accident Those who We're in the
heart of things Immediately after the
crash at daybreak have told their ex-
periences and feelings and described
the bravery, anxiety, outbreaks of
weakness and steady calmness which
happened until help came through the
fog. Those on assisting steamers and
relief boats have told their own OBJ
ServationS, from the time of the first
wireless message to the taking aboard
OF the last of the twice transferred
passengers, and all together the story
of the days and nights have been WOW
en- into completeness.
Two women who occupied a state
room second from the one where Mrs.
Lynch was killed, and a woman who
occupied the one between Mrs. Lynch's
and the other which was crushed,
graphically set forth their experiences.
The former. Mrs. j. S. Crandell, and
Miss Elizabeth Potter of Chicago, We're
| among the first to reach the deck. Mrs.
Crandell said in telling her expert
ences:
only one stateroom separated ours
from the one in which Mrs. Lynch met
her death. l heard few agonizing
screams. Every light went out. From
! the corridor we saw the rooms smash
| ed in, so very close to ours, and we
saw huge anchor in one. Through
| the mass of wreckage two stewards
We're already lifting a woman who had
| been caught by the impact. 1t was
very evident from the start that the
passengers were in the hands of a lit
tie army of men trained to care for
them in the best manner possible in
face of such an emergency, and it was
this knowledge that kept fear from
our hearts At no time was there a
panic"
| Miss Potter, Mrs. Crandells state
| room mate, made her way four times
| from the deck to their stateroom and
| was able to get her pewelry and that
| of Mrs. Crandell.
Before the order for transfer Of
passengers to the Florida came" said
Miss Potter, nearly all OF the pas
sengers were crowded we'll forward on
the Republic Eagerly they watched
Capt Sealby on the bridge. Distinc-
ton between first-class passengers ami
steerage had been done away with. We
were all fellow passengers in distress.
1t was a long. long time before we
knew we were to be transferred to the
Florida.
FINALLY Capt Sealby turned toward
us with his hand uplifted as signal
for our attention which. needless 10
say, was quickly given. Then he said:
The passengers will be transferred To
the steamship Florida He told US
that the women and children would be
the first passengers. There was no
iostling and no exhibition of frenzy.
All the conduct of the women was eX-
cellent. 1t is unfortunate that right
at the start there should have been an
exhibition by one of the men that was
otherwise. He was not an old man
either. but he surely did seem the most
scared person of all. He clambered
into the first boat lowered. There was
a yell of derision from the passengers
The sailors who We're to row the life
boat and the officer in command OF
them plainly showed their contempt
for the fellow An order was shouted
to put him out of the boat They did
so and he came back up to the high
deck of the Republic in very ignomini-
Gus fashion, being made to haul his
way up on a ladder. the passengers
ieering all the while he was making
the journey
THE lfeboats made the trips in al
most uniform procession. There was so
much to admire in the proceedings that