The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-19
THINK BOILER EXPLO- SION WAS IMMEDIATE
 CAUSE OF SINKING
fCoNTrNUED FROM PAGE lS)

S--~-------~---~---~----- at the pier to meet his mother, Mrs. Thomas Potter, Jr., one of the survivors. said his mother was unable to make any formal statement, but said she related the story to him follows:
 "She told me that she was in the first | boat with about 10 others and that there was plenty of room for 40 more My | mother said she saw Mrs John Jacob as- l tor standing by the rail and that she called to them to come in the boat but that they refused, saying 1t was safer where they were.
 ''The first three or four boats that were launched, my mother said. were hardly filed"
 Mrs. K. T. Andrews
 Mrs. K T. Andrews of Hudson, N. Y. first class passenger on the Titanic said: When our boat was away from the Ti- tanic there was an explosion and the Titanic seemed to break into. Then she sank bow first. Just before this I saw MT. Astor, MT. Thayer and MT. Case standing on deck. They were smiling and as We went off they waved their hands
 Mrs. James Baxter and her daughter Mrs. P. c. Douglas of Montreal. came off the boat wearing the evening dresses that they had on at the Sunday night concert on the Titanic Both women were hys- terical.
 W. J. Hawksford W. J. Hawksford of London said: Not man attempted to get into one | of the boats before the women and children were In. If there had been enough lifeboats every one would have been saved. There was plenty of time and no confusion"
 He added that one of the boats was swamped as it struck the water. The others pulled away about a mile and waited expecting shortly to be called hack to the steamship as every ono had been told that the taking to the | lifeboats was only matter of precau- tion.
 | Thomas Whitley | Thomas Whitley. a walter on the IT. tanac, was asleep five decks below the main saloon deck. He ran upstairs. | The iceberg look ed like giant mountain of glass; said Whitley Al most immediately I heard that stoke | hold No. 1 was filling with water and that the ship was doomed. The water 1 tight doors had been closed but the officers. fearing that there might lie an explosion, called for volunteers to go below to draw the fires, Twenty men stepped forward almost immediately and started down. To permit them to enter the hold 1t was necessary for the door to be opened again. and after that | one almost could feel the water rush ing in
 John P. Snyder | John Pillsbury Snyder said that when 1 the crash came he and his wife went to the deck but were told that there was no danger and dAreturned to their state room. shortly Afterwards a stew ard told them they had better go on dack and they obeyed Mrs. Snyder 1 However, complained of the cold and again returned to the stateroom for heavier clothing and came back with 1t and also her jewel case. Then the :,eopie were ordered into the lifeboats
 But the women,' continued MT. Shy l der. after looking over the rail into the water refused to change their seeming safe position for the more precarious one ! in life boat. An officer pleaded. then ordered them into the boat. But still they refused to go.''
 l MT Synder said that gradually the life boat itr.ed away until it was fully 800 yards from the Titanic Then came | loud explosion, followed closely by two | others not so resonant. With the first ex- plosion MT. Snyder said the sides of tbe | stricken ship biilgcd out and hy the bright starlight he could see the nose of the liner dip into the sea. The stern of the boat | vas raised high into the air. two pro ! pelers glistened above the water and the Titanic sank.
 A. Dick
 l A. Dick of New York saic; Everybody in the first and second cabin behaved splendidly. The members of the crew also behaved magnincen,iy. But some men ip the third class. presum- ably passengers, were shot by officers. | Who these men were we do not know l George Rheims of New York. With his ! brother in Jaw Joscri, tfouarh ' ,0'',- of l London. said when all the boats had gone i he shook hands with hls pFoine,-. who would not jump and leaped over ih~ | side of the boat He swan for quarter