The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-19
TITANIC POISED IN
AIR BEFORE HER
DIVE TO BOTTOM
Then Followed an Appalling Babel of
Sounds as the Victims Struggled
In the Water.

IN the Water.
New York. April 49, Beasey. a
Cambridge university student, who was
a second cabin passenger on the Titanic,
furnishes the following graphic account
of the sinking OF the Titanic:
"The voyage from Queenstown had
heen quite uneYentful; very fine wealth
or was experienced and the sea was
quite calm The wind had been wcst-
! erly to southwesterly the whole way,
bur very cold, particularly the last day.
| in fact after dinner on Sunday evening
/ ii was almost too cold to be out on
| deck at all. / had been in my berth
! fer about 10 minutes when at about
ll:l5 p. m. | feft a slight jar and
! then soon after second one. but not
sufficiently large to cause any anxiety
| to any one, however nervous they NAV
! have been. However the engines stopped
Immediately afterwards and my first
thought was she has lost propeller
! went up on the top tboatl deck in
dressing gown and found only few
people there who had come up similar
ly to inquire why we had stopped. but
there was no sort Of anxiety in the
MINDS Of any one.
"We saw through the smoking room
window game Of cards going on and
went in to inquire If they knew any
thing; it seems they felt more Of the
Jar and looking through the window
had seen huge iceberg 90 by close to
the side of the boat They thought
we had just grazed il with CHANGING
blow, and the engines had been stopped
to see if any damage had been done.
No one of course had any conception
that she had been pierced below by part
OF the submerged iceberg The game
went on without any thought Of dis
aster, and | retired to my cabin to
read until we went on again. / never
saw any OF the players or the onlook
ers again
"A little later hearing people going
upstairs ! went out again and found
everyone wanting to know why the en-
gines had stopped. No doubt many we're
awakened from sleep by the sudden stop
ping of vibration to which they had
fcen accustomed during the four DAYS
We had been on board. Naturally, with
such powerful engines as the Titanic
carried. he vibration was very noticeable
oil the time and the sudden stopping
had something the same effect as the
stopping of loud ticking grandfather
clock in room.
"On going on deck again / saw that
there was an undoubted list downward
from the stern to bows but knowing
nothing OF what had happened. con
ciLded some OF the front compartments
had filled and were working her down
went down again TO put on warmer
clothing and as l dressed, heard an
order shouted All passengers on deck
with life belts on.
"We all walked slowly up with them
tied over our clothing but even then
presumed this was a wise precaution the
CAPTAIN was taking and that we should |
return in short time and retire to
bed. There was a total absence of any
panic or any expressions of alarm and | |
suppose this can be accounted for hv
tho exceedingly calm night and the alb |
sehce OF any signs of the accident The /
ship was absolutely still and except for |
a general tilt downwards, which don't I
think one person in ten would have no
ticed at that time, no signs of the APP !
preaching disaster were visible.
"She lay Just as If she were waiting !
the order to 90 on again when some (
trihing matter had been adjusted. But /
in few moments we saw the covers I
lifted from the boats, and the crews I
allotted to them standing by and curling /
up the ropes which were to lower them /
b. the pulley blocks into the water.
First Thought of Trouble
Eve then began to realize it was more
serious than Lad been supposed and my
fist thought was to 60 down and get
more clothing and some money. but see
lug people pouring up the stairs decided
It was better to cause no confusion to
people coming up by doing so. Present
" we heard the order:
"'All men stand back away from
tie boats and all ladies retire to next
deck below'-the smoking room deck or
p deck The men all stood away and
in absolute silence. leaning
against the end railings of the deck or
pacing slowly up and down. The boats
were swung out ard lowered from A
deck When they were to the level of
3 deck where all the ladies were collect
,d, the ladies got in quietly with the
exception of some who refused to leave
their husbands. In some cases they
we're torn from them and pushed into
he boats, but in many instances they
Nere allowed to remain because there
was no one to insist they should 90.
Looking over the side one saw boats
rom aft already in the water slipping
Iuietly away into the darkness and pres
,ntly the boats near to me were low
.red and with much creaking as the new
opes slipped through the pulley blocks
lown the ninety feet which separated
hem from the water. An officer in uni
orm came up as one boat went down
md shouted: when you are afioat row
lround to the companion ladder and
itand by with the other boats for or
iers'
AYE. aye. sir came the reply. but
lon't think any boat was able to obey &
he order When they were afloat and
lad the oars at work the condition of
Continued on eighth psge.i