Belding banner., 1912-04-25

/
work at once 10 get into touch with
the other boats, calling TO them and
getting as close as seemed wise, so
that when the search boats came in
the morning TO look for us, there /
would be more chance for all to be |
rescued by keeping together.
"It was now about a. m, a beauti- |
ful starlight night with no moon, and |
so not very light The sea was as
calm as a pond, just a gentle heaye |
as the boat dipped up and down in |
the swell; an ideal night except for
the bitter cold for anyone who had
to be out in the middle of the Allan
tic ocean in an open boat, and If there
was time when such a night was
needed, surely il was now with hun
dreds of people, mostly women and
Echildren, afoat hundreds OF miles
from land.
I'm the distance she looked an
enormous length, her great bulk out
, lined in black against the starry sky,
every portfolio and saloon blazing
with light. 1t was impossible TO think
anything could be wrong with such
leviathan were ii not. Tor that omin-
, Gus tilt downwards in the bows, where
the water was now up TO the lowest
+ row Of portfolios.
The Plunge Beneath Waves.
, Presently, about a. m, as near
o as | can remember. we observed her
settling very rapidly with the bows
/ and the bridge completely under wat
h er and concluded il was only ques-
Y ton of minutes before she went, and
so it proved She slowly tilted
la.fY. ,ffsl,f tr+ffh he CT
cally upwards and as she did, the
L lights in the cabins and saloons,
J. which had not iickered for moment
0 since we left, died out, came on again
q for single fash, and finally went
r out altogether. At the same time the
L machinery roared down through the
e vessel with a rattle and a groaning
y that could be heard for miles, the
weidest sound surely that could be
n heard in the midst OF the ocean, a
o thousand miles away from land. But
II this was not yet quite the end.
10 ITO our amaZement she remained
" in that upright position for time
Il- which I estimate as five minutes;
Up others in the boat say less, but 1t
IL was certainly some minutes while We
~ watched at least 150 feet Of the tt
re tanic towering up above the level oi
a. the sea and looming black against the
IN sky.
IT "Then with a quiet, slanting dive
re she disappeared beneath the waters
ne and our eyes had looked for the last
ey time on the gigantic vessel We hao
re set out on from southampton Anc
20. there was left TO us the gentle heav
Nv ing sea, the boat filled TO STANDING
er, room with men and women in every
X conceivable condition of dress and un
TO dress, above the perfect sky of bril-
en- liant stars with not cloud In thu
ed sky. all tempered with a bitter col'
ne that made us all long to be one of th'
IN crew who toled away with the oar
10 and kept themselves warm thereby
nd a curious, deadening bitter cold unlik
NV anything we had felt before.
nd
NJ. An Appalling Noise.
"And then, with all these, >ther
fell on the ear the most appallin
re. noise that human beings ever lis
as tened to-the cries of hundreds G
ey our fellow beings struggling in tn
,rll icy cold water, crying for help wit
ng cry that We knew could not be al
for swered. We longed to return an
,se pick up some of those swimming, bt
he this would have meant swamping on
mi boat and further loss OF the lives
at ali of us
,ht I'VE tried to sing to keep the W
an men from hearing the cries and ROY
ian ed hard to get away from the seer
oat of the wreck, and ! think the mel
ory Of those sounds will be one
ace the things the rescued will find IL di
10 6cult TO efface from memory. We al
,en all trying hard not to think Of it.
on. 1--WE kept a lookout for lights al
1ch several times it was shouted th
Iize steamer lights We're seen, but the
ate turned out to be either a light fro
hat another boat or star low down
sea the horizon. About a. m, we sa
mn. faint lights showing on the sky al
Nv all rejoiced 10 see what we expect'
din was the coming dawn, but aft
low watching for half an hour and sc
ing no change in the intensity of Il
light. realized ii was the northe
- lights.
lied Presently low down on the horiz'
red o cow Iipbt. which slowly revolv
res itself into double light. and '
ong ,ratnbad eaeerlv IN soc If the ~
IN lights would separate and so pro
on to be only two of our boats or vho
men er they would remain together.
thls which case we should expect the
ana TO be the masthead light and a de
light below of a rescuing steamer
ITO our JOY they moved as OF
mp, and round we swung the boat a
eNel headed for her. The steersman sho
gam de: Now, boys, sing, and for the fl
time, the boat broke into song W
Row for the shore, bo.s,' and for
one first time tears came TO the eyes
us all we realized that safety "
eck, at hand. The song was sung but
was a very poor imitation OF the r.
thing, for quavering voices make pC
songs. A cheer was given next a
that was better-'you keep in tu
oars for a cheer
Guy Most Beautiful Dawn.
eem-
.hite "Our rescuer showed up rapi
nker and as she swung round we saw
tain cabins all allght, and knew she III
Il lar nfx A ~ nn