Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1912-04-25

i De llldulC Nds I,iSS hhiiSS i'N
Queenstown and 1871 miles from
New York, speeding for a maiden voy'
age record. The night was starlight
the sea CLASSY. Lights were out IN
most Of the staterooms. and only two
or three congenial groups remained
In the public rooms.
In the crows nest. or lookout, and
on the bridge. officers and members
of the crew were at their places,
awaiting relief at midnight from their
two hours watch.
Danger Warning Sounded.
At HAS came the sudden sound OF
two gongs. a warning OF immediate
danger.
The crash against the iceberg which
had been sighted at only quarter oil
mile, came almost simultaneously
with the click Of the levers operated
by those on the bridge. which stopped
the engines and closed the water
tight doors.
Captain Smith was on the bridge q
moment later giving orders for the
summoning Of all on board. and ior
the putting on Of life-preservers and
the lowering OF lifeboats.
Many Men In First Boats.
The first boats lowered contained
more men than the latter ones. as the
men were on deck first and not
enough women to fill them.
When, a moment later, the rush OF
frightened women and crying chill
dren to the deck began, enforcement
OF the women first" rule became rigid.
Officers loading some OF the boats
drew revolvers. but in most cases the
men. both passengers and crew, be
haved in a way that called for no such
restraint.
Report Captain Shot Self.
Revolver shots. heard by many
persons shortly before the end Of the
Titanic. caused many rumors. One
was that Captain Smith shot himself,
another was that First officer Muir.
dock ended his life Smith. Murdock
and Sixth Officer Moody are known
to have been lost. The surviving Of
ficers. Lightoller. Pitman. Bothall and
Lowe have made no statement.
i Members OF the crew discredit al
reports OF suicide, and say Captair
Smith remained on the bridge unit
just before the ship sank, leaping only
after those on the decks had beer
washed away. II is also related that
when a cook later sought to pul
him aboard a lifeboat he exclaimed;
Let me co." and. Jerking away. wen
down.
LHe.Preservers Effective.
What became OF the men with HE
preservers is a question asked since
the disaster by many persons. The
preservers did their work OF support
ing their wearers in the water until
| the SHIP went down Many OF those
drawn into the vortex. despite the
preservers. did not come up again
Dead bodies fioated on the surface as
the last boats moved away.
Band Plays as Ship Sinks.
To relate that the ships string band
gathered in the saloon, near the end,
and played Nearer. My God. TO
Thee" sounds IKE an attempt to give
an added solemn color to scene
which was in itself the climax OF SOL
emnity. But various passengers and
survivors of the crew agree in the
declaration that they heard the music
To some OF the hearers, with hus-
bands among the dying men in the
water and at the ships rail. the strain
brought in thought the words:
so. by my woes I'll be
Nearer. my God. to thee.
Nearer to thee
Women and children first" was the
order in the filling OF the Titanic:
+. lifeboats. How well that order wa!
fulfilled the list o. missing first anC
second cabin passengers bears elo
orent witness Mr." is before almos
every name.
Chose Death With Husbands.
Mrs. lsidor Straus, who chose deatl
rather than to leave her husband
side; Mrs. Allison. who remained be
low with her husband and daughter
and others who. in various ways wer,
kept from entering the line OF thos'
to be saved. are striking examples o
those who faced the disaster calmly
To most of the passengers the mid
night crash did not seem OF territi
force. Bridge players in the smokinj
room kept on with their game.
Once on deck. many hesitated 4
enter the ,vinging lifeboats. Tn
/, CLASSY sea. the starlit sky, the at
sence. in the first few minutes, OF In
tense excitement. gave them the fee
iffy that there was only some Sigh
mishap-that those who got into tn
boats would have chilly half hou
below. and might later be laughed al
II was such a feeling as this. iron
all accounts. which caused John ia
cob Astor and his wife TO refuse tn
places offered them in the first boa
and TO retire TO the gymnasium. Ii
the same way H. J. Allison. Montrea
banker, laughed at the warning. an
his wife. reassured by him, took he
time about dressing They and thei
daughter did not reach the Carpathia
Their son. less than two years old
was carried into a lifeboat by nj