Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-19

take charge. So one of the stokera
shouted: Some one find the pin which,
releases the boat from the ropes and
pull it up
NO one knew where it was. We felt
as Wen as we could on the floor and
| side. but found nothing and il waa
hard TO move among so many peoDle-
we had so or 20 ON board. Down Wa
went and presently floated with our
ropes still holding us, the exhaust
washing us away from the side of this
vessel and the swell ef the sea urging
us back against the side again. The
result of all these forces was a forcA
which carried uss parallel to the ships
slde and directly under boat IA. which
rad filled rapidly with men and was
coming down on us in way thar
threatened to submerge our boat.
Stop lowering A.. our crew Shout.
ed. and the crew of II, now only 20
feet above, shouted the same. But the
distance to the top was some 20 feer
ana the ereaking pulleys must have
oeadened all sound to those above. for
down she eame-15 feet, 10 feet. & feet
and stoker ard I reached up and
touched her swinging above our heads.
Fhe next drop would have brought her
on our heads, but just before she
dropped another stoker sprang to tina
ropes with his knife.
One l heard him say: two as
his knife cut through the pulley rome.
ana the next moment the exhaust.
steam had carried us clear. while boar
~ dropped into the water into thu
space we had the moment before occ,l-
pea, our gnnwales almost touching.
we drifted away easily as the oars
We're gotten out and headed directly
away from the ship. The crew seemed tn
me TO be mostly cooks in white Jackets.
Two to an oar with a stoker at the filler.
ihere was a certain amount OF shouting
from one end OF the boat to the other
anu discussion as to which way We
should go, but finally it was decided to
eiec. the stoker, who was steering, cap
,aih, ana Tor all to obey his orders He
Went TO work at once to get into touch
win the other boats. calling to them
ana getting as close as seemed wise. =,
'iiae "hen the search boats came In tho
morning to look for us there would be
more chahce Tor all to be rescued by
keeping together. 1t was now about
a. NJ a beautiful starlight night, with no
moon and so not very light. The se.U
q
heave as the boat dipped up and doWu
in the swell; an ideal night excent fo,.
the bitter cold for anyone who had to be-
out in the middle of the Atlantic ocaan
in an open boat
The captain-stoker told us that ha has
oeen at sea rs years and had never ven
seen such calm night on the Atlantic
AS we rowed away from the Titanic wa
fo .;
her' and a more striking spectacle 1t was,
not possible for anyone to see Onfv m.
evening before at dinner 1 remarked tn
my neighbor that when we arrival ar
New York / should take an opportunttv
TO get look at her from distance tn
realize something of her dimensions. We
ala not think our desire was so soon IN
De gratifed. In the distance she looked
an enormous length, her great hulk mt
iined In black against the starry shy.
every portfolio and saloon blazing with.
hght. 1t was impossible to think any,
thing could be wrong with such a leyia-
than We're 1t not for that tilt dowuwanf
or the bows where the water was now nm
10 the lowest row of portfolios
We We're now about two miles from
her and all the crew insisted that such
tremendous wave would be formed
by suction as she went down that we
ought TO get as far away as possible.
Inc captain agreed and all law on
their oars and widened the distance
between us and the sinking vessel.
Presently. about A. M. as near as I
can remember. we observed her set
Ting very rapidly, with the bows and
the bridge completely under water ana
concluded it was now only a question
OF minutes before she went; and so
| it proved.
She slowly tilted straight on end.
with the stern vertically upwards. and
| as she did so. the lights in the cabins
and saloons which had not fiickered for
| moment since we left, died out. came
| on again for a single flash, and final.
ly went out altogether. At the sams
time the machinery roared Down
| through the vessel with rattle and
groaning that could be heard for
| miles, the weirdest sound surely thac
could be heard in the middle OF the
ocean, thousand miles away from
land
But this was not yet quite the end.
she remained in that upright position
for time which / estimate as Ave
1 less.
but it was certainly + some minutes
while we watched at least $50 feet of
the Titanic towering up above tina
level of the sea and looming black
against the sky.
Then with slanting dive, she dis
appeared beneath the waters, and our
eyes had looked for the last time on
| the gigantic vessel we had set out from
southampton. last Wednesday. And
| there was left to us the gently heav-
ing sea. the boats filled to standing
room with men and women In every
conceivable condition of dress and un-
| dress; above. the perfect sky of bril-
liant stars with not a cloud in the sky.
all tempered with bitter cold that
| made us all long to be one of the crew
who toiled away with the oars and
kept themselves warm thereby--a curt
Gus, deadening bitter cold unlike any
| thing we had felt before.
| And then with all these there fell