The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1912-04-25

Continued from Page y

emn tones the air, Nearer My God. to
Thee was waited across the water to
our ears.
1.-THE band played the hymn con-
tlnuously until their instruments were
choked off by the swirling water that
closed about their heads as they went
to hero's grave"
Storage Passengers Experience.
A Swede named Oscar Johansen was
a steerage passenger on the Titanic.
He said he was awakened in his steer
age bunk by sort Of grinding. tear
ing thump at the moment the Titanic
struck the iceberg. He ran for the deck.
but when he reached the saloon he
found the band playing some popular
air. 1.-THE officers of the ship were as
suring the people that there was no
danger" said Johansen. "They told
me to 60 back to the steerage and tell
the people who knew my tongue that
the accident was nothing. I went back.
for the band kept on playing and the
people in the saloon We're leaving also
for their beds. An hour after the boat
sank. hung onto one Of the -colaps-
IDLE llfeboats for two hours and hal.
Then | was picked up"
Mrs. Paul Shabert of Derby. Conn
said that when the collision occ, rred
she came out on deck and asked one
Of the stewards If there was any dan
ger. and he said he was afraid there
was. Shortly afterward one of the Of
ficers shouted. Ladies first to the
boats!"
Mrs. Henry Stengel of Newark. N. j..
said that she witnessed terrible scenes.
Chinese stokers hid in the bottom of
the lifeboats before they were launch
ed. Men jumped into boatloads of
women, injuring them. There were no
lights and no provisions. The col
lisfon was terrific, but nobody appeared
to realize how serious matters were
There appeared to be overconfdence.
as it was thought that the Titanic was
unsuitable. Il am sure that more
might have been saved had it not been
for this overconfidence. The boats
We're undermined. My husband help
ed to row lifeboat.. Captain Smith
stuck to the bridge like hero. The
behavior of the entire crew was per-
feet. 1t was a most beautiful night.
The vessel was surrounded by ice
bergs. Some of the passengers were
on the deck of the great liner. enjoy
ing the strange and beautiful scene,
when the crash came"
Went Down, but Was Saved.
Colonel Archibald Oracle. U. s. A., the
last man saved. went down with the
vessel, but was picked up. Colonel Ora
Gle told a remarkable story Of personal
hardship and denied emphatically the
reports that there had been any panic
on board. He praised in the highest
toms the behavior of both the pas
-,gers and crew and PAID lllgn trl-
butte to the heroism Of the women pas
sengers.
Il jumped with the sea-" said he
"just as often have jumped with the
breakers at the seashore. By great
good fortune l managed to grasp the
brass railing on the deck above. and
hung on by might and main. When
the ship plunged down l was forced
to let so and l was swirled around
and around for what seemed to be an
interminable time. Eventually l came
to the surface to find the sea mass
of tangled wreckage.
Luckily l was urhurt. and casting
about managed to seize Il wooden graf
ing floating near by. When had re
covered my breath | discovered a
larger canvas and cork life raft which
had fiCated up. A man whose name
l did not learn was struggling toward
it from some wreckage to which he
had chung. i cast off and helped him
to get on to the raft and We then be
gan the work Of rescuing those who
had jumped into the sea and were
fioundering in the water.
Had to Deny Suceor to Others.
when dawn broke there were thirty
of us on the raft. standing knee deer
In the Icy water and afraid to move
lest the cranky craft be overturned
Several unfortunates. benumbed and
half dead, besought US to save them
and one or two made IN effort to react
Us. but we had to warn them away
Had we made any effort to save them