Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1912-04-25

Mrs. Harry Collyer and daughte
of Bishopstoke, England, enroute t
Payette were among the survivor
who were on the i'll fated Titanic
The husband and father is amonI
those who sank beneath the waves.
The Collyers had sold their littl
grocery store in Bishopstoke ant
the husband had all the money ant
yaluables sewed in his clothing
They purchased through tickets u
Payette where they intended buying
a half interest in a ten acre or
chard owned by Mrs. John P. Hal
lett. The drowning of the husband
and father leaves the wife and eight
year old daughter destitute. A friend
Of E. Y. Horder, of 10S LaSalle St.
Chicago, Mr.. William Smith, assist
ant manager for L. E. Waterman
met the Collyers In New York on
their arrival from the Carpathia. Mr.
Hcrder is a brother of Mrs. Hallett
and knew the Collyers in England.
He was unable to go but wired Mr..
Smith to meet them.
Mrs. Collyer told me a terrible
story of the disaster" said Mr..
Smith, 1T was bad enough to meet
her at the dock when the Carpathia
came in. 1 would not suffer that ex-
DarieDce again for 81 600
when the Titanic struck the ice
berg the Collyers were awakened
from slumber in their berths and
rushed to the deck, thinly clad
Some one called out to the pas
sengers to put on life preservers.
Collyer rushed away to find three
for his family and himself.
His wife never saw him again.
She was thrown into a life boat, with
other women. Just before this she
says she saw three life boats, one
after another. overturned with their
human freight. 1t was this that
frightened the women on board and
made them reluctant to enter the
boats.
1.-THE result was, Mrs. Collyer says,
that women were torn from the
arms of their loved ones and thrown
bodily into the life craft.
"Officers stood by with drawn
pistols to keep away the men from
the steerage, who, on at least one
occasion, attempted a rush. When
occasion warranted, the officers did
not scruple to fire. One Of the men
from the steerage jumped into one
of the lifeboats. The officer in
charge threw him out into the wat
er to drown.
Mrs. Collyer thinks that the dis
aster to the Titanic caught the
crew unawares, as she says there
was not a proper response when
the call to lifeboats was issued.
THE end of the Titanic she de-
scribes as appalling, as seen from
the lifeboats through the s.arlit
night. First one end of the steam
or lifted, then the other; then
with a great wall from those on
board, it sank.
For one hour, she AYERS, the
screams continued. right up to the
inns the Titanic disappeared forever,
and she says this is the unforgettable
impression of the wreck for her.
The lifeboats had all they could do
to preserve their equilibrium and
to prevent collision with icebergs.
..The Collyers are absolutely desti-
tute. as the husband carried to the
bottom with him all they had in this
world. l was in New York visiting
with Fred E. Waterman when Mr..
Horder. friend of Colyers. tele-
rraphed us to meet the woman and
her child at the docks when the
came in. Horder had no
tjced the names in the list of sur
yivors sent by wireless.
"Mr. Waterman accompanied me
the docks. Before this we had sue
ceeded in getting a letter to Mrs.
Collvers to look for US, but when
we got to the docks We printed a
huge sign on cardboard bearing her
name and held it aloft so that all
the survivors might see it. Finally
a man came along and told US he
was sure the two we're on the Car
nathia. so we went aboard and found
them.
"Mrs. Collyer wore nothing but
shoes. stockings, a night dress or
dressing gown. and a heavy coat
which some one had given her.
Marjorie, the daughter. had been
clothed by means of a ships blanket
from the Carpathia.
"Ill from shock and exposure fol-