The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1912-04-26
Peril Not Known to Passengers
Until Long After Titanic
Struck.
WOMEN SENT OFF FIRST
Men In Small Boats Try to Sing to
Drown Out Cries OF the Perishlno
-HeartrendinQ Scenes Al.
tending Disaster Are Ora
matically Described.

New York, April 19.-The stories OF
the survivors of the Titanic are all
practically agreed on one thing. that
the passengers on the liner did not
realize their peril until long after the
vessel struck.
A Mr.. Chambers, one OF the surviv-
ors. had this to say:
The Titanic struck the iceberg
head-on. The passengers ran out. but,
believing that the ship could not sink
and being assured by the omcers,
again went back to their staterooms.
After about two hours the alarm was
sent out and the passengers started
to enter the lifeboats. There was
nothing like panic at first, as all be-
lieyed that there were plenty OF lie
boats to go around"
After the lifeboat In which Mr..
Chambers was nae gone about 400
yards from the ship, those In 1t sa"
the Titanic begin to settle quickly and
there was a rush for the remaining
lifeboats. One was swamped.
The great ship sank slowly by its
head and no suction was felt by the
boat in which Mr.. Chambers was.
Tells Scene at Rescue.
A passenger aboard the rescue snip
Carpathia, Miss Sue wi Rule, a SIS
ter of Judge Virgil Rule OF ST. Louls,
detailed the thrilling scene which
marked the rescue OF the survivors or
the greatest marine tragedy OF the
age.
Unknown to the sleeping passen-
gers, the ship turned abruptly to the
north. None NEW OF the sudden
change OF course and the first int1ma-
ton anybody got OF the fact that any
thing unusual was about to take place
was the order given the steward to
prepare breakfast for 3,OOu.
The tidings ran through the ship
like wildfre n long before the Gu
harder had come within the scene OF
the tragedy we were all on deck.
Sight First Of Boats.
Just as day broke a tiny craft was
sighted rowing towards us and as 1t
came closer we saw women huddled
together, the stronger ones manning
the oars. The first to come aboard
was a nurse maid, who had wrapped
In a coat an eleven-months-old baby,
the only one of a family OF five per-
sons to be rescued.
1.-The men and women both seemed
dazed. Most of them were almost
perished with the cold and some OF
them who had been literally thrown
into the lifeboats persisted from expo
sure.
..One of the most narrowing scenes
ever saw was the service or thanks
giving and followed by the prayers
for the dead which followed the In
coming of the little band OF survivors
which tool place in the dining saloor
of the Carpathia. The means OF thu
women and the cries Of little children
as their loss was brought home tt
them were heartrending. The hope
that by some means their beloved
ones would be saved never left thu
survivors,.
Survivors In Strange Dress.
"How those who were saved sur
vived the exposure Is a miracle. On
WOUldD CdIIlc dOOolu QSSoAa VI NAA>A
wear, a Turkish towel wrapped abou
her waist serving as a corset, while
magnificent evening wrap was he
only protection.
Women in evening frocks an
white satin slippers and childrel
wrapped in steamer ugs were ord
nary sights and very soon the passen
gers themselves were almost In a
bad a plight as the rescued. Trunk
were unpacked and clothing distrit
uted right and left. Finally the steam
er rugs were ripped apart and sewe
into impromptu garments.
my first view Of the first boa
sighted led me to hin we were picl
ing up the crew OF a dirigible. Bac
/; of the boat loome0 in the shadow
dawn the huge iceberg which ha
sent the Titanic to the bottom. Tn
lifeboat looked like the usual boa
which swings from a balloon.
Women Discuss Scenes.
After an hour or SO OF rest tn
only relief the women who had bee
literally torn from their husband
seemed to have was In discussing tn
last scenes. Shooting was heard b
many In the lifeboats just before tn
ship took its final plunge and sun
from sight, and the opinion OF man
was that the men rather than drow
shot themselves.
Mrs. Aston. who vas one OF til
first to come aboard was taken
once to the captains Other
we're distributed among the cabins
he Carpathia's passengers sleeping Q
the floors of the saloons, in the batl
rooms and on the tables throughOl
the ship in order to let the survivor
Of the wreck have as much comfol
as the ship afforded.
"One woman came aboard with
six.months' baby she had never Sec
until the moment II was thrust I'M
her arms as she swung into the lf
h0ot N1thynr on,,lA nr,ol Tim Oo1