New-York tribune., 1912-04-19

evening before at dinner I remarked TO my
neghbor that when We arrived at New
York | should take an opportunity to get
look at her from a distance TO realize
something of her dimensions. We did not
think our desire was so soon to be grati-
fed. In the distance she looked an enor-
nous length. her great bulk outlined in
black against the starry sky, every port
hole and saloon blazing with light 1t was
impossible to think anything could be
wrong with such a leviathan, were 1t not
for that ominous tilt downward in the
bows, where the water was by now up to
the lowest row of portfolios.
We were now about two miles from
her. and all the crew insisted that such
tremendous wave would be formed by sue
ton as she went down that we ought TO
get as far away as possible. The captain
agreed and all lay to their oars and Wild
ened the distance between us and the sink
ing vessel. Presently, about a. m, as
near as l can remember, we observed her
settling very rapidly, with the bows and
the bridge completely under water, and
concluded that IL was now only question
of minutes before she went, and so IT
proved.
Titanic Stands on End.
She slowly tilted straight on end. with
the stern vertically upward, and as she
did the lights in the cabins and saloons,
which had not f1ickered for moment since
we left, died out, came on again for
single flash and finally went out altogether.
At the same time the machinery roared
down through the vessel with rattle and
a groaning that could be heard for miles,
the welrdest sound surely that could be
heard in the middle of the ocean, thou
sand miles away from land
But this was not yet quite the end. To
our amazement she remained In that up
right position for a time which | estimate
five minutes; others in the boat say less.
but 1t was certainly some minutes while we
watched at least one hundred and fifty feet
Of the Titanic towering up above the level
of the sea and looming black against the
sky.
Then with a quiet slanting dive she
disappeared beneath the waters. and our
eyes had looked for the last time on the
gigantic vessel we had set out on from
Southampton last Wednesday. And ten
there fell on the ear the most appalling
noise that human being ever listened to-
the cries of hundreds of our fellow beings
struggling in the icy cold water, crying
for help with a cry that we knew could
not be answered. We longed to return
and pick up some of those swimming but
this would have meant swamping our boat
and further loss OF the lives of all of us.
I'VE tried 10 sing 10 keep the women
from hearing the cries and rowed hard to
get away from the scene of the wreck but
think the memory of those sounds Will be
one OF the things the rescued will find 1t
difficult to efface from memory. We are all
trying hard not TO think of it.
I'VE kept lookout for lights and several
times il was shouted that steamers lights
were seen, hut they turned out to be either
a light from another boat or star low
down on the horizon
Finally. low down on the horizon, we
saw a light which slowly resolved ltset
into a double light and we watched eagerly
10 see II the two lights would separate ana
so prove To he only two Of our boats or
whether they would remain together In
which case we should expect them to he
the masthead light and deck light below
OF rescung steamer.