The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-20
HE TELLS OF RACE.
Carpathia Fairly Flew Through
Water on Rescue Trip.
Priest Tells of Chase Through
Ice Covered Seas.

New York. April 2O.-The Rev. p. NJ
A. Hoque. a Catholic priest of St
Cesaire. Canada. who was a passer-
ger on the Carpathia, told a reporter
today dramatic story of his expert
ences ana observations during the work
OF rescue Father Hoque said:
From the habit of A lifetime 7 am
an early riser. Even had not the noise
OF the Carpathia's big whistle and the
Crater OF the ships crew as they dash
ed up and down the stairways. through
the halls and along the decks from a
little after midnight aroused most of the
sleeping passengers, I would have
turned out not later than $3.50 O'Clock
anyhow.
And so I saw and heard and fell
everything that went on aboard the
Carpathia during those dreadful hours
when We were being carried at tor
speed to the rescue.
1--WE knew only that a frantic cry
had been sent by the Titanic. The
last word received by our wireless op-
orator indicated that the Titanic was
sinking And we were 5S miles away
AS came on deck 1 saw the gaunr
form of Captain RoStron pacing the
bridge Sailors were dashing back and
forth from deck to deck obeying his
commands.
Il held my watch almost constantly
before my eyes. On, on we were go
ing, 1 knew not how fast. The min
utes seemed hours. 1 had not the heart
to interrupt the work of the ship
crew by asking how fast We were go
ing, or how far we still were from tho
Titanic's position.
Sees Boat at O'Clock.
1T was just at o'clock that We
saw lifeboat- Before we could come
alongside the red sun came up oven
the majestic curve of the ocean.
THE (N3Tna HAS
boat with mighty blast. The people
in the little boat, for the first time
since we had sighted them gave recog-
milton of our presence by waving such
articles they dared detach from
their shivering bodies.
I counted 20 persons in the boa'
Twenty-three of them were women and
children. The other two were seamen
The seamen pulled desperately on
their oars, bringing their boat along
from our top deck A rope for every
body the boat was thrown down
There were loops in these ropes.
Every woman and child, as if by
instinct, put the loops around their
bodies and drew them tight Some of
the women climbed the ladders. To otIi-
ers chairs were lowered and in these
they were lifted aboard. Not a word
was spoken by any one of the rescued
or the rescuers- Everybody was toe
D6nQu1DSQ Dy 10 speak. 1t WAS
a time for action and not words.
Then as if by magic lifeboats be-
gan to bob into our vision from every
direction. We were moving slowly
around a narrow circle. On came the
lifeboats towards uS-one, two, three,
four five.
Either they came so fast or MY
brain was in such a torpor I could
not count them rapidly. We were fair
ly in the midst of a great ice field that
seemed to stretch into the arctic. Tall
bergs reared their white and menacine
bulks ahead of
No Tears When Rescued.
But terror had done its worst. Not
a soul seemed frightened by the omin-
Gus icebergS. There was but one
thought in all the company. That was
to get safely aboard the Carpathia ev-
cry human being in the lifeboats. We
accomplished the work with marvellous
CELEBRITY.
Not a tear dimmed the eyes OF
one of the hundreds we got on deck.
The women were less excited than this
men. Apparently they had drained
their tears ducts dry, for every eye
was red and swollen
without a word of greeting Ques |
tioning by any of US, the rescued were |
conducted by tender hands to com
Portable places in the saloons and |
staterooms. Then the ships three doc
bOAS' oSSISeS0 DS IL iie~SAil1A VI Iii
cago, a fellow passenger, set to work !
1T was discovered that nobody was
in a critical condition. The news OF
this provoked a cheer-the first out
burst of pentup feeling that had oc-
CURED. For several hours-I did not |
count them-We remained close TO the |
scene of the wreck. After Captain |
ROstron had communicated with the |
Ieyland steamer Californian that |
reached the scene shortly after we
rescued every survivor, we got under
way for New York.
4 cannot summon to the aid of my
thoughts words that can tell the feel
ing produced in me by all that has
happened. But of one thing 1 am sure