The Washington herald., 1912-04-22
Steerage SurvivOr
Tells Story of Wreck
Miss Mary Glynn, Visiting Relatives in Wash
ington, Praises Heroism of Passengers on
Titanic-Women Tried to Save Men.

The heroic deeds Of some Of the first
and second cabin passengers. as the
giant Titanic was preparing for her final
plunge into the depths OF the Atlantic.
have been recounted time and again
since the survivors were picked up by
the Carpathia, but little. IL anything,
has been told OF the conduct OF the oc-
| cupants of the steerage. and. II the
| truth were known, perhaps as much self
| sacrifice and devotion was shown by
| them as was displayed by those who left
sumptuous stateroOms in a frantic en-
| deavor to foil the relentless ocean.
Some Of the heroism incident 10 the
sinking Of the leviathan will undoubted-
| ly never be known, but one survivor
! the first of the steerage survivors to
reach Washington, tells a story OF the
sacrifice made by the third-class pas
sengers that entities them to a niche in
the hall Of fame alongside the bravest.
The survivor is Miss Mary Glynn,
nineteen years old, en- route from her
home, in Feakle. County Glare, Ireland,
| to the home of her cousin, Mrs. d. D.
Courtenay. rs North Capitol Street.
Was Running Full speed.
Miss GIynn arrived in Washington last
night, and gave a detailed story Of the
! disaster. She declared that the Titanic
was running at top speed when she
struck the iceberg, and bases her state
ment on the fact that she was informed
by a member Of the crew, Just before
retiring on the night of the accident that
the Titanic was being thoroughly test
ed. all Of her boilers being in use for the
first time"
Miss Glynn's story of the accident, the
escape of the few passengers who were
saved. and the final plunge of the ILL.,
fated ship, is interesting. In rich Irish
brogue she commanded attention from
the beginning Of her recital, and covered
thoroughly every detail Of the disaster.
Miss GIynn said:
when the Titanic left Queenstown
several of the steerage passengers were
given compartments in the bow. They
were so near the engine room that they
were unable TO sleep, and after the first
day we other passengers shared our COM
partments with them. At the time of
the disaster, six persons, instead of the
regulation four, were asleep in my COM
partment The Titanic struck at about
1:45 O'Clock, and all of US were thrown
from our hunks We were badly fright
ened, but the idea that the ship was in
danger never entered our minds. We
did not think 1t possible that such a
giant boat could have been so badS
damaged.
Crew Denied Danger.
when we asked members Of the crew
what the trouble amounted to, they ridi-
culed our fear, saying the boat was in
absolutely no danger and We would
proceed at once. Several minutes later.
however. We were aroused and told to
make for the llfeboats There never was
more courageous set Of men and wom-
en- than the occupants of the steerage.
The men behaved admirably. The acme
Of heroism WAS reached when several
OF the single women. who had been con-
versing in a secluded corner, came for
ward and insisted that they remain be-
hind, and that husbands be permitted
to accompany their wives. II was
splendid.
When our boat was lowered II con-
tanned forty-odd passengers she only
men in the boat being two Celestials
who were so badly scared that they cow
cred in the bottom and refused to move,
and the members of the crew. While
we were, being lowered. the tackle be-
came caught In some manner, and q
lifeboat descending from the, upper deck
was about to strike us. One Of the girls
] In our boat. who was one Of the pafty