Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-05-02
SURVIVORS TELL
OF FIGHT IN SEA
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 Perishing
-Heartrending Scenes At
tending Disaster Are ORA
matically Described.

Ee0Qin9 disaster are Ora
maticsIly 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 surytv-
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 officers,
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-
heYed that there were plenty Of life
boats to 90 around"
After the Iifeboat in which Mr..
Chambers was had gone about 400
yards from the ship, those in it saw
the Titanic begin to settle quickly and
there was a rush for the remaining
Hfeboats. 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 ship
Carpathia, Miss Sue Eva Rule, a sis
ter Of Judge Virgil Rule of st. Louis,
detailed the thrilling scenes which
marked the rescue of the survivors OF
the greatest marine tragedy OF the
age.
Unknown to the sleeping passen-
gers, the ship turned abruptly to the
north None knew of the sudden
change of course and the first intima
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,OUU.
The tidings ran through the ship
Ike wildfire and 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 it
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-oId baby,
the only one of family of five per-
sons to be rescued.
The men and women both seemed
dazed Most of them were almost
persisted with the cold and some OF
them who had been literally thrown
into the Iifeboats persisted from expo
sure.
"One of the most narrowing scenes
/ ever saw was the service Of thanks
giving and followed by the prayers
for the dead which followed the in
coming Of the little band of survivors
which took place in the dining saloon
of the Carpathia. The means of the
women and the cries of little children
as their loss was brought home to
them were heartrending. The hope
that by some means their beloved
ones would be saved never left the
survivors.
Survivors In Strange Dress.
How those who were saved sur
vjved the exposure is miracle. One
woman came aboard devoid Of under
wear. a Turkish towel wrapped about
her waist serving as corset, while a
magnificent evening wrap was her
only protection.
Women in evening frocks and
white satin slippers and children
wrapped in steamer rugs were ordi-
nary sights and very soon the passen-
gers themselves were almost in as
bad a plight as the rescued. Trunks
were unpacked and clothing distrIb-
uted right and left Finally the steam
er rugs were ripped apart and sewed
into impromptu garments.
My first view of the first boat
sighted led me to think We were pick
ing up the crew of a dirigible Back
of the boat loomeu in the shadowy
dawn the huge iceberg which had
sent the Titanic to the bottom. The
lifebOat looked like the usual boat
which swings from a balloon.
Women Discuss Scenes.
AFTER an hour or so of rest the
only relief the women who had been
literally torn from their husbands
seemed to have was in discussing the
last scenes. Shooting was heard by
many in the lifeboats just before the
ship took its final plunge and sunk
from sight. and the opinion OF many
was that the men rather than drown
shot themselves.
Mrs. Astor, who was one Of the
first to come aboard. was taken at
once to the captains room. Others
were distributed among the cabins,
the Carpathia's passengers sleeping on
the floors of the saloons, in the bath
rooms and on the tables throughout
the ship in order to let the survivors
of the wreck have as much comfort
as the ship afforded
One woman came aboard with a
siN-months' baby she had never seen
until the moment it was thrust into
her arms as she swung into the life
boat Nothing cpuI6 enual tho eran.