The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-19


 gan to descend two ladies were pushed hurried through the crowd on B deck and heaved over into the boat ;eld a baby of 10 months passed down after them Down we went the crew calling to those lower ing, which tried to keep her level aft, stern, both together until we were some 10 feet from the water, and here oc- cured the only anxious moment we had during the whole of our experience from leaving the deck to reaching the Car pathia.
 Immediately below our boat was the exhaust of the condensers, a huge stream of water pouring all the time from the ships side above the water line. It was plain we ought to be smart away from 1 this not to be swamped by 1t when we 1 touched water. We had no officer aboard. | nor petty officer member of the crew to take charge So one of the stokers shouted: Some one find the pin which | releases the boat from the ropes and pull, 1t up. No one knew where 1t was. We felt as well as we could on the floor and sides, but found nothing and it was hard to move among so many people-we had 60 or 70 on board.
 Down we went and presently Hoated with our ropes still holding Us. the ex- haust washing us away from the side of the vessel and the swell of the sea urging us back against the side again. The re- sultant of all these forces was an impetus which carried us parallel to the ships side and directly under boat II, which had filled rapidly with men and was coming down on us in way that threatened to submerge our boat.
 Stoker Saved Boat
 Stop lowering IL our crew shouted, and inc n No f nav mi. above, shouted the same But the dls- tance to the top was some 55 feet and the creaking pulleys must have deadened all sound to those above, for down she came 15 feet. 10 feet. feet and a stoker and reached up and felted her swinging above our heads. The next drop would have brought her on our head, but just before she dropped another stoker sprans to the ropes with his knife One 1 heard him say 'two,' as his knife cut through the pulley ropes, and the next moment the exhaust stream had carried us clear while boat 14 dropped into the water. Into the space we had the moment before oc- cupied, our gunwales almost touching
 We drifted away easily as the oars were got out and headed directly away from the ship The crew seemed to me 10 be mostly cooks in white jackets two to an oar. with a stoker at the tiller Finally 1t was decided to elect the stoker, who was steering captain. and for all to obsv his orders He set to work at once 10 get into touch with the other boats call ing to them and getting as close as seemed wise, so that when the searching boats came in the morning. to look for us there would he more chance for all 10 he rescued by keeping together
 Tt was now about l a. m. a beauti- ful starlight night with no moon. also not very light The sea was as calm as a pond. just a gentle heave as the boat dipped up and down in the swell; an ideal night except for the bit ter cold for any one to be out in the middle of the Atlantic ocean in an open boat.
 The captain stol<er told us that he had been at sea 96 years and had never vet seen such a calm night on the Atlantic. As we rowed away from the Titanic we looked back from time to time to watch her. and more strik- ing spectacle it was not possible for any one to see.
 Sinking of Titanic
 "In the distance she looked an enor- nous length, her great bulk outlined in black against the starry, sky, every porthole and saloon blazing with light Il was impossible to think anything could be wrong with such a leviathaa
 
 wards in the bows, where the water was by now up to the lowest row of port holes. Presently. about a. nl we observed her settling very rapidly, with the bows and the bridge com pletely under water and concluded fl was now only a question Of minutes before she went and so it proved Sho slowly tilted straight on end with the stern vertically upwards and az she di1 the lights in the cabins and saloons which had not flick for 2 moment since we left died out, came on again for a single flash, and finally went out laitogether At the same time the ma ohinery roared down through the ves- sel with rattle and g grooming that could be heard for miles, the weirdest sound surely that could be heard in the niddle of the ocean. 1000 miles away from land. But this was not yet quite the end.
 ITO cur amazement she remained in that upright position for a time which l estimate as five minutes. others in the boat say less. but il was certainly some minutes while We watched al least 150 feet of the Titanic towering up above the level of the sea looming black gainst the sky.
 Then with quiet, slanting dive she disappeared benfath the waters, and our