The Wagner post. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1912-current, 1912-05-03

separated them from the water. An
officer in uniform came UP as one boat
went down and shouted: when you
are afioat row around to the companion
ladder and stand by the other boats
for orders
Boat Settles Rapidly.
AYE, aye. SIR came up the reply.
but / dom think any boat was able to
obey the order. When they were afloat
and had the oars at work the condition
OF the rapidly settling boat was SO
much more a sight for alarm for those
in the boats than those on board that
in common prudence the sailors saw
they could do nothing but row from the
sinking ship to save at IN rate some
lives. They no doubt expected that
suction from such an enormous vessel
would be more than usually dangerous
to a crowded boat filled mostly with
women.
"All this time there was no trace of
any disorder, panic or rush to the
boats, n no scenes of women sobbing
Historically such as generally pic
lures as happening at such times. Ev-
eryone seemed to realize so slowly that
there was imminent danger. When it
was realized that we all might be in
the sea with nothing but u lifebelts
to supportsus until we were picked up
by passing steamers, it was ~extraordin-
airy how calm veryone was and how
completely selfcontrolled.
One by one, the boats were filled
with women and children, lowered and
rowed away into the night. Presently
the word went aroun among the men.
the men are to be put in boats on the
starboard side a on the port side
and most of the men walked across the
deck to see II this was so. / remained
where l was and presently heard the
call: ANY more ladies?' Looking over
the side of the ship / saw the boat. No.
Is. swinging level with B deck, half
full of ladies. Again the call was re-
peated. ANY more ladies? I saw
none come on and then one of the crew
looked up n said: ANY ladies on
your deck, sir?'
mo l replied. Then you had bet
ter jump
Boats Lowered.
Il dropped and fell in the bottom as
they cried Lower away As the boat
began to descend two ladies were
pushed hurriedly through the crowd of
b deck and heaved Over into the boat.
and a baby of 10 months passed down
after them. Down we went, the crew
calling to those lowering each end to
keep her level. Aft Stern Both to-
gether,' until we were some 10 feet
from the water and here occurred the
only anxious moment we had during
the whole of u experience from leav-
ling the deck to reaching h Carpath-
la
Immediately below our boat was the
exhaust of the condensers, a huge
stream of water pouring all the time
from the ships side just above the wat
er line. 1t was plain we ought to be
smart away in order not to be swamped
from it when we touched water. We
had no officer aboard. no petty officer
or members Of h crew to take charge.
Soon One of the stokers shouted:
someone find the pin which releases
the boat from the rope and pull 1t up
No one knew where 1t was. We felt as
well as we could IN the floor and sides
but found nothing and 1t was har to
move among SO many, people-we had
so or 20 on board.
Down we went and presently floated
with u ropes still holding us, h ex-
haust washing us away from the sid of
the vessel and the swell of the sea urg-
ing us back against the / again. The
result Of all these forces was an ia
| petus which carried us parallel to the
ships side and directly under boat
IA, which had filled rapidly with men
that threatened to submerge u boat.
tFOO0lO WIN GIS 0OatSs ~
stop lowering Ia our crew shout
| ed, and the crew Of No. IA. now only 20
feet above, shouted the same. But the
and the creaking pulleys must have
deadened all sound to those above, fol-
| down she came-15 feet, 10 feet, five
feet-and a stoker and / reached UP and
tc..chcd her, swinging above our heads
The next drop would have brought her
on our heads, but just before she
| dropped another stoker sprahg to the
ropes with his knife.
".One,' / heard him say: two. as his
| knife cut through the pulley ropes, and
the next moment the exhaus stream
had carried us clear, while boat No. IA
dropped into he water in h space we
had been the moment before. our gum
wales almost touching.
I'VE drifted away easily as the oars
were gotten and headed directly
away from the ship. The crew seemed
to me to be mostly cooks in white jack.
ets. two to an oar. with q stoker at the
tiller. There was q certain amount 81
shouting from one end to the other ant
discussion as to which way we should
20. but finally It was decided to cleo
the etOker who was steering, captain
and for ali to obey his orders. He Sc
TO work at once to get into III will
the other boats. calling to them ant
8eLllH& Is close an seemed wise, 81
when h search boats came in tn,
morning to look for US there would b,
more chance for all to be rescued b.
keeping together.
Beautiful Starlight Night.
IT was now about q. m, a beautiful
starlight night. with no moon and no
very light. The sea was as calm a
could be, just q gentle heave as tn,
boats dipped up and down in the swell
an ideal night, except for the bite
cold. OF anyone who had to be out ii
the middle OF the Atlantic ocean in al
open boat, and if ever there was q tim
when such q night was needed surel
II was now. with undreds OF people
mostly women and children. afioat hun
dreds OF miles from land.
The captain stoker told us he ha,
llheen at sea IS years and had never We
i seen such q calm night on the Atlantic
AZ we rowed away from the Titanic w
! looked back from time to time to watcl