The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-04-24
HOW SHE WENT down
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF The
SINKING OF The


ship And MANY PEOPLE
Survivor Tells of the Disaster, How
the Passengers Acted, the Loading
Of the Life Boats, the Plunge OF
the Great Ship Into the Sea and
Other Details.
Mr.. Beasley, Of London, one OF
the survivors of the disaster, tells
CT the sinking Of the Titanic. He
says:
The voyage from Queenstown had
been quite eventful; very fine weash-
er was experienced and the sea was
cutie calm. The wind had been very
cold. 1 had been in my berth for
about 10 minutes, when, at about
11:15 .. H., felt slight Jar and
then soon after second one. The
engines stopped Immediately after
wards. l went up on the top (boat)
deck and found only few people
there who had come similarly to in
quire why We had stopped. We saw
through the smoking room window a
game OF cards going on.
"The card players apparently felt
more Of the jar and looking through
the window they had seen hugo Ice
berg go by close to the side OF the
boat. They thought we had just
g7azed it and the engines had been
stopped to see if any damage had
been done. No one, OF course, had
any conception that she had been
pierced below by part OF the sub
merged iceberg. The game went on
without any thought Of disaster, and
! retired to my cabin. I never saw
any of the players or the onlookers
again.
Anxious Inquiries.
"A little later, hearing people go
ing upstairs, I went out again and
found everyone wanting to know why
the engines had stopped. No doubt
many were awakened from sleep by
the sudden stopping OF vibration, to
which they had become accustomed
during the four days We had been on
board.
"On going on deck again I saw
that there was an undoubted list
downstairs from stern to bows, but,
knowing Of what had happened, l
concluded some of the front compart-
ments had filed and weighed her
down. I went down again to put on
warmer clothing and as I dressed
heard an order shouted:
All passengers on deck with life
belts on
eve walked slowly up with them
tied on over our clothing, but even
then we did not realize the danger.
There was total absence Of any
panic or any expressions Of alarm,
and 1 suppose this can be accounted
for by the exceedingly calm night and
the absence OF any controversy. The
ship was absolutely still and ex-
cept for gentle tilt downward at
the time, no signs OF the approach
ing Disaster were visible. But in
few moments we saw the covers lift
ed from the boats and the crews al
lotted to them standing by and curl
ing up the ropes which were to low
er them by the pulley blocks into the
water.
"AIl Men Stand Back
eve then began to realize it was
more serious than had been supposed.
Presently we heard the order: All
men stand back away from the boats
and all ladies retire to next deck be-
lowl'-the smoking room deck, or 3
deck. The men all stood away and
remained in absolute silence, lean
ing AGAINST the railing Of the deck
or pacing slowly up and down. Inc
boats were swung out and lowered
deck. When they were to the level
of the B deck, where all the ladies
we're collected, the ladies got in quiet
", with the exception Of some who
refused to leave their husbands; IN
some cases they were torn from them
and pushed into the boats, but IN
many instances they were allowed TO
remain because there was no one to
insist they should go.
Looking over the side, one saw
boats from aft already in the water
slipping quietly away into darkness
and presently the boats near to me
were lowered and with much creak-
ing, as the new ropes slipped through
the pulley blocks down the seventy
five feet, which separated them from
the water. An officer in uniform
came up as one boat went down and
shouted: When you are afloat, ro"
round to the companion ladder and
stand by with the other boats for
orders.
Aye. aye came up the reply, but
I don't think any boat was able to
obey the order. When they we're
afoat the sailors saw they could do
nothing but row from the sinking
ship.
No Disorder.