The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-04-26

boats from aft already in the water
slipping quietly away into the dark
ness. and presently the boats near tc
me were lowered and with much
creaking as the new ropes slipped
through the pulley blocks down the
ninety feet which separated them
from the water. An officer in uni.
form came up as one boat went down
and shouted: When you are afloat,
row round to the companion ladder
and stand by with the other boats for
orders
AYE, aye, sir came up the reply,
but | don't think any boat was able
to obey the order. When they were
afoat and had the bars at work the
condition of the rapidly settling boat
was 30 much 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
any rate. some lives. They no doubt
anticipated that suction from such an
enorr- GUS vessel would be more than
usually dangerous to a crowded boat
filled with women
"All this time there was no trace
OF any disorder or panic or rush to
the boats and no scenes of women
sobbing Historically such as one gen.
orally pictures as happening at such
times; every one seemed to realize
SO slowly that there was imminent
danger. When 1t was realized that
we might all be presently in the sea
with nothing but our life belts to sup
port us until we were picked up by
passing steamers 1t was extraordinary
how calm every one was and how
completely self-controlled.
"One by one the boats were filled
with women and children, lowered and
rowed away into the night. Presently
the word went round among the men,
The men are to be put in boats on
the starboard. side | was on the
port side and most of the men walked
across the deck to see II this was 80.
| remained where I was and presently
heard the call:
ANY more ladies?' Looking over
the side of the ship, I saw the boat,
No. 10, swinging level with B deck,
half full Of ladies. Again the call was
repeated: ANY more ladies?'
Il saw none come on, and then one
of the crew looked UP and said: ANY
ladies on your deck, sir?'
"tNo,' / replied.
Then you had better jump
WOMEN HEAVED INTO BOAT.
Il dropped in and fell in the bot
as they cried: Lower away AS
The boat began to descend two ladies
pushed hurriedly through the
crowd on B deck and heaved over into
The boat, and a baby OF ten months
passed down after them. Down we
went, the crew calling to those lower
ing each end to keep her l~evel-'aft,'
stern both together'-until we were
ten feet from the water, and
here occurred the only anxious mo
nent we had during the whole Of our
experience from leaving the deck to
'eaching the Carpathia.
Immediately below our boat was
he exhaust Of the ~condensers, a huge
stream OF water pouring all the time
the ships side just above the
water line. 1t was plain we ought to
20 smart away from this not to be
iwamped by it when we touched wa
err. We had no officer aboard, nor
AXE charge. So one Of the stokers
Some one find the pin which
'eleases the boat from the ropes and
,ull it up No one knew where It
vas. We felt as well as we could on
he floor and sides, but found nothing,
md it was hard to move among so
many people-we had sixty or seventy
board.
Down we went and presently float.
ID, with our ropes still holding us,
he exhaust washing us away from
he side of the vessel and the swell of
he sea urging us back against the
ide again. The resultant of all these
orces was an impetus which carried
s parallel to the ships side and d..
ectly under boat IA, which had filed
apidly with men and was coming
own on us in a way that threatened
submerge our boat.
,ToKER AvERTs GREATER LOSS.
stop lowering a. our crew
houted. and the crew Of No. IA, now 4
My twenty feet above, shouted the
anne. But the distance to the top
some seventy feet, and the creak.
az pulleys must have deadened all
ound to those above, for down she ,
ame--ffteen feet, ten feet, five feet
nd a stoker and / reached up and :
her swinging above our heads II.
he next drop would have brought ,
er on our heads, but Just before she .
ropped another stoker sprang to the -,
opes with his knife. :
cone ] heard him say; two as .
is knife cut through the pulley ope =
nd the next moment the exhaust Q
tream had carried us clear. while