The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-17
TWO DARK HOURS ON TITANIC
BEFORE GREAT HULK DISAPPEARED
Admiral Webster Graphically
PICTURES Scene Aitcr Crash
With Submerged Ice l'loc.
RAN HER BOTTOM ON ICEBERG
Only Way TO Sink Ship Was by
Ripping Giant Hole Below
Her Water Line.

:. war Hdnllrai Harrie Wehstcr, H. =
49, iellien, gave u repnrtr, for M
l'mo*-tispatuh last nisht +, ur.nhic
,,,s "a" To how the disaster I, tho
, occurred, why the collision
,""'i'tht" and the rrasvus FOR ruch
tremendous iuss OF life,
me ioundcring oil ,h, MAN, ,vh,,
.'' lihnf is the greatest disaster in
~ history OF The marine" s,it Al
''iraI Webster ITO on. wiz ~,
spent hin life OH the aen tn. t,rrinIo
"fpehis most wildly. and can
'"e closing scenes OF the acct
h,,, "s ccrtainly as If | had
''''' on poaEd. Imagine III. srddn,
$3.50. IN. rendins OF timber and In.
cf Oh the great hulk from stem
~ 9teFh--shouts OF mon, shrIeks m
Women curses ana prayers. r,rnni,,n
" lee' 10 anu FRO, and the lnau srr,,n
~ ne boats AMI anything ,hnti
WrEl1 ftoat a body. N'"'
Two .iunr> In nrrI.nrss
II seems tmcuncviyuul. Ia ~.
.""h that during The tour-huur in
'eiNai' from the time OF The collision
" 'hc slhkinB Of thu boat, the entir.
iiat or passengers and crew was moi
SSo"ed INTO the life bouts and saved
-, oh uestruotion. From the speed
with which the Titanic sank af,er ~.
ior the last two hours of the four tbe
sreat snip was in total darkness, thus
ma lhS the mastering OF tho . o0o,
persons into boats a tedious business
inc Titanic sank as quickly as lis
possible for a ship OF her size, thus
moving that the hole torn in her bot
tom must have been cavernous. The
water would. OF course, rise first Int
me tower part of the nun. reaching
ana putting out OF commission the
boilers and engine fires within one or
'"o hours When the boilers failed
ana TIE steam gave out then the light
ing system would fail: after that the
NlFeless apparatus. We can be sure
OF the darkness during the last two
hours because of The gradual failing
OF me wireless. The first call of s. |
" :. came distinctly and clear, the
next message MAS not so strong. and
tach one following became weaker and
weaker, until finally nothing could he
DISTINGUISHED. This meant nothing
less than the rising of the water I'M
me hull, the extinction of the fires,
the failure of the boilers, and dark
ness.
Almost Heart-Brcnking.
In time of accident it Is hard i
enough 10 preserve discipline on board |
snip under the best circumstances. .
daylight and calm sea; but when /
light rails, when the water IL cold and
the winds Wild. when there are women
and chillrcn to throw brave men into
confusion and the ship sinking fast.
hours and hours are necessary to safe !
~ stow away ",uOO souls into life boat c !
ana get The little crafts To Il place
of safety. For when a great hulk like
t lie Titanic sinks there is an almost,
Irresistible Suction .Ncrted OH any
object within radius OF $40 yards.
50 that il is possible that !, numbers
OF life boats. allied with escaping souls |
"cre dragged down TO the bottom in |
the rush of water that followed the !
of the Titanic Certain
~, some were lost in this way.
Then in addition, The water in The
Iceberg region is al n very low tenn |
pcrature. II would have been mpos-
sible for any one to survive ten hours
IN that sea Those VINO jumped from
the Titanic. or were perhaps showed |
out OF the lifebosts. were frozen IN |
the water long before the virginian |
got within rescue range.
One can imagine the sccne-the |
crash comes. the captain and his of
iicers take firm control OF the situa-
ton, the cursory examination leads
To the belief that the steamer will |
not sink. and the fears of the pas
senSers are duieted while the ringing |
of the lifcboats is shaken out as a |
precautionary measure. Then the |
captain discovers that the water is
rising in the hole faster than it !
can be pumped out. the engines will |
soon fail and the pumps stop work
ing.
Mad Scramble for Boats.
The passengers must be gotten |
off the ship il they are 10 be saved !
In perfect order, the first boats are |
lowered, and the women ana children |
slowed safely in them. The great |
ship begins to feel the water in her !
hulls and lists by the head. Then the !
remaining passengers begin TO feel |
shnkS-- suddenly the lights all over |
the ship go out. and the panic breaks !