New-York tribune., 1912-04-21
OVERTURNED U|FEBOAT
SAVED YOUNG THAYER
phiIadeIphlan, Whose Father
Went Down and Mother Was
Rescued, Tells Thrilling Tale.
JUMPED FROM THE TITANIC
Battered by the Waves, He
Grasped Cork Fender and
Was Pulled Aboard
Perilous Craft.

Perilous Craft.
philadelphia, April 20.-John B. Theyer.
ir whose father. the second vice-president
~ the Pennsylvania Railroad Company,
went down with the Titanic. while his
mother was saved, along with her maid,
dictated to-day at his home in Haverford.
near here. in the presence of members OF
his family and officers of the railroad COM
pany, an account Of his thrilling expert
ence I'm the great sea tragedy. Young
Thayer who is seventeen years old, said
Father was in bed and mother and my
self were about to get into bed. There was
no great shock. I was on my feet at the
time and 1 do not think it was enough to
throw any one down. I put on an over
coat and rushed up on A deck. on the port
side. saw nothing there. I then went
forward to the bow to see II could see
any signs of ice. The only ice saw was
on the well deck. then went down TO
our room. and my father and mother came
on deck with me 10 the starboard side OF
A deck There was no big berg
we walked around 20 the port side and
the ship had then fair list TO port We
STAYED there looking over the side for about
five minutes The list seemed very slowly
10 ho increasing.
Said Goodby 70 Mother.
We then vent down 10 our rooms on
C deck: all Of us dressed quickly. putting
on all our clothes. We all put on life pre-
servers. including the maid. and over these
VIC put our overcoats. Then we hurried up
on deck and walked around. looking out at
different places until the women were all
ordered to collect on the port side. Father
and said goodby TO mother at the top of
the stairs on A deck. She and the maid
went right out on A deck TO the port side
and We went 20 the starboard side
As at this time We had no idea the boat
would sink, we walked around a deck
and then went TO 'B' deck. Then we
thought we would go back TO see II mother
had got off safely and went to the port
side Of a deck. We met the chief stew
ard Of the main dining saloon. and he told
us that mother had not yet taken a boat,
and he took us 10 her.
Father and mother went ahead and I
followed They went down to b deck and
crowd got In front of me and l was not
able TO catch them and lost sight Of them.
AS soon as / could get through the crowd l
tried 10 find them on b deck, but without
success That is the last time l saw my
father. This was about half an hour be-
fore she sank. ] then went 10 the star
board side. thinking that father and mother
must have got off In boat. All of this
time ] was with fellow named Milton G.
Long. Of New York. whom / had just met
that evening.
"On the starboard side the boats were
getting away quickly. Some boats were al
ready off a distance We thought OF
getting into one of the boats--the last boat
10 20 on the forward part Of the starboard
side-but there seemed to be such crowd
around / thought it unwlse 10 make any
attempt 10 get into it, He and ! stood by
the davits of one Of the boats that had
left. Old not notice anybody that
Knew except Mr.. Lndley. whom had also
just met that evening. | lost sight Of him
in a few minutes. Long and then stood
by the rail just a little aft of the captains
tridgc
jumping from the Stern.
The list 20 port had been growing
greater an the time About this time the
people began jumping from the stern.
thought Of jumping myself. but was afraid
Of being stunned on hitting the water
Three times I made up my mind TO jump
out and slide down the davit ropes and try
10 make the boats that were lying off from
The shin. but each time Long got hold of
nc and told me TO wait while He then
sat down; and / stood up. waiting TO see
what would happen. Even then We thought
she might possibly stay afloat.
{obt hot
davits and star and noticed that she
was gradually sinking. About this time
she Strengthened up on an even keel and
started 10 90 down fairly fast at an angle
Of about 90 degrees. AS she started 10
sink we left the davits and went back and
stood by the rail about even with the sec
ond funnel.
Long and myself said goodby to each
other and jumped up on the rail He put
his legs over and and held on q minute and
asked me II l was coming. ! told him
would be with him in a minute. He did not
jump clear. but slid down the side of the
ship never saw him again.
About five seconds after he jumped
Jumped out. feet first l was clear OF the
ship. ] went down, and as ] came up /
was pushed away from the ship by some
force. l came up facing the ship, and one
OF the tunnels seemed TO be lifted off and
fell toward me. .about fifteen yards away,
With mass of sparks and steam coming
out Of It,
Ship in a Red Glare.
4 saw the ship in sort of red glare
and II seemed TO me that she broke In Two
ies, IN front OF tho third funnel. / was
sucked down, and as / came up / was
pushed out again and twisted around by
large wave coming in the midst OF
great deal Of small wreckage. AS pushed
II from around my head my hand touched
the cork fender Of an overturned lifeboat.
looked up and saw some men on the top
and asked them 10 give me hand. one
OF them. who was a stoker. helped me up
In short time the bottom was 80. @.-' .'ith
about twenty-five or thirty men.
When ! got on this / was facing the
ship. The stern then seemed to rise In the
air and stopped at an angle Of about SO de-
grees. 1t seemed TO hold there for time,
and then with Kissing sound IT shot right
down out Of sight. with people jumping
from the stern. The stern either pivoted
around toward our boat or We were sucked
toward II. and as we only had one oar we