The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1912-05-10

floaled with our ropes still holding
US. the exhause washed " away
from the side of the vessel and the
swell of the sea surging " back
Iagainst the side again. The result
of all the forces was an impetus
which carried US parallel to the
ships side and directly under boat
Ia. which had filled rapidly with
men and was coming down on us IN
a way that threatened 10 submerge
our boat.
"Stop lowering IA. our crew shout
ed, and the crew Of No. II now only
20 feet above shouted the same. But
the distance to the top was some
20 feel and the creaking pulley-
seemed TO deaden all sound to those
above, for down she came--l5 feet
ten feet. five feet. aud stoker and
I reached M and touched her swing
ing above our heads. The next drop
would have brought her on our heads
but Just before she dropped another
s.okcr sprang 20 the ropes with his
knife.
zone" | heard him say; "two' a.
his knife cut through the pulley
ropes. and the next moment the ex-
haust steam had carried Us clear.
while the boat IL dropped into the
water into the space We had the
moment before occupied. our gum
whales almost touching
We drifted away easily n the
oars were got out and headed di-
rectly away from the shin. The
crew seemed 10 me to be mostly
cooks in white jackets. two to an
oar. with the stoker at the tiller.
There was certain amount Of
shouting from one end of the boat
to the other. and discussion ~ to
which way 20 go. but finally II was
decided to elect the stoker. who was
steering captain. and for all t. obey
his orders. lie set to work at once
to get into touch with the other
boats. calling To them and getting as
close as seemed wise. so that when
the search boats came in the morn
ing To look for Us there would be
more chance for all to be rescued bv
keeping together.
at was now about | a. NJ, n
beautiful starlit night with no moon.
and 80 not very light. The sea was
a. calm a. pond. Just gentle
heave as the boat dipped up and
! down in the swell; an ideal night eN-
+ cept for the bitter cold. for anyone
who had to be out in the middle of
the Atlantic Ocean in an open boat.
and II ever there was time when
such night was needed. surely il
was now with hundreds of peoplv.
iuo-ii, won-n and children. afiuut
hundreds of miles from land.
"rhe captain-stoker told W. that
he had been at sea tweuty-six YEAR,
and had never seen such calm
night on the Atlantic. A. we rowed
away from the Titanic We looked
back from time TO time 10 watch
her. and a more striking spectacle
I l, was not possible for anyone to
see.
ue paHocl sqs eouulslp sVl uI..
enormous length. her great bulk out
lined in black against the starry sky.
every portfolio and saloon blazing
with light. It, was impossible t.
think anything could be wrong wit
such "A leviathan were it not for that
omlnous tilt downward in the bows.
where the water was by now up 10
the lowest row of port holes. Pres
emily. about = A. NJ. rs near as I
can remember. we observed her sell
ting very rapidly, with the bows ana
bridge completely under water and
concluded II was now onlv "A oues-
ton Of minutes before she slowly
tilted straight On end with the stern
vertically upwards aud a. she did
80, the lights in the cabins and sa-
looms. which had not fiickered for n
moment since we left. came ON again
for single flash, and finally went
out altogether. AT the same, time
the engines aud machinery roared
down through the vessel with n ro,-
Tie and a groauing that could be
heard for miles. the weirdest sound
surely that could be heard In the
middle of the ocean. thousand
miles away from land. But this was
not Yet quite the end.
"Io our amazcmept she remained
IN that upright position for IA time
which estimated as five minutes;
Others IN the boat say. less. but il
was certainly some minutes while
We watched at least $50 feet of the
Titanic towering up above the level
of the sea and looming black against
the sky.
"Then with a quiet santng dive.
she disappeared beneath the waters.
aud our ewes had looked for the
last time on the gigantic vessel We
had sci ont on from Southhampton
last Wednesday. And there was left
to n the gently heaving sea. the
boat fllled To standing room with
men and women in every conceivable
condition of dress and undress.
above the perfect sky of brilliant
lna A.