Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-05-02

TO obey the order. When they were
afoat and had the oars at work the
condition of the rapidly settling boat
was SO much more 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
filed 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 it 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 it was extraordinary
how calm every one was and how
completely self-controlIed.
"One by one the boats were filed
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 if this was so.
I remained where I was and presently
heard the CALI:
Amy more LADIES' Looking over
the side of the ship. I saw the boat,
No. IS, swinging level with B deck,
half full Of ladies'. Again the call was
repeated: Amy more ladies?'
Il saw none come on, and then one
of the crew looked up and said: ANY
ladies on your deck, sir?'
No, I replied
Then you had better jump
WOMEN HEAVED INTO BOAT.
'T dropped in and fell in the bot
tom as they cried: Lower away AS
the boat began to descend two ladies
were pushed hurriedly through the
l.
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 leVel-'aft,'
stern both together'-until we were
some ten feet from the water, and
here occurred the only anxious mo-
ment we had during the whole of our
experience from leaving the deck to
reaching the Carpathia.
Immediately below our boat was
the exhaust of the condensers, a huge
stream of water pouring all the time
from the ships side just above the
water line It was plain we ought to
be smart away from this not to be
| swamped by it when we touched wa
ter. We had no officer aboard, nor
petty officer or member of the crew to
| take charge. So one of the stokers
shouted: Some one find the pin which
| releases the boat from the ropes and
pull it up No one knew where it
was We felt as well as we could on
! the floor and sides, but found nothing,
and it was hard to move among so
many people-we had sixty or seventy
| on board.
Down we went and presently float
ed, with our ropes still holding US,
| the exhaust washing US away from
| the side of the vessel and the swell of
| the sea urging US back against the
! side again. The resultant of all these
| forces was an impetus which carried
US parallel to the ships side and di-
| rectIy under boat IA, which had filed
rapidly with men and was coming
down on US in a way that threatened
to submerge our boat
sToKER AvERTs GREATER LOSS.
Stop lowering a. our crew
shouted, and the crew of No. IA, now
only twenty feet above, shouted the
same. But the distance to the top
was some seventy feet, and the creak-
ing pulleys must have deadened all
sound to those above, for down she
! came-fifteen feet ten feet, five feet
! and a stoker and I reached up and
| touched her swinging above our heads.
| The next drop would have brought
| her on our heads, but just before she
| dropped another stoker sprang to the
| ropes with his knife.
lone I heard him say; two as
| his knife cut through the pulley ropes
| and the next moment the exhaust
stream had carried US clear, while
| boat IA dropped into the water into
| the space we had the moment before
occupied, our gunwales almost touch
| ing.
I'VE drifted away easily as the oars
| were got out and headed directly
away from the ship. The crew
| seemed to me to be mostly cooks in
white jackets, two to an car, with
| a stoker at the tiller There was a
| certain amount of shouting from one
end Of the boat to the other, and dis
| cussion as to which way we should go,
but finally it was decided to elect the
| stoker, who was steering, captain, and
| for all to obey his orders. He 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 morning to look for US, there
would be more chance for all to be
SEA CALM AS A POND.
ct was now about 1 a. m; a beau
tiful starlight night. with no moon
and so not very light. The sea was
as calm as a pond, just gentle
heave as the boat dipped up and
down in the swell; an ideal night ex-
F TWELVE