The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-19
STORY OF wreck
One of the Survivors of the
Titanic Disaster
Relates the Incidents of the
Tragedy in Detail.
RETIRED FOR THE NIGHT
Felt a Slight Jar and Went on
Deck.
Some Card Players Saw the
Iceberg Go By.
RETIRED FOR THE NIGH!

! BeaSley, TO the 1lU--n1c, Cambridge
university man, who resides in London.
Mr.. Beasley was in the second cabin
and had not been mentioned in the list
of the saved.
THE voyage from Queenstown had
been quite uneventful as very fine
wea Their was experienced and the sea
was quite calm. The wind had been
westerly to southwesterly the whole
way, but very cold. particularly the last
day. in fact, after dinner on Sunday
evening it was almost too cold to be
out on deck at all I had been in my
berth for about ten minutes when, at
Ills p. M, I felt a slight jar and then
soon after a second one, but not suf-
ficiently large to cause any anxiety 10
anyone, however nervous they may
have been. However. the engines stop
ped Immediately afterwards and my
first thought was-'she has lost a pro-
peler' 1 went up on the top (bOat
deck) in dressing gown, and found
only a few people there, who had come
up similarly to inquire why we had
stopped, but there was no sort Of
anxiety in the minds of anyone We
saw through the smoking room window
a game of cards going on, and went in
to inquire if they knew anything; it
seems they felt more of the jar, and
looking through the window had seen a
huge iceberg go by close to the side of
the boat They thought we had just
grazed it with a glancing blow, and the
engines had been stopped to see if any
damage had been done. No one, of
course, had any conception that she
had been pierced below by part of the
submerged iceberg The game went on
without any thought of disaster and I
retired to my cabin to read until we
went on again. I never saw any of the
players or the OnlOOkerS again.
All Wanted. to Know.
"a little later, he1ring people going
upstairs, 1 went out again and found
everyone wanting to know why the
engines had stopped. No doubt many
were awakened from sleep by the sud
den stopping of a vibration to when
they had become accustomed during
the four days We had been on board
Naturally. with such powerful engines
as the Titanic carried. the vibration
was very noticeab BILE all the time, ana
the sudden stopping had something the
same effect as the stopping of a LOUD
ticking grandfather clock in a ROOM
"On going on deck again, I saw that
there was undoubted list down.
wards from stern , bows, but know
ing nothing of what had happened,
concluded some Of the front compart-
ments had filed and weighed her down.
went down again to put on warmer
clothing and. as I dressed, heard n
order shouted
All passengers on deck with life
belts on We all walked slowly up
with them tied on over our clothing.
but even then presumed this was a
taking and that we should return in a
short time and retire to bed. There |
was total absence of panic or any
expressions of alarm, and / suppose |
this can be accounted for by the ex- |
Gee dinghy calm night and the absence |
-7e ..Ff + SHY
was absolutely still and except for a |
gentle tilt downward. which I don't !
think one person in ten would have |
noticed at that time, no signs of ap- |
preaching disaster were visible. She |
lay just as if she were waiting the |
order to go on again when some |
trifling matter had been adjusted. But /
in a few moments we saw the covers /
lifted from the boats. and the crews |
allotted to them standing by and |
curling up the ropes which were to !
lower them by the pulley blocks into |
the water.
We then began to realize it was
more serious than had been supposed, |
and my first thought was to go down /
and get more clothing and some |
money. but, seeing people pouring up
the stairs, decided it was better to
cause no confusion to people coming
up by doing so. Presently we heard
the order:
All men stand back away from
the boats and all ladies retire to the
next deck belOw'-the smoking room
deck or b deck. The men all stood
away and remained in absolute 81
ence, leaning against the end railing
Of the deck or pacing slowly up and
down The boats were swung out and
lowered from A deck. When they
were to the level of b deck. where all
the ladies were solicited, the ladies
4Nl " !, - I
some who refused to leave their hus-
bands. But in some cases they were
TORN from them and pushed into the
boats But in many instances they
we're allowed to remain because there
was no one u insist they should go.
Il cooking over the side. one saw
boats from aft already in the water,
slipping quietly away into the damp
ness and presently the boats near to
ne were lowered and with much
through the pulley blocks down the
30 feet which separated them from the
water. An officer N uniform came up
IS one boat went down and shouted
Town, When you are af1oat. row
around to the companion ladder and
stand by the other boats for orders
Aye. aye, sir came up the reply,
out l don't think any boat was able to
hey the order. When they were af1oat
md had the oars at work, the cOndi-
ion of the rapidly settling boat was
20 much more sight for alarm for
hose in the boats than those on board
he Titanic. In common prudence, the
'ailors saw they could do nothing but
'ow from the sinking ship to save at
my rate some lives. They no doubt
that suction from such an
vessel would be more than
Usually dangerous to a crowded boat,
mostly filled with women.
No Trace o. Disorder.
All this time there was no trace of
my disorder, panic or rush to the
boats and no scenes of women sobbing
such as one generally pic
ures as happening at such times;