The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1912-04-26
F5 OF SEA HORROR
ENIO0WNL LIKE HEROES

TO opey the oroer. when they were
afioat 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 q crowded boat
filled 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 al 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 n was and how
completely self-controlled.
"One by n the boats were filled
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 I was on the
port side and most of the men walked
cross the deck to see II this was so.
I remained where I was and presently
heard the call:
ANY more ladies?' Looking over
the side Of the ship, l saw the boat,
No. 10, swinging level with B deck,
half foil Of ladies'. Again the call was
repeated: ANY more ladies?'
II saw none come on, and then one
Of the crew looked up and said: Amy
ladies on your deck, sir?'
"-No,' I replied.
""Then you had better jump
WOMEN HEAvED INTO BOAT.
II 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
crowd on B deck and heaved over into
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 togetheF-until We wer,
some ten feet from the water, ant
here occurred the only anxious mo
ment we had during the whole of on,
experience from leaving the deck tt
reaching the Carpathia.
Immediately below our boat wa
the exhaust of the co%ndensers. a hug
stream Of water pouring all the tim
from the ships side Just above tn
y water line. 1t "a plain we ought t
be smart away from this not to b
swamped by it when we touched Wa
ter. W. had no officer aboard. no
petty officer or member Of the crew
/, take charge. So one Of the stoker
shouted: Some one find the pin whic
, releases the boat from the ropes an
, pull 1t up No one knew where
was. We felt as we'll as we could o
the floor and sides, but found nothing
> and it was hard to move among s
I many people-we had sixty or sevent
on board.
q Down we went and presently flos
ed, with our ropes still holding u
Z the exhaust washing US away fro
D the side Of the vessel and the swell
the sea. urging us back against IL
{ side again. The resultant Of all the'
e forces was an impetus which carrie
q US parallel to the ships side and {
rectly under boat IA, which had hllt
e rapidly with men and was comir
q down on us in a way that threatens
l to submerge our boat.
: sroKER AvERTs GREATER LOS
y "'Stop lowering a. u ere
e shouted, and the crew Of No. IA, nc
e only twenty feet above, shouted t
same. But the distance to the t
IS was some seventy feet, and the cres
ing pulleys must have deadened
n sound to those above, for down 8
came-fifteen feet, ten feet. five fe
and n stoker and 1 reached up a
10 touched her swinging above u hea'
The next drop would have broue
ID her on our heads, but just before 8
dropped another stoker sprang to I
q ropes with his knife.
- Zone I heard him say; two
- his knife cut through the pulley roI
!" and the next moment the exha'
stream had carried us clear. WI
I, boat IA dropped into the water II
.. the space we had the moment bef'
81 occupied, our gunwales almost tou
=. ing.
I'VE drifted away easily as the Of
~ were got out and headed direc
away from the ship. The CT
~ seemed to me to be mostly
4. white jackets. two to an oar. "
a stoker at the tiller. There was
). certain amount Of shouting from {
m end Of the boat to the other, n