The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-19
Man at Wheel Tells Story

Man at Nneel lellS oloTy
 Robert Hiekens, one of the six surviv- ing quartermasters of the Titanic, the man who was on duty at the wheel when the ship struck the iceberg, told me the story of the wreck on the Carpathia 1 Thursday.
 save for the surviving fourth officer, l Boxhall whose lips are sealed lIickens saw Sunday nights tragedy at closer range than any man now living. His story was:
 I went on watch at s o'clock Sunday night and stood by the man at the wheel until 1O At 10 l took the wheel for two hours. On the bridge from 10 o'clock were First Officer Murdock, Fourth Offi- cer Boxhall and Sixth officer Moody. Tn the crows nest 0ookout- towcr) were Fleet and another man whose name I do not know.
 Second Officer Liehtoller, who was on watch while 1 stood by from to 10, sent me soon after 10 tell the carpenter to lookout for the fresh water supply as there might be danger of freezing. The temperature was then about 3l degrees. He gave the crows nest q strict order to lookout for small icebergs
 Second officer Lightoller was relieved by First officer Murdock at 10 and l took the wheel then. At 1:4O three gongs sounded from the crows nest, the signal 
 At the same time one of the men ia the nest telephoned to the bridge that there was large iceberg right ahead As Officer Murdock's hand was on the lever to stop the engines the crash came He stopped the engines. then immediately by another lever closed the water tight doors
 /" The skipper Captain smith) came from the chart room onto the bridge His first words were: Close the emergency doors.'
 " They're all closed, sir, Murdock re- piled
 " Send to the carpenter and tell him to sound the ship was the skipper. ! next order The message was sent to the carpenter The carpenter never came up to report. He probably was the first man on that ship 10 lose his life.
 f The commutator showed the boa carried five degrees list to the starboard. She then was rapidly settling forward All the steam sirens were blowing By 1 the slippers orders the engineers were put at work pumping out the ship; dis l tress signals were sent by Marconi and rockets were sent up All hands were ordered on deck and life belts were sewed oEto every passenger.
 No Panic on Board The stewards and other hands helped tho sailors in getting the boats out. The order, Women and children first was given and enforced. There was no panic. I was at the wheel until 12:25 II | was my duty to stay there until relieved l was not relieved by anyone else but was simply sent away by Second Officer 1 ldghtoller who told me to take charge or certain boat and load 1t with ladies. I did so and there were g. ladies' q sailor and myself in the boat when if was lowered some time after 1 o'clock.
 The Titanic had 16 life boats and two collapsible boats. All of them got away loaded except that one of the coI- | lapsibles did not open properly and was used as raft. Forty sailors and stew ards who were floating in the water eot | on thls raft and were picked up on the different boats. Some others were float ing about on chairs when picked up.
 i" Every boat so far as l saw was fun when 1t was lowered and every boat that set out reached the Carpathia The green light of the boat helped to keep us to- gether, but there were other lights One was an electric hashlight that a gentle. man had carried in his pocket
 Our boat was 400 yards away when the ship went down The suction only rocked us q little.
 I heard revolver shots as everyone | did. cannot say who fired any of them 1 l have only told what [ know and what shall tell any marine court that may | examine me-
 Barber Blown off Deck 1 "G. Whiteman of Palmyra. N. r., the 'ritanic's barber. was blown off the decl, | by the second of the two explosions oi the boilers and was in the water more than two hours before he was picked UT | by a raft.
 The explosions, Whiteman said. were caused by the rushing in of the icy water on the boilers. A bunch of deck chairs l roped together was blown off the deck with me and I struck my back, injurlng