The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-04-19

there vas no j&rrinx impact ~hen the
vessel struck according % the army
orioer. He was IN his b~rth vhen
Tie vessel smashed into the sub
merged portion q the berg ana was
aroused BY the Jar He LOOKED a. his
watch. he said. and found Il xas Just
midnight The ship sank with him ~
.:2- a N for his watch stopped ~
that hour.
Before retired said Colonel
Oracle. I had a long chat with Chas
n. Hays. president Of the Grand Trunk
railroad. One Of the last things Mr.
Hays said Was this: The White Star.
the Cunard and the Hamburg-Ameri-
can lines are deyoting their attention
and ingenuity In vieing with the other
TO attain the supremacy In luxurious
ships and In making speed records.
The time will sooa come when this
will be checked by some appalling
disaster Poor fellow, a few hours
later be was dead.
Col. Astsr q Hero.
The conduct of Col. John Jacob
Astor was deserving of the highest
praise" declared Col. Oracle. The
millionaire New Yorker" he said. de
voted all his energies to saving his
young bride, who was in delicate
health.
Col. Aston helped us in our efforts
to get her in the boat" said Col. Ora
Gle. Il lifted her into the boat and
as she took her place Col. Astor re-
quested permission of the second Of
ficer to go with her for her own pro-
lection. No, sir replied the officer;
not man shall go on a boat until the
women are all on Col. Astor then
inquired the number of the boat
which was being lowered away, and
turned 10 the work OF clearing the
other boats and in reassuring the
frightened and nervous women.
BY this time the ship began TO
list frightfully 10 port. This became
so dangerous that the second officer
ordered everyone to rush 10 star
board. This we did. and we found the
crew trying to get a boat of in that
quarter. Here saw the last Of John
B. Thayer and George b. Widener, OF
Philadelphia.
Didn't Slow Down.
} Colonel Oracle said that, despite
: the warning of icebergs. no slowing
down of speed was ordered by the
commander of the Titanic. There were
, other warnings. too, he said. I'm the
, "a hours ending the 14th," he said.
! the ships run was SAC miles. and
we were told that the next "a hours
would see even a better record post
ed. No diminution OF speed was in
dicated in the run and the engines
kept up their steady running. When
Sunday evening came we all noticed
the increased cold. which gave plain
warning that the ship was in close
proximity of icebergs or ice fields.
The officers, | am credibly informed,
! had been advised by wireless from
other ships of the presence OF ice
; bergs and dangerous foes in that
/ vicinity. The sea was as smooth as
glass and the weather clear, so that
! IL seems that there was no occasion
} for fear.
: No Signs Of Panic.
When the vessel struck" he con-
tinued. the passengers were so little
> alarmed that they joked over the mat
: ter. The few that appeared on deck
early had taken their time TO dress
: properly. and there was not the slight
est indication of panic. Some OF the
! fragments OF ice had fallen on deck
J and these were picked up and passed
] around by some of the facetious ones.
? who offered them as mementoes of
2 the occasion. On the port side, a
glance over the side failed TO show
any evidence OF damage and the yes
sci seemed to be on an even keel.
Z James Clinch Smith. and !, however,
J soon found the vessel was listing
4 heavily. A few minutes later the Of
A ficers ordered men and women TO don
4 life preservers."
3 One Of the last women seen by
! Colonel Oracle. he said, was Miss
. Evans. OF New York. who virtually
J refused TO be rescued. because. &C
! cording to the army officer. she had
! been told by fortune teller OF Lon
: don, that she would meet her death
on the water"
Heroic Young officer.
a young English woman who re-
D puested that her name be omitted.
= told a thrilling story OF her experie1ce
p in one Of the collapsibIe boats which
: had been manned by eight Of the crew
, Of the Titanic. The boat was in
, command OF the NTH officer. II. Lowe.
whose actions she described as saving
the lives OF many people. Before the
2 llfeboat was launhcd. ne passed along
I
handing the people not to Jump in
; the boats and otherwise restraining
them from swamping the craft. When
the collapsiblc was launched officer
Lowe succeeded In putting up "a mast
and small sail lie collected the
other boats together. Ia some cases
{ the boats were short 81 adequate crews
2 and he directed an exchange By which
, each was adequately manned lie
, threw lines connecting the boats to-
, gether two by two. and thus
. moved together. Later on he went
back 20 the wreck with the crew %
one 90 the boats and succeeded IN
b picking up some 81 those who had
; Jumped overheard and were swimming
; about. ON bis WY back 90 the Car
| puthia. De- passed one % the COLLAPSE
uie boats which wus on The point -
, sinking with thirty passengers aboard
most % them BOZ rCanf uight clothing.
b They were rescued just in the nick
% time"
AWFUI, SCRNR