The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-16
AWFUL SCENES OF PARTING AS WOMEN
 WERE TRANSFERRED

panied the laundering of the Titanic on the lee strewn banks of Now tense suffering and rare heroism, ac- cording to the few disjointed and .re.me sary messages that have. been p cked up by the wireless operators along the coast.
 It was night of black terror. Sun day had been cloudy and fogsy but the great liner had been steadily held on her course. Precautions were taken to guard against accident but 1t seemed certain, today, that 1t was necessary to keep considerable head way on the giant vessel so that she would remain manageable.
 The smash came at l0.25 Sunday night.
 Many of the passengers were un- doubtedly in their beds at the time but all must have been routed out immediately as Captain Smith was too experienced a navigator to overlook any precaution or to fail to realize inflicted a mortal wound despite the confident assertions he had made many times that the Titanic was un- sinkable.
 It was black night, the thick mug gy atmosphere so peculiar to the horror of the occasion. The ships. company, assembled on the great decks of the floating hote, which was so soon to become the grave of many of their number, could have had Aft tie time to make their toilet. Many of the passengers must have been garbed as. they came from slumber, wearing wraps hastily caught up in the nom ents that followed the hor- rible grinding of steel upon ice.
 The Coston signals were burned rockets sent up. as the wireless snap ped out it's frantic appeal for help while the stalwart seannen told off by boats began the work of getting the big boats over the side and filled with their precious human freight.
 It appeared. today, that there was no need for the order Women and children first" but that the men stood aside and pushed their women folks to the boatdecks where the lifeboats were being filled as quickly as possi- ble. Wives and sisters in tears, with the last kisses of husbands and broth CTS on their lips, were marshalled to their places while the wounded giant staggered and sunk lower with every lurch of the sea- It must have been apparent from the outset that there was little hope for many of that com pany. Although she carried the max imum of life rafts and ifeboats they were cruelty insufficient for that
 
 previously had been so cheerful and happy at the prospect of soon reach ing their journeys end. The stag gering of the wounded monster and the gradual sinking by the head must have indicated to all that the end was certain.
 Passengers were buoyed up by the hope that assistance was coming as fast as ships could pick up the urgent appeal for aid and start for the scene. The ships officers entertained no such delusion. They knew from the messages that reached them that at the rate the water was making in the holds. which could not be checked by the pumps, they must have realized that only floating wreckage and filled 1 lifeboats and rafts would greet the rescuers.
 lowered them into the water and or- dered them to row far enough away so that the whirlpool suction that would follow the final plunge of the Titanic would not swamp them. The 3,455 lifebelts were dealt out and the AS lifebuoys placed where they could be used but it was realized in the final analysis these would be of no use and that those on board when the great plunge came were certain of death.
 The Small boats, bobbing like corks on the water amidst the field of ice, 1t was not believed, witnessed the final plunge of the weasel to her grave, two miles below the surface. It seem ed certain, today, that they had row. ed in company as far off as possible but the swirling waters must have brought home at least to the crew that the vessel had gone down. The waiting in the dark and cold may have cost the reason of many of the women. It was believed, to- day. that the fact that the Carpathia, which was the first on the scene, started direct to New York as soon as she had taken the unfortunates from the lifeboats indicated that many of the survivors were in a very bad way. She carried only one doctor and his best efforts were needed to save the reason of the women who realized that many of them were now alone in the world.