The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-04-20
STORY Of TIE S|[[RSMAN
Scarcely Had the IeeberG Bees Seen by
the Loekeut when the
Crash Came

New York. April 20.-Perhaps the
straightest, most connected story OF
the Titanic disaster Is that told by
Robert Rickens. who was at the wheel
OF the great steamer at the time. II
/ In as follows.
Il was on watch at o'clock Sunday
night and stood by the man at the
wheen at 10. At 10 1 took the wheel
for two hours. On the bridge from 10
o'clock were First Officer Murdock
Fourth officer Boxhall and Sixth OF
ficer Moody. In the crows nest were
Fleet and another man whose name
don't know.
Second officer Lightoller, who was
on watch while 1 stood by from to
10, sent me soon after s, to tell the
carpenter to look out for the fresh wa
ter supply. as there might be danger
then about thirty-one degrees. He
gave the crows nest strict order to
look out for small icebergs.
Second Officer Lightoller was re-
lieved by First officer Murdock at 10
O'Clock and / took the wheel then. At
11:40 three gongs sounded from the
crows nest. the signal for something
right ahead"
At the same time one of the men in
the nest telephoned 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 watertight doors.
Captain Smith came from the chart
room onto the bridge. His first words
were. "Close the emergency DOORS"
"They are all closed. SIR Murdock
replied
Send to the carpenter and tell him
to sound the ship was the shippers
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 to lose his
life
The commutator showed the boat
carried five degrees list to starboard
She then was rapidly settling forward
All the steam sirens were blowing. BY
the shippers orders the engines were
put to work at pumping out the ship
distress signals were sent by Marconi
and rockets were sent up All hands
were ordered on deck and life belts
were buckled on to every passenger.
The stewards and other hands helped
the sailors in getting the boats out.
The order. women and children first
was given and enforced There was
no panic.
1t was at the wheel until 1925 II
was my duty to stay there until re-
1ieved. I was not relieved by any one
else. but was simply sent away by Sec
ond officer Lightoller. who told me to
take charge Of certain boat and load
1t with ladies.
1 did SO and there were thirty-three
ladies, a sailor and myself in the boat
when it was lowered some time after
1 o'clock
The Titanic had sixteen lifeboats
and two collapsible boats All of them
got away loaded except that one Of the
| collapsibles did not open properly and
stewards who were floating in the wa
ter got on this raft and were picked ur
by the different boats. Some others
were floating about pn chairs when
picked up.
| Every boat, SO far as I know. was
full when it was lowered and every
boat that set out reached the Carpa-
J ithia. The green light OF the boat help
ed to keep us together. but there were
other lights. One was an electric
| hashlight that a gentleman had car
ried in his pocket.
Our boat was 400 yards away wher
the ship went down. The suction only
rocked us a little
/ I heard revolver shots as every one
did. I cannot say who fred any oi
them.