The Washington times., 1912-04-19
+PANiC IN STEERAGE
I FORCES OFFICERS
/. TO RULE WITH. GUNS
nTerrib1e Scenes Enacted
i, When Foreigners Fight
NJ to Leave Ship.

L NEW YORK, April 1s.-Beyond the
Hpower of any pen to picture were the
sterrible scenes enacted when the steer
aage passengers were freed and told to
make thei- escape in the remaining
Nboats. Frenzied men, disregarding kith
Tend kin, trampled down women in their
frantic attempts to obey natures first
Jaw Of self-preservation, and to their
5panic. their fright. and their ruthless
conduct is due the fact that hundreds
rfof steerage passengers were swallowed
Officers, armed with their revolvers,
spit forth the deadly fire of their weap-
ons at these fear-filled men, and with
5to rise, and to be carried down Ifeless
Gin the swirl of the whirlpools.
Each bark of the -unerring pistol
meant the death knell to individual cow
target. The steerage frenzy changed
:Sthe complexion of things on board the
Titanic from orderliness in the face of
death to a turmoil and panic. Firms,
-+pinned in their hunks by the official
mandate of Captain Smith. once freed
9tore loose from all bounds of control
land turned the scenes into one Of hell.
Zparamount to all thoughts of personal
9safety, tried in their frantic endeavors
Ito save their offspring even at the sac
Hrifce of their own lives.
Y This phase Of the disaster was re-
told by Regina Steiner, herself one
of those who were saved from among
the stecrage passengers. She owes her
Tbng-to courage and cooness and I'M
plicit obedience Of the commands of
! the officers.
1--WE were all standing waiting. for
torders from. the officers,"e she said as
hhe woman leaned heavily on the arms
of two friends who were taking her to
Astreet, land we were all told that there
Twas little danger, and to be ready for
| my. emergency.
shock to us was light. A few minutes
| afterward an officer came to us, and
told us. to get, ready. He told us again
4our heads. Most of the people in the
-+steerage were talking in their own Ian
guage. and the scene was one such
ias. you get when thing like that hap
Women knelt down on the floor and
started to sing hymns in their own
THAT sounded like Nearer. My God,
tell what it was. At one nart Of The
raise their hands above their heads
and bow down TO the floor.
Then came the word for us to get
THAT the doors were opened the crowd
There M o were @ SOM some Officers standing al
doors Of the steerage deck. but they
Ityere swept along. ] heard shot after
shot fred, and somebody would scream
and then the trampling would come
again. w
Men knocked down little babies
dwhose lives were stamped out by theiI
Ishocs. Women were knocked down and
I ttrampled on, and 1t was terrible.
don't know now how I managed Z
escape, but thank God did. got t.
stthe boat. and was put aboard. / mus
Nhaye been the last one, for ] didn't
= see any more boats so over The side
ETafter ours was put down. Men and
women Jumped into the water, and
O. Ewhen our boat pulled up to them some
fsof them. were dead and others died q
Nfew minutes after, we took them or
board. There was one little baby
about two years old floating in the
water. We picked him up and som,
woman took charge Of him. He had q
sclttle doll baby in his arms, which he
,ihod been holding while he was asleep
He wasn't steerage baby. for his
clothes were too good, and he looked
se1ike some rich PERSONS child. He was
s.a handsome little child. and he lived
81. you could see the" people drowning
z right bsfore your eyes, and YOU couldn't
s7Eo near them. for fear that the vesse
q sSvould sink and drag you down, too
A1Erery minute there would be a sho.
z fred, but who fired the shots, and
4 why they did it don't know. ] heard
Z afterward that six or seven OF the
2 stokers and Cinnamon on board had
9 heen killed BECAUSE they were rushing
sinto the women