The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-19
FIGHT FOR LIFE
Panic Followed Crash, Say Sur
TivOrs From Steerage.
Crew Tried to Keep Women in
Quarters.
HE KILLED FOUR MEN
Officer Shot Them When They
Chung to Boats.
Boy Hid in LifebOat and Was
Saved.
KILLED FOUR men

New York, April 1S.-Pitiful tales
were related by some of the steerage
passengers of the Titanic as they came
off the Carpathia. Few of the passen-
gers were met by rela atives or friends
and majority were taken in charge
by charitable persons.
A thrilling story was told by Ellen
Shine, 20 year old girl from County
Cork, Ireland, who came here to visit
a brother.
Those who were able to get out Of
bed said Miss Shine. rushed to the
upper decks where they were met by
the members of the crew who endeav-
ored to keep them in the steerage
quarters. The women however, rush
ed by these men, knocking them down
and finally reached the upper decks.
When informed that the boat was
sinking most of them fell to their
knees and began to pray.
Four Men Are Shot.
''I saw one of the lifeboats and
made for it. In it were four men
from the steerage. They were order
ed by an officer and refused to leave.
Then one of the officers jumped into
the boat, and, drawing a revolver.
shot the four men dead. Their bod
les were picked out from the bottom
of the boat and thrown into the
ocean,"
David Buckley, 20 years old of Cork,
said he was saved by hiding in a life
boat. His three room mates in the
steerage, Patrick OConnell, Patrick
O'Connor and Michael Lonahan were
| drowned. Buckley declares that when
the Titanic went down there was a
roar like thunder.
Then the lights kept burning. ''said
Buckley, until the ship sank Men
fought with women in the steer
age and time and again officers would
drag men from the boats in order to
let women have their places"
Seven Children Are Alone.
A pathetic incident of the steerage
was the placing of seven children
| four girls and three boys-into one
of the life boats. Their parents were
lost. Two of the little ones whose
names could not be learned, were tax
en- to hospitals. One has scarlet fever
and the other meningitis.
August Wennerstrom, a Swede. spied
a collapsible boat behind one Of the
| smokestacks as the vessel was sinking.
With three other men he managed &c
tear it from its lashings and the four
jumped overheard with it. The boat
overturned four times but each time
! they managed to right ii and finally
| all of them were saved by the Carpa-
thia. While drifting about Wenner-
strom said he saw at least 200 men
in the water who were drowned.
Gunar Tenglin, Swede, was saved
| in the next to the last boat which left
| the Titanic. Before getting into the
boat he placed two hysterical women
| in another boat. Then he heard a cry
and looking up saw a woman stand
| ing on the upperdeck. The woman
| he said, dropped from her arms her
| baby which Tenglin caught and gave
to one of the women he had put into
the boat. Then he got into his own
| boat which was lowered and shortly
afterwards came the two explosion:
and the plunge downward OF the Ii
| tanic.
Tenglin declared that he had see1
numerous persons leap from the decks
| of the Titanic and drown.
| Bride Loses Her All.
| Mrs. Elizabeth Dyker of West Haven
4 Conn, a bride, whose husband perish
| ed, lost besides her husband all her
| worldly possessions.
when the crash came,' said Mrs.
| Dyker, II met Adolph on deck He had
| satchel in which were two gold
watches, two diamond rings, a sapphire
necklace, and 200 crowns. He could
not go in the boat with me but grab
bed a life preserver and said he would
try to save himself. That was the
| last 1 saw of him. When the lifeboas
| came alongside the Carpathia one Of
| the men in it threw my satcheI &c
| the deck. I have not seen IT since"
| Kate Mullen, of County Longford
| Ireland, told of how stewards had
| tried to keep back the steerage women.
| She said she saw scores OF men and
| women ilImp overheard and drown