The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-04-23
foundering in the water.

deep in the ice water and afraid to
move lest the cranky craft be over
turned. Several unfortunate, benumb-
ed and half dead, besought US to save
them, and one or two made an effort
to reach US but we had to warn them
away. Had we made any effort to
save them we all might have perished
Experience on Raft.
"The hours that elapsed before we
were picked up by the Carpathia we're
the longest and most terrible that
ever spent.
practically without any sensation
of feeling because Of the icy water,
we were almost dropping from fatigue.
We were afraid to turn around to look
to see whether we were seen by pass
ing craft, and when some one who
was facing astern passed the word
that something that looked like
steamer was coming up, one of the
men became hysterical under the
strain. The rest of US, too, were near
ing the breaking point.
Col. Oracle denied with emphasis
that any men were fired upon, and
only once was a revolver discharged.
''This was to intimidate some steer
age passengers" he said, "who had
tumbled into a boat before it was pre-
pared for launching. This shot was
fired in the air and when the foreign
ers were told that the next would be
directed at them they promptly re-
turned to the deck. There was no COZ
fusion and no panic"
Struck at Midnight.
Col. Oracle was in his berth when
the vessel smashed into the berg, and
was aroused by the jar, He looked at
his watch, he said, and found it was
just midnight. The ship sank with
him at 2.22 a. m, for his watch stop
ped at that hour.
Before I retired" said Col. Oracle,
"I had long talk with Chas. H. Hays,
president of the Grand Trunk rail-
road. One of the last things Mr.. Hays
said was this:
"'The White Star, the Cunard and
the Hamburg-American lines are de-,
voting their attention and energy in
vieing with the other to attain the su-
premacy in luxurious ships and max
ing speed records. The time will soon
come when this will be checked by
some appalling disaster
"Poor fellow, few hours later he
was dead.
Praise for Col. AstOr.
"The conduct of Col. John Jacob
Astor was deserving of the highest
praise" Col. Oracle declared. "The
millionaire New Yorker" he said, "de-
voted all his energies to saving his
young bride, nee Miss Force, of New
York, who is in delicate health.
"Col. Astor helped us in our efforts
to get her in the boat" said Col. Ora
Gle. "I lifted her into the boat and
she took her place. Col. Astor re-
quested permission of the second Off
Ger to go with her for her own pro-
lection.
"'No, SIR replied the officer, Not a
man shall go on a boat until the wo-
men are all off Col. Astor then in
quired the number of the boat which
was being lowered away and turned to
the work of clearing the other boats
and in reassuring the frightened and
nervous women.
'By this time the ship began to list
frightfully to port. This became so
dangerous that the second officer or
dered everyone to rush to starboard.
This we did and we found the crew
trying to get boat off in that quarter.
Here saw the last of John B. Thayer
and George B. Widener, of Philadel-
phia."
Warned Of IcebergS.
Despite warning of icebergs no
slowing down of speed was ordered
by the commander of the Titanic.
There we're other warnings, too, he
said.
"In the "a hours run ending the
14th," he said, "the ships run was 546
miles and we were told that the next
"a hours would see even better rec
ord posted. No dimunition of speed
was indicated in the run. The officers,
am credibly informed, had been ad-
vised by wireless from other ships of