Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-04-25
PASSENGERS UNAWARE OF
THE SHIPS MORTAL WOUND
Card Game Went On without Any Thought of
Disaster-Total Absence of Panic or Alarm,
Says Survivor of the Wreck

New York. April ls.-Following is the
account of the wreck OF the Titanic by
Mr.. Beasley Of London
THE VOYAGE from Queenstown had
been quite unevertful; very fine weather
was experienced and the sea was quite
calm. The wind had been westerly to
| southwesterly the who.e way, but very
| cold, particularly the last day in fact
after dinner on Sunday evening it was
almost too cold to be out on deck at all.
had been in my berth for about 10
minutes when at about ills p M. / felt
q slight Jar and then soon after a second
one. but not sufficiently large to cause
any anxiety TO any one, however nervous
they may have been. However, the en-
gines stopped Immediately afterwards
and my first thought was she has lost
a propeller went up on the top CboaO
deck in a dressing gown and found only
few people there who had come up
similarly to inquire why We had stopped,
but there was no sort of anxiety in the
minds Of any one.
I'VE saw through the smoking room
! window a game of cards going on and
went in to inquire II they knew anything
it seems they felt more of the jar and
looking through the window had seen a
huge iceberg go by close 70 the side of the
| boat. They thought we had just grazed
it with gancing blow. and the engines
had been stopped to see if any damage
! had been done. No one of course had any
conception that she had been pierced
below by part of the submerged iceberg.
The game went on without any thought
of disaster, and retired to my cabin
to read until we went on again. | never
saw any of the players or the onlookers
again.
| WONDERED ABOUT ENGINES.
| "A little later hearing people going up
| stairs, I went out again and found every
| one wanting to know why the engines had
| stopped No doubt many were awakened
| from sleep by the sudden stopping of a
| vibration to which they had been accus-
toned during the four days We had been
\ on board. Naturally, with such powerful
! engines as the Titanic carried. the vbra-
ton was very noticeable all the time, and
! the sudden stopping had something the
same effect as the stopping Of loud tick
| ing grandfather's clock In "a room.
ION going on deck again | saw that
| there was an undoubted list downward
| from the stern to bows but knowing
nothing Of what had happened concluded
some Of the front compartments had filed
and were working her down. | went
down again to put on warmer clothing
and as dressed heard an order shouted:
| All passengers on deck with life belts on.
I'VE all walked slowly up with them
| tied on over orr clothing but even then
| presumed this was a wise precaution the
captain was taking and that we should
| return in a short time and retire to bed
There was a total absence of any panic
| or any expressions Of alarm and i sup
pose this can be accounted for by the
exceedingly calm night and the absence
! of any signs of the accident. The ship
| was absolutely stil and except for q gen
| tie tilt dOwnwarla, which ! don't think
one person in ten would have noticed al
that time. no signs Of the approaching
disaster were visible.
SHIP LAY AS IF WAITING.
she lay Just as n she were waiting the
order to go again when some trif'ins
| matter had been adjusted. But In a few
moments we saw the covers lifted from
the boats, and the crews allotted TO then
standing by and curling up the ropes
which were to lower them by the pulley
blocks into the water.
we then began TO realize 1t was more
serious than had been supposed and my
| first thought was to go down and gel
more clothing and some money. but seeing
people pouring up the stairs decided II
was better to cause no confusion TO PEG.